Increasing Protein

UsedToBeHusky
UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,228 Member
edited November 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
How do I get more protein from whole foods? I do a lot of supplements; protein shakes and protein bars. But I don't want to rely on them. Suggestions?

Replies

  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    How do I get more protein from whole foods? I do a lot of supplements; protein shakes and protein bars. But I don't want to rely on them. Suggestions?

    Eat bigger portions of meat, poultry and fish. A lb of chicken breasts has under 500cals and over 100g of protein
  • engineman312
    engineman312 Posts: 3,450 Member
    quinoa is a grain with a pretty decent amount of protein. i also use peanut butter, and i make a bunch of hard boiled eggs as on the go snacks.
  • UsedToBeHusky
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,228 Member
    quinoa is a grain with a pretty decent amount of protein. i also use peanut butter, and i make a bunch of hard boiled eggs as on the go snacks.

    I tried the eggs but that dramatically increased my cholesterol.
  • Sporty98
    Sporty98 Posts: 320 Member
    Salmon, turkey breast, venison, organic grass-fed beef......You can eat (almost) all you want!
  • SixPackIsMyGoal
    SixPackIsMyGoal Posts: 121 Member
    Lots of eggs, chicken, fish and protein shakes. I don't think there is any other way.

    I used to buy those liquid protein tubes (they look like a big test tube with 40 or 50g of protein). They come in berry flavors and I would add them to sugar free Jello for a protein filled desert.
  • indianlarry11
    indianlarry11 Posts: 32 Member
    Of course lean meats are a great source. Other than that, low fat milk, peanut butter, greek yogurt, low fat string cheese or american cheese, almonds and hard boiled egg whites are all great sources of protein without too many calories.
  • heyghoge
    heyghoge Posts: 153 Member
    yep, quinoa is a good one. legumes/pulses are another good vegetarian bet, plus lots of fiber. if you're not a fan of tofu/other soy-based products, soymilk might go down more easily (mix it in with your shakes, even).
  • engineman312
    engineman312 Posts: 3,450 Member
    quinoa is a grain with a pretty decent amount of protein. i also use peanut butter, and i make a bunch of hard boiled eggs as on the go snacks.

    I tried the eggs but that dramatically increased my cholesterol.

    depending on what your LDL level is, one egg yolk a day will not greatly effect you. however, i have no idea how old you are, your sex, current weight, and if you have any medical problems.
  • Justjoshin
    Justjoshin Posts: 999 Member
    quinoa is a grain with a pretty decent amount of protein. i also use peanut butter, and i make a bunch of hard boiled eggs as on the go snacks.

    I tried the eggs but that dramatically increased my cholesterol.

    If Cholesterol is a serious concern (which unless you already had cholesterol problems, it shouldn't be as mentioned above) try egg whites?
  • XXXMinnieXXX
    XXXMinnieXXX Posts: 3,459 Member
    I'm in the uk, and currently wondering the same thing. Thinking of starting protein shakes, but there are so many out there! I'm confused!!! X
  • IvoryParchment
    IvoryParchment Posts: 651 Member
    If you eat dairy, there are lots of fat free choices which have high protein: Skim milk, fat free cottage cheese, fat free yogurt are good alone or used in recipes.

    Meat/fish/poultry is easy and can be surprisingly low calorie if you prepare it right.

    Egg whites have high protein and no fat, and can be substituted for whole eggs in lots of recipes.

    Unless you want to spend the rest of your life buying protein shakes, you're better off learning ways to eat high protein through normal food choices.
  • UsedToBeHusky
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,228 Member
    quinoa is a grain with a pretty decent amount of protein. i also use peanut butter, and i make a bunch of hard boiled eggs as on the go snacks.

    I tried the eggs but that dramatically increased my cholesterol.

    depending on what your LDL level is, one egg yolk a day will not greatly effect you. however, i have no idea how old you are, your sex, current weight, and if you have any medical problems.

    I had 3 whole eggs yesterday and doubled the daily recommended allowance of cholesterol. I don't have cholesterol issues, but it was a bit alarming. A single egg only has 6 g of protein which is only around 2% of the protein that I am attempting to consume each day. I am trying to make 1 g of protein per pound of lean muscle mass. I used an online calculator that determined that I have 114.4 lbs of lean muscle. I don't know how accurate that calculator is but that is my baseline; 114 g of protein a day.
  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member


    I had 3 whole eggs yesterday and doubled the daily recommended allowance of cholesterol. I don't have cholesterol issues, but it was a bit alarming. A single egg only has 6 g of protein which is only around 2% of the protein that I am attempting to consume each day. I am trying to make 1 g of protein per pound of lean muscle mass. I used an online calculator that determined that I have 114.4 lbs of lean muscle. I don't know how accurate that calculator is but that is my baseline; 114 g of protein a day.

    I would get your cholesterol checked. For many people, dietary cholesterol doesn't increase serum cholesterol and consequently you may not need to worry about it.
  • eddyca
    eddyca Posts: 153 Member
    Fat free cottage cheese, greek yogurt, chicken and turkey burgers, a rotisserie chicken....
  • Crystal_Pistol
    Crystal_Pistol Posts: 750 Member
    I have cholesterol AND hypertension issues (I'm one foot in the grave LOL), so I use a lot of chicken and fish. It keeps me safe with sodium as a lot of the dairy tends to add up quickly. Greek yogurt is a lower sodium/higher protein dairy option.

    For me, it's protein shakes and meat. 133g minimum protein daily.
  • becoming_a_new_me
    becoming_a_new_me Posts: 1,860 Member
    As mentioned above, lean meats, fish, quinona, some dairy are good. You can also get protein from nuts and beans and lentils. If you are trying to keep your cholesterol at a good number, egg whites have a large amount of protein without the fat. Some vegetables have protein too such as feild peas, spinach, and broccoli. Other sources include peanut butter, sunflower seeds, whole wheat, bulgar, almond butter, and even soy and tofu.
  • UsedToBeHusky
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,228 Member


    I had 3 whole eggs yesterday and doubled the daily recommended allowance of cholesterol. I don't have cholesterol issues, but it was a bit alarming. A single egg only has 6 g of protein which is only around 2% of the protein that I am attempting to consume each day. I am trying to make 1 g of protein per pound of lean muscle mass. I used an online calculator that determined that I have 114.4 lbs of lean muscle. I don't know how accurate that calculator is but that is my baseline; 114 g of protein a day.

    I would get your cholesterol checked. For many people, dietary cholesterol doesn't increase serum cholesterol and consequently you may not need to worry about it.

    Thanks for the suggestion. I should have it checked as it has been awhile, and it would certainly make me happy to know that I can eat my eggs without screwing something up.
  • yogibella
    yogibella Posts: 321 Member
    I have my omelet in the morning with 1 egg mixed with liquid egg whites. I'm not really worried about cholesterol but I get a great protein fix to start off my day. I also snack on non-fat cottage cheese, skim milk, cheeses, turkey breast, tofu & other soy, tuna, almonds and other nuts etc. and add a variety of beans and legumes to my meals. Usually that does it for me. I think you'll be surprised how many foods pack some nice protein!
  • cgrout78
    cgrout78 Posts: 1,628 Member
    quinoa is a grain with a pretty decent amount of protein. i also use peanut butter, and i make a bunch of hard boiled eggs as on the go snacks.

    how do you cook quinoa? I've never actually used it.
  • Sheila1968
    Sheila1968 Posts: 106
    I am struggling with this issue myself. In order to get "enough" protein - staying with .8 x weight, for example, I would be WAY over my recommended caloric intake or would have to not eat anything else but protein!! And I try to eat a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains along with the lean protein everyone has mentioned. So as a result I am nowhere NEAR 120 grams of protein or whatever would be considered appropriate for a moderately active 158 pound woman. I'm lucky to fit in 50-60 a day. It would help if things like cottage cheese and greek yogurt did not act as an epicac for me. Absolutely cannot stomach a lot of the stuff that's supposed to be good for me, so I'm left with tuna, eggs, yogurt, and cheese . . . over, and over, and over. I eat meat at home but it's not practical for me to take to work except in lunch meat form. I've tried the protein shakes and they kind of make me gag, too, plus they're too expensive. *sigh* Just venting here.
  • becoming_a_new_me
    becoming_a_new_me Posts: 1,860 Member
    quinoa is a grain with a pretty decent amount of protein. i also use peanut butter, and i make a bunch of hard boiled eggs as on the go snacks.

    how do you cook quinoa? I've never actually used it.

    It is cooked very similar to rice. It is really good...has a slight nutty flavor.
  • gregpack
    gregpack Posts: 426 Member
    Lean animal products give the most protein per calorie.

    Chicken- I buy frozen skinless boneless chicken breast at the wholesale clubs for about 2.20/lb. I cook ten breasts at a time, seasoned a variety of ways, and have them ready in the fridge.

    Spiral sliced ham is not bad, and is usually 1.99/lb or so.

    90/10 ground beef

    Lowfat cottage cheese- if you like it

    Lowfat milk.

    I've recently discovered Lowfat Greek yogurt. The fruit flavors have too much sugar/calories. I flavor the plain with crystal lite or another sugar free drink mix. Milk and yogurt more casein, a slow digesting protein. I eat the greek yogurt as a bedtime snack to get steady release of protein through the night. .
  • azwen
    azwen Posts: 237 Member
    I've been working on this, too. I think it's a big reason why I lost weight so slowly in the past, and why I didn't keep it off. (I lost muscle along with fat, and lowered my metabolism as a result.)

    My trainer recommends unprocessed foods, but I do still eat those protein bars sometimes (ThinkThin is a good brand). I also like Greek yogurt (nonfat), edamame (makes a great snack for when you're watching TV and want some mindless munching), and lean meats. I've wondered about trying some almonds or something occasionally, too.

    Best wishes on your weight loss!
  • UsedToBeHusky
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,228 Member
    I've recently discovered Lowfat Greek yogurt. The fruit flavors have too much sugar/calories. I flavor the plain with crystal lite or another sugar free drink mix. Milk and yogurt more casein, a slow digesting protein. I eat the greek yogurt as a bedtime snack to get steady release of protein through the night. .

    That's a great idea! I'm not especially fond of plain Greek yogurt. I mostly just use it in cooking but I think I'd like to try it with the drink mix.
  • neaneawy
    neaneawy Posts: 146 Member
    my DH had to add in a protein shake. Saw the Dr. after stepping wrong and receiving a pretty bad sprain. Dr. said it was from not eating enough protein and exercising as much as he is. MFP doesn't account for enough protein when you exercise hard. Dr. suggested 140g of protein a day. He's 6'3" and 220.
  • UsedToBeHusky
    UsedToBeHusky Posts: 15,228 Member
    my DH had to add in a protein shake. Saw the Dr. after stepping wrong and receiving a pretty bad sprain. Dr. said it was from not eating enough protein and exercising as much as he is. MFP doesn't account for enough protein when you exercise hard. Dr. suggested 140g of protein a day. He's 6'3" and 220.

    I didn't know that lack of protein could lead to injury. Is that 140 g before or after exercise?
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