Protein Deficiency

Hey, I'm new here but not new to dieting. After a few months of "healthy eating" however, I've started showing signs of protein deficiency and after checking out my intake for the past few days I'm definitely not getting enough in. Any recipe/food suggestions? I eat fish and beans a lot, but it doesn't seem to be enough...

Replies

  • themedalist
    themedalist Posts: 3,218 Member
    My favorite protein sources are eggs, egg whites, tuna with tiny bit of mayo and a few tablespoons of soynuts mixed in, peanut butter and greek yogurt. My hands down favorite is greek yogurt. My diary is open if you want to take a look. I average about 15% protein.
  • KikiOmaha
    KikiOmaha Posts: 6 Member
    I agree with themedalist about Greek Yogurt. It is so versatile. We buy large containers of the plain, 0% fat kind. It is great for breakfast smoothies blended with fruit and a little sweetener. It also subs for sour cream. I mix it with cucumbers and seasonings for a type of tzatziki sauce.

    Also, I enjoy cottage cheese and will sometimes eat egg whites. I try to stay away from nuts except for small snacks. I do like to have a few almonds, some dried fruit, and a piece of string cheese for a mid-afternoon snack.

    I find protein pops up in lots of food I wouldn't expect such as Pasta (and some brands have added protein) and breads. While I consider these to be my carbs of course, they do add to my protein totals.
  • Thanks for the advice, guys. I'll definitely look into buying some of these things - Greek yogurt, definitely!
  • cwb2478
    cwb2478 Posts: 6 Member
    I second the greek yogurt thing. I get the plain and sweeten it myself with fruit just like the others. I then mix in some flax seed and raw cocoa. The important thing is you can get 23 grams of protein from the 1 cup of greek yogurt. That's a fourth of what your supposed to get.in a day. I also marinate tofu in different meat marinades and grill it. chop it up really small and you don't even notice it. I also eat quinoa a really high protein nongrain but can replace grain. It's related to the spinach family. It replaces my rice. I average about 21% protein and since I've been traking it I have been feeling pretty good.
  • kellybean14
    kellybean14 Posts: 237 Member
    Beans and rice = complete protein! (I also hear that if you throw in citrus, like lime, it's even better for you.)
    Edamame
    Protein powder (I use this sometimes to supplement my intake if we're low on real food in the house)
    Nuts
    Egg whites
    Fish
    Tofu

    nom nom nom
  • Bean5
    Bean5 Posts: 84 Member
    I don't see any listings in your food diary, and it shows only 16 g of protein required. That's not correct, so you should check your settings. Maybe you could try to focus on hitting a minimum of 15-20g of protein per meal, which should be pretty easy with bean/grain combos or fish, etc. then eat high protein snacks like the Greek yogurt everyone mentions. Chobani is great and has 14g per serving by itself. Usually I start my day with a smoothie, 1 c of milk, 2 c spinach, and a frozen banana and a half of full cup from mixed fruit...that's just under 300 calories and is 14 g of protein. I've been pescatarian 5years with no protein issues, so you can do it! Good luck.
  • dsclemente
    dsclemente Posts: 70 Member
    Bean, lentils, Greek yogurt, protein bars(watch out for sugar), nuts, eggs, tofu, cottage cheese, soy, and quinoa. Quinoa is oh so good. I put that in almost everything and it is so good!!