Hi everyone! I need advice on getting more protein! My doctor said i need to lower the carbs and up the protein... not to the point of Adkins or anything that drastic... since i am used to just calorie counting i am kind of lost... because i am a carb-aholic.

What are some good calorie concious ways to get protein?

So far i have been adding in:
low fat cottage cheese
hard boiled eggs


then i am stuck!

If you aren't vegetarian, chicken breast, pork tenderloin, and ground turkey breast are all excellent protein sources.

One of my favorite afternoon snacks is a shake of protein powder, unsweetened vanilla almond milk, a couple ice cubes and some frozen fruit. Delicious and, depending on the fruit used, under 200 calories.

Chicken breasts are excellent

Tuna, salmon

I am trying to do the same thing. I added chicken as a snack. I buy a roasted chicken, take the skin off and put it in baggies. That way I can grab it and take it to work. My teens call it my "King Henry the 8th" thing when I take the whole chicken apart.

LOL!!!!!

Chicken, tuna, lean pork, lean beef, greek yogurt, and low fat string cheese are all good options. Also, I eat beef jerky as a snack sometimes and that has a lot of protein, although some brands have things like MSG in them, so if you're worried about then you'll have to shop around. I eat the Target Market Pantry brand and it's not too bad on the salt either.

~tofu (if you don't like the taste you can blend some lite mori-nu into a smoothie)

~quinoa (yes, it's a grain, but a grain with lots of protein in it)

~milk or soymilk

~low-fat cheeses

~low-fat yogurt (plain has the most calcium and protein~just add your own fruit)

~nuts (in small doses)

I'm a veggie and I can struggle with getting protein as well.
My favorites:
lowfat string cheese
Morningstar Farms, Boca and Gardenburger products
Cashews & almonds
Yogurt
Laughing Cow cheese
Hummus
Tofu
Tempeh
Lentils
Beans & Rice (and other grains)
Peanut Butter
Kashi & South Beach high protein granola bars

Try bison, red deer and elk. They are great sources of protein and very lean.

When I'm low on protein I have the Morningstar Farms "Steak" Strips with my dinner. They have 22g of protein per serving!

You could also shop around for some whey protein powder. I've just recently started drinking protein shakes after running and the kind my husband had has 29g of protein per serving, and then I mix it with skim milk so the shake has a little more protein as well.

I find my cravings for sweets are almost quieted when my protein is at a good level!

Good luck!

Kara

I'm not a vegetarian (but i once was for a few years)... i guess i just need to learn to eat more meat... or meat WITHOUT bread all over it! (i am a sandwich lover).

Sharon - i have heard that game like that does have great value as far as being so lean... that's just hard to find here in VA... my husband was used to eating that type of meat when he lived in CO.

I have been adding a Kashi Go Lean bar before my workouts.

I may have to do a protein shake from time to time, i think.

Thanks for all of the suggestions!

I add protein powder to things. You can add it to pancake mix, I will stir a bit into yogurt or mix it into pasta sauce. Not too much, or you will taste it - but adding a couple of grams in each meal can really boost your protein up every day.

Hey Kara,
Do you know the fat grams for those morningstar steak strips?
Thanks!

You could make chili. I think some yogurts are a good source of protein. Mnay dairy products are.

I like seafood. Mussels have a surprising amount of protein. There are also tiny tins of tuna available, flavoured with lemon or tomato.