I realized how many carbohydrates I eat on any given day. Huge amounts, not much else. So, now I'm trying to be more balanced, especially in pairing my carbs w/protein.
In my fitday, It seems that when my protein increases, so does my fat. I'm eating stuff like mixed nuts, lunch meat, cheese, and beans.
Most protein sources have a certain amount of fat, some more than others. You don't want to get all your protein from nuts or full-fat cheeses. But they can still be an important contribution.
Since you're using FitDay, what percentages are you coming up with? The U.S. recommendation is 30% or less. The popular Mediterranean style of eating is often higher than that (30-40%), but healthy because low in saturated fats and high in monounsaturated fat (from olive oil) and because it's high in produce.
I'll let someone who is not vegetarian address the best choices in meats. The beans are not likely your fat culprit unless you're eating a great deal of edamame or chickpeas.
Hm. Depending on the kind of lunch meat you're eating, there can be quite a bit of fat there. Sodium as well ... so you should keep an eye on that.
I get a lot of my protein from the following:
2% Fage yogurt
steel cut oats
lentils and beans
quinoa
boneless skinless chicken tenders
lean pork loin/pork chops
fish (shrimp, mahi, scallops, etc. - salmon too, but that has more fat)
tuna packed in spring water
eggs
Whole grain can add more protein as well. Whole grain Barilla rotini has 7g protein per 2oz serving.
Also don't negate the traces of protein you get from most veggies. A serving of broccoli has 3g protein. A serving of spinach has 1.7g, etc. So as you eat more veggies, that little bit of protein can add up nicely.
I also use a scoop of whey protein in water every day to supplement my protein, but I'm trying to get a pretty high percentage of protein into my diet.
Nuts are healthy fats but you have to keep them in moderation. Same with the cheese. Choosing the leaner cuts of meat helps, PLUS protein with some fat helps keep you satisfied!
Nonfat plain yogurt, nonfat milk, chicken, turkey, ground turkey, canned salmon, eggs, soy protein powder are where I get a lot of my protein--any of those are probably lower-fat than your current protein foods. I do eat some nuts or peanut butter almost every day, but I limit the portions. I avoid packaged lunch meat because it's honestly got a lot of stuff in it that I want to avoid--tons of sodium and preservatives. Cheese I use as a condiment or occasional snack item due to the high fat content.
Also, low-fat or fat-free cottage cheese is a good protein source. There are plenty of protein sources that don't add a lot of fat, and things like nuts and salmon contain good fats, whereas cheese and meat, esp red meat, have saturated fats which should be kept lower.
I have found that a 40/30/30 balance works well for me. I also went from about 80% of my calories coming from carbs to a more balanced diet.
I think the key is that they should be healthy fats - MUFAs. Nuts hard for me to add in - I had avoided peanut butter for years because of the fat content - yet now I eat nut butters and nuts daily
Whole grain can add more protein as well. Whole grain Barilla rotini has 7g protein per 2oz serving.
Also don't negate the traces of protein you get from most veggies. A serving of broccoli has 3g protein. A serving of spinach has 1.7g, etc. So as you eat more veggies, that little bit of protein can add up nicely.
Good grief, how could I have left those two out. I LOVE that there's significant protein in whole grains and greens .
Thank you much for the replies... this is the first time I've ever really looked at the amount of carbs/fat/protein that I eat.
When I am at home I generally have more meats, usually pork tenerloins or chicken breast.
The problem I have is when I'm at work and not able to cook something. I'm looking for portable protein sources.
So far I've come up with boiled eggs, low fat string cheese, nuts, yogurt, raisins, cottage cheese ( I have to eat this w/ pineapple. I can't stand it any other way).
I eat a sandwhich w/ wheat bread w/ turkey and a slice of cheese. Real cheese. Sometimes it's a peanut butter sandwhich.
I could also bring sliced turkey with out the rest of the sandwhich.
I do eat kidney beans and black beans in a chili.
I can deal with some raw vegetables but only with dip of some sort. I'm like a little kid. If I don't like it it's hard for me to eat it voluntarily.
Upping my protein and getting more vegetables in are my downfalls. It seems kind of difficult to figure out initially.
I have a fridge and a microwave at work, but I don't use them every day. Here's a sampling of what I often bring to work with me. Since I'm trying to eat a lot more protein, I try to make sure that whatever I eat gives me a lot of protein bang for the calories. Also all of these things can be eaten hot, cold, or room temp. In fact a lot of times the things like the quinoa or the lentil salad, I'll just let sit on my desk until lunch. I think the flavors are better if it's room temp and not too col.
(Oh and if you don't have access to a fridge, a small insulated lunch bag with a cooler block is your best friend in the world.)
Leftover veggie stir fry w/ a chopped up chicken breast
Quinoa with diced squash mixed in and a soy/peanut sauce (quinoa has a good bit of protein)
Steel cut oats with a serving of shredded sharp cheddar cheese mixed in and steamed veggies on top (I use oats like I would rice or any other grain, not just for breakfast).
1/2 peanut butter sandwich (2 T of pb on 1 slice whole grain bread) with some kind of fruit
2% Fage yogurt (if you put this in the insulated lunch bag, it'll stay cold all day)
boiled eggs
whole grain pasta with diced tomatoes, garlic, and chopped chicken breast
tuna salad made with yogurt (or even better, tzatziki sauce) stuffed into a whole grain pita w/ baby spinach, tomatoes, cucumbers (lots of cucumbers)
lentil salad made with cooked lentils, tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, feta cheese, olive oil, and vinegar
That's off the top of my head ... I know there are other things, but right now I'm turkey obsessed, so I'm making all kinds of turkey related leftovers and it's pushed everything else out.
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Last edited by PhotoChick; 12-30-2008 at 10:19 AM.
More protein= more fat.
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