? re: protein

[Gettingfit]

I've tried to keep my calories down & get my protein intake up but without EXPENSIVE supplements this seems impossible. I'm currently eting about 1800 calories & only getting an average of 90-100 grams of protein. I'm eating lean meats, chicken, tuna, etc...Anyone have any suggestions on how to get up to about 150 without going over my caloric intake?

I cannot afford supplements--I'm unemployed & going to law school.

I'm ready to take the next step! http://www.smilies-world.de/Smilies/Smilies_klein_1/a_smil09.gif

 

[getnfit@39]

I try not to "obsess" over the actual daily protein/carb ratio, but when I am focusing a little harder on keeping my protein at or about 20%, I usually start my day protein heavy with egg whites w/fat free cheese and turkey sausage (higher in protein, very low in carbs), each egg white is 6g of protein, so a 3 egg omelet is 18g/protein, 1/4c fat free cheddar cheese is another 6 or 8g/protein, and the turkey sausage is an additional 18g/protein for a serving of 3 links, so your total protein intake for just breakfast is about 44g. Then do a mid morning snack that's high in protein, maybe a bar or shake if you're in to them. Lunch, tuna or boneless/skinless chicken breast cut up in a dark greens leafy salad, adding spinach to any salad will add extra fiber and protein, again, add the shredded fat free cheddar or mozzerella cheeses, maybe a side of cottage cheese if you can stomach it!
Really it just comes down to almost making a list of all higher protein foods and seeing where you can plug them in at each meal. To maintain high protein you really have to think about it (I'm just not at a point I want to think that hard!), but if you consciously add it at every meal/snack, and you have a total of 5-6 meals/day, you can easily get in 200g/day if you want. Without really trying or thinking I can average 115-130g/day, and that's not thinking about it, just trying to eat well and low fat.
But while you're label reading, look for the highest protein values in just about everything you purchase. Most people forget about protein when shopping for bread, they think only about fiber, but take Wonder light wheat bread for example, it has 5g/fiber and 5g/protein per serving. Many other breads will have less protein. Fat free dairy products are a good source of protein, of course lean meats and chicken, turkey and tuna. Fish is excellent for both protein and "good fats/oils."
So maybe make out a list of all your possibilities first, then plug them in throughtout your eating day, but eating a significant amount at each meal is really the only way to get it all in consistently.

Good luck

Donna
Fitness~It's a journey, not a race!

 

[Stargazer]

Hi,
I understand. Unfortunately I have no answer. It seems that the only way is to cut out practically all of the carbos that aren't in the form of veggies (no potatos, of course) and stick to fish - the lean ones. But, if prices in your area are like mine, by the time you are finished paying the premium price that good fish fetches, you may as well have bought a can of protein powder....

Maybe, really, you have to up your calories. It occurs to me that if you are trying to add muscle, its just going to take a little more going in. You actually may end up weighing the same or more, just more muscle (and so you will be smaller)

Hopefully someone else can help.

-joy

 

[Aquajock]

Mush up some hard-cooked egg whites and mix them up into your tuna and chicken salads. Zero fat, and only one other food has a higher protein bioavailability.

A-jock

 

[Mindi]

Fat free cottage cheese is an excellent and inexpensive source of protein w/out a lot of additional calories. But if you're eating lean protein and watching starchy carbs, I wouldn't worry too much about the calorie intake. I've lost 23lbs eating this way and its so happy to never be hungry and not really worry about calories.

 

[Jilliana22]

Gettingfit do you like turkey chili? Hormel canned turkey chili is a delicious and filling meal. A single serving (1 cup) has 24grams of protein, 17grams carbs, and 5grams of dietary fiber of course that is chili without beans. If you buy it with beans it ups the carbs and lowers the protein for some reason but the label says 1 cup of chili with beans is 17grams of protein, 24grams of carbs, and 7grams of fiber. I'll usually have some for lunch and then more later in the day for a snack or with my dinner.

-Jilliana

 

[Connie1]

Well? What is it?!?! Don't just leave me hanging here!