Protein

rabrooke · May 10

I can’t seem to get enough protein throughout the day. Any tips for how to add some without adding a bunch of calories.

AnnPT77 · May 10

In case you haven't run across it yet, you might find this thread here helpful:

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10247171/carbs-and-fats-are-cheap-heres-a-guide-to-getting-your-proteins-worth-fiber-also

It links to a spreadsheet that list many, many foods in order by most protein for fewest calories. It helped me get enough protein on reduced calories when I was starting out here.

You might find some things high on that list that you enjoy eating, and that you can slip into your regular eating routine to get more protein.

I'm sure you realize that protein powder or protein bars are options, and there are quite a few ways to use protein powder in things, not just in shakes/smoothies. I can't give you specific recommendations about those things. I don't have anything against them in theory, but don't find them very tasty or satisfying, so prefer to get my protein from regular foods. Even if you'd prefer to get protein from foods, the powders/bars can help out while figuring out a more food-centric method.

neanderthin · May 10

Lean animal meats including seafood is the best high quality source of amino acids there is and they don't have carbs attached that add calories, therefore some of the lowest calorie protein sources are also from the animal kingdom. Generally when i hear that someone can't seem to eat enough protein it normally turns out they have embraces the highly promoted plant based diet, which will be a little more difficult on many levels but can be done, soy products and their derivatives are your friend. Good luck.

Retroguy2000 · May 11

Whey protein powder. Add water. 25g protein 120-130 calories.

tomcustombuilder · May 11

you need to prioritize your protein calories and then work carbs and fats in around it

PAV8888 · May 11

egg whites mixed with eggs > eggs

PM_37 · May 12

Turkey and egg whites are pretty high in protein and low in calories + they have a bunch of good stuff for you

lolohisee · May 12

Eggs w added egg whites, try and add a lean meat whenever possible, I like ground chicken because it's very versatile depending on how it's seasoned, protein shakes, I really like making Greek yogurt bowls, adding PB fit to things for taste + protein. Those are all the things I've starting incorporating into my diet!

Jon4189 · May 14

Being a vegetarian I know what it's like to have a hard time getting enough protein. Here are my three gotos:

Peas - (really good source of protein not that high in carbs)
Edamame - (Higher in cards but still a good source)
Eggs - (low cal and good source) (You can just do the whites too)

I hope this helps.

BTW: Add frozen Peas and Edamame (shelled) to microwave bowl, add garlic (couple cloves), pepper and red pepper flakes, sprinkle after cooked with parm… YUMMY and high in protein.

J72FIT · May 14

I'm a big fan of clear whey. 80 calories and 20 grams per serving.

Corina1143 · May 14

Fish

sergo878787 · May 17

300g of meat, 200g of cottage cheese, 3 eggs allow me to consume over 160g of protein a day in addition to the protein from starchy carbs, and it's eaten up faster than I thought it would

ninerbuff · May 17

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/comment/48610457#Comment_48610457

Spinach gives you the most protein per ounce.

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neanderthin · May 18

https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/comment/48614519#Comment_48614519

Well no, spinach has less than a gram of protein per ounce and there's lot of plants that have much more per ounce like most beans, seed, legumes etc. and actually spinach is probably one of the lowest. 🤔

elisa123gal · May 20

the key is to start first thing in the morning. Some evenings roll around and I realize I've only had 30 or 40 grams. I still can't get the one gram of protein per pound of body weight, advised for older adults. However. I'm doing way better than before.

Simply google the list of protein counts for food. In short.. lean meats..like chicken and turkey are the lowest calories. I was shocked when I saw eggs didn't have as much protein as I always thought.

xxslim_pickinsxx · May 23

I treat each meal like it's basically 30g of protein plus whatever garnish/sauce/fixins it takes to make that palatable. A block of soft tofu or a sad skinless chicken breast can be incorporated into a bunch of meals that are actually nice to eat--holler if you want recipe suggestions.

I also mix up a thing of unflavored whey protein every morning and lace my coffee and/or broth with it throughout the day, and I keep protein-heavy versions of yogurt and keto bagels on hand in case I need a treat

age_is_just_a_number · May 23

For a protein hit I eat 125 grams of cottage cheese with 15 grams of chocolate whey protein powder.

je9strikesagain · May 24

I'm hitting about 150g of protein daily (160 lb, F, 41y). I start off with a protein shake first thing in the morning to get a head start. I do the same thing others have mentioned about basing meals around my protein. One big thing I do though is consume a lot of fat free Greek yogurt for snacks in between or use it as a substitute when making dressings or dips. 2/3 cup has 18g of protein. Bonus, most have live cultures too.

BeechX · May 27

Canned Tuna is high in protein and low in calories :)

yirara · May 28

I am able to get lots of protein with a type of cheese available here. It's kind of a sour milk cheese with hardly any fat. Comes in at 14.5g of of protein for 50g of cheese.

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