Tips for eating your protein

[TigerTea3]

Background info. I'm close to my ideal weight but I'm looking to increase my muscle mass for a more defined shape. I exercise 4/5 times per week and eat well but I'm never able to hit my protein target.

I have really tried but if I eat too much chicken I get stomach ache and severe bloating.

I don't eat too much red meat because of the higher fat content.

I hate peanuts, nut butter, beans, pulses - stuff like quinoa also gives me horrible stomach aches - I have IBS.

I feel like my only option is going to be protein shakes but I'm also worried about this causing me stomach ache - I know, I'm a nightmare! I've tried a few low sugar, protein bars and they did not agree with me at all.

Has anyone got any tips for increasing protein intake or any recommendations for gut gentle protein shakes that I can try?

I weight train (which I love) but I'm just not seeing the results that I would if I could actually eat the protein I need.

Thank you for reading.

I second Warburtons plant power bread - great macros in 2 slices! Also, quark and cottage cheese have about 10/11g protein per 100g. And for me, being on a budget, tinned sardines, tuna and salmon are great too. If you buy them in spring water they're low kcal as well and I mix them with garlicky tomato paste for flavour.
Not so budget-friendly is spirulina powder (meant to be amazingly healthy) - 10g protein per 1.5 tbsp. And lastly, 50g Lizzi’s protein granola has 13.5g protein, BUT 225 kcal so be aware of that.

Hope that helps :-)

Good quality cottage cheese.

Tinned fish.

I've just ordered kind bars which look like a healthier alternative to the protein bars that I've been eating. 20g protein per bar. I have one bar for breakfast.

Thanks PP for the spirulina tip. Will be adding that to my routine.

Sorry, I should have been more clear. The days I do weights and cardio mix are 30 mins heavy lifting and 30 mins cardio HIIT. So essentially I do 1 hour session purely dedicated to weight training and then 2/3 sessions per week where half of my time is lifting heavy weights and the other half cardio. My other workout is a boxing fitness class.

@highfidelity thank you. I've ordered some whey isolate protein powder and I'm going to give it a try. I hope in small amounts it will be ok. Sorry, I forgot who mentioned adding it to plain yogurt but that's a great idea. I'm not a huge fan of plain yoghurt.

It might be trial and error with finding a protein powder that works for you, but you can add powder to a milk plant/dairy of your choice. I tend to add a scoop of whey to my overnight oats and drink a scoop of cassein to coconut milk before bed. Your protein needs actually increase the more you exercise, and it's very hard to meet them through whole foods alone. And that's for people who can munch away on nut butters and pulses without getting ill. Nothing wrong with a helping hand from a supplement, it's just a milk product.

Hi OP, I'm vegan and aim for 110g protein a day and generally hit it. Tofu, tempeh, soya milk, protein shakes, edamame beans, selected meat alternatives - they're my go tos.

I drink collagen for my skin and it is fairly high protein too.

I average around 100g protein a day. I eat plain porridge for breakfast, low carb lunch either as a three egg omelette with whatever is in the fridge thrown in, or M&S 3% burgers with a salad, gherkins, cheese (Eat Lean cheddar is low fat high protein), ketchup and yellow mustard, and then tea varies every day, but features chicken breast or fish frequently.

Forgot to add, greek yogurt and quark are good sources of protein. Quark is nice mixed with options hot chocolate sachets for a dessert.

I know you've ordered whey isolate, but if you don't like it/don't get on with it, look for a protein powder with Stevia as the sweetener rather than artificial sweeteners.

Skyr with protein powder is one of my favourite breakfasts. Also Hovis Seeds Sensations bread is a good source of protein to have for lunch with meat or fish.