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
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.
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.
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.
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
Last edited by CountingDown; 03-04-2008 at 09:34 PM.
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!
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.
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.