How to eat more protein

[New2thisshizzle]

I keep reading I should eat more protein to help lose weight/maintain muscle but I’m struggling for ideas behind chicken or salmon for dinner.

Have a boiled egg, portion of cottage cheese or a chunk of cheese as a snack. You could have a protein shake .

Cheese omelette
Salad with tuna, cottage cheese, nuts and beans
Stir fry with seafood, nuts, and egg fried rice
Protein kefir

Most dinners are nice with a fried or poached egg on top.

Aim to have protein at every meal and then it becomes a habit. eg eggs and/or greek yoghurt for breakfast, chicken or tuna wrap for lunch, spaghetti bolognaise/chicken or prawn stir fry/salmon & roast veg for dinner. Have a protein shake and babybels or nuts as a snack.

Today I have eaten/am having:

Ryvita with soft cheese and tomatoes, salmon and avocado salad, bacon and bean stew with crusty bread, pieces of chocolate after, quark for a snack- that's a lower protein day for me and about 81g. I try and aim for 30g per meal roughly, or make it up with a snack if I haven't managed it in the meal. I usually have 80-100g protein a day and 1500 calories.

I'm cutting calories so making sure I still hit protein and fibre targets. 29.5g fibre today. 7.5 portions of fruit/veg.

@DustyLee123 I love eggs so that’s not a problem, are protein shakes good for you? I thought they might be quite sugary?

@rainfallpurevividcat I’m trying to eat more protein & fibre & I found it hard to increase both in one day.

Good quality protein isn't sugary. I like the impact whey from myprotein but there are lots of good brands. I put it in overnight oats or just shake with water.

You can also buy liquid egg white, I do an omlette with one egg plus egg whites or a ham and egg white bagel or sandwich. Or whisk egg white into porridge.

I think you need to make a benchmark before you start changing things that you might not need to.

Do you calculate your current protein levels and if so what are they?

If you then find you need to eat more than there are good suggestions above, eggs, milk are easy, prawns, fish, tofu, mixed with legume and nut based sauces or sides.

If you eat bread wholemeal has better protein levels I think, and try higher protein grains like quinoa etc plus seeds

I have those Kvarg high protein yoghurts for breakfast with some milled nuts and seeds on top, then because I'm lazy I microwave some egg whites and have them on the side too.

For lunch if I'm buying a salad from a shop I also buy an additional packet of chicken and/or some boiled eggs to add on top as well, even if it already has a protein as part of the salad.

I make my own. Fruit, spinach, mint, almonds, walnuts, oats, linseeds, chia seeds and protein powder. Made on soya milk. I don't always have ALL those ingredients to hand, but whatever I have. I make a few days supply at a time.

I aim to eat 120g protein a day. Today’s menu was this:

B: overnight oats with 10g protein powder and Greek yoghurt. Followed by MyProtein Clear Whey Protein; this just tastes like peach iced tea (30.5g protein)
L: 200g chicken breast + 40g dry pasta (cooked) (58g protein)
D: 3 egg omelette (18g protein)
Snack: 150g Greek Yoghurt 0% (16g protein)

My meal plan today is

Breakfast - protein yoghurt and fruit.

Dinner - bbq pulled pork, salad, protein pitta bread and coleslaw

Tea - Chunky chilli beef with jacket potatoes.

I have a fulfil protein bar as a snack.

@soupfiend so yesterday I had granola with Greek yoghurt & berries, jacket with beans & cheese, salmon, greens & sauce, some nuts, apple, satsuma & a few biscuits. That tracked at about 58g of protein.

Today I had porridge with fruit for breakfast, lunch was lentil soup & roll, boiled egg snack, dinner was noodles, chicken, sesame stir fry, cake slice & im at 60g of protein.

I feel like I don’t know how I can fit more in!

Right I will order some of the MyProtein stuff

Its difficult isnt it

I had WLS and a key component of diet now is that protien is the priority to maintain muscle, keep you filled up and support the loss, so I was trying to get in around 80g of protein but obviously on very low calories, which Im still on as you cant eat much

But the bariatric nurses who I have my check ups with said that as long as Im in the 50s, perhaps up to 60g, Im doing well and not to worry too much so it made me relax a bit

@New2thisshizzle I usually use a myprotein discount code from the people I follow on Instagram. Try 'DOBSON' or 'EMMAFIT' and see if either of them give you a discount.

That’s interesting @soupfiend.

I also read, and cant remember where and dont know if its true that the body only processes or utilises 20g or so of protien in one go (one meal) anyway, so aiming to have more than that in one portion or meal is a bit purposeless

I use Purition if Im having a protein shake (which I rarely do, the sachets are in the cupboard if I need them). You mix it with milk and its not particularly low cal, but its full of goodness and no artificial sweetners

I dont eat any artificial sweetners and havent found one protien drink/shake type thing out there without them, apart from these and I think these have that awful stevia in them as well

https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/are-you-getting-too-much-protein#:~:text=General%20recommendations%20are%20to%20consume,your%20money%20on%20excessive%20amounts.

I made my own protein and fibre shake which I have sometimes before or after the gym - as an meal as it's quite filling and keeps you going.

1x banana
100 ml cream milk
125g quark
1 large conference pear (skin and all)
15g peanut butter
5g honey or agave syrup

422 calories, 23.3 protein, 8.5 fibre.

I don't hold with protein powders and so on personally though I think they are useful if you are vegan or dairy intolerant, or don't like dairy.

Yeah, it's definitely possible to overdo it.

Best to see how your stomach reacts to certain foods as well- happy gut, happy everything.

I sometimes have a bit of All Bran but it is quite the fibre motherlode so I wouldn't have say, pears with it. 🙂

Daal made with chickpeas/lentils is a great source of protein, add spinach and tomato.
For lunch I make a bean salad with chickpeas,kidney beans, cucumber, peppers, celery, tuna, cashew nuts, home made dressing etc.

I eat a lot of:
Chicken breast
Tuna
Turkey bacon
Ham
Eggs and egg whites (you can buy a carton of egg whites)
Protein yoghurt (between 15g and 25g protein)
Protein bars
Greek yoghurt
Cottage cheese
Peanut butter
Cheese
Bran flakes (10% Protein and high in fibre)
Protein weetabix
Protein powder mixed into yoghurt

It is a bit tiresome thinking about how to get a lot of Protein into every meal!

Skyr yoghurt or quark are the best high protein options for hardly any calories - better than greek yoghurt (especially if you're having 'greek style'). You can also mix e.g. vanilla protein powder into them for flavour. Have for breakfast or as a snack with some fruit and it's filling plus 20+g protein