How to get enough protein without protein powder?

[farmer88]

Everything makes me constipated. This includes protein powder and seitan. Struggling to hit my protein goals. Current primary sources are legumes, tofu and edamame. I also get random amounts of protein from all the kale, broccoli, brussel sprouts and random vegetables I eat, but it's not enough. I would rather not eat processed foods like vegan sausage/burgers etc.

I am 5'4" female, 123 lbs. Currently running 40-45 miles/week, and rock climbing 2-6 hrs/week. I eat between 2100-2300 cal/day. Shooting for 90 grams of protein per day, and consistently falling short about 10-20 grams. I tried protein powder shake in the mornings, and it was so perfect and easy, but I stopped pooping :-(

Thanks for your help!

Edit: Forgot to mention that seeds and nuts also make me constipated

Edit 2: I am drinking 4-5 liters of water per day, and averaging 75 g/day of fiber which is 300% of my daily recommended. General consensus is that I should see a doctor. I've been putting it off forever, so maybe I will finally go now!

 

[dawn16]

@farmer88 I'm 5'3"m 123 lbs as well! I do heavy lifting and I eat 1900-2000 calories a day because I don't do as much cardio as I should, haha. That being said, I consume 148 g of protein a day, usually with ease:

I eat Flat Out! flax bread, toasted with Pita Pal red pepper hummus, a Tofurky Italian sausage, and a bag of steamed soybeans with a glass of soymilk for breakfast. Clocks in at 80g of protein (30g in Tofurky, 20g in flax/hummus, 22g in soybeans, 8g in soymilk).

Lunch is usually baked extra firm tofu with roasted broccoli, soybeans, and garbanzo beans and a Clif builder's bar. Clocks in at 56g of protein (16g in tofu, 20g in vegetables, 20g in bar).

In the evening, I eat a protein shake made of silken tofu blended with protein powder and frozen berries. Can sub powder for peanut butter on days where I wanna go lighter in the evening. Depending on the size, these shakes can be 60g of protein each, but I usually have smaller servings so they're between 10-20 g.

Since you specified not wanting to eat mock meats, I'd suggest adding more tofu to your diet and possibly nuts and nut spreads. Adding silken tofu to shakes really increases the protein, too! Best of luck with your protein intake!

 

[marip]

@dawn16 It's awesome that you're getting so much protein but have you looked into recommendations on spreading out your protein intake more over the day? I know there's debate between the benefits of fewer, bigger meals vs many, smaller meals. My understanding is that only so much protein can be utilized for muscle synthesis in a given timeframe. Roughly something like 20-40g/hour depending on your size.

 

[fireswan]

@marip I'm not sure exactly on the science, and hopefully I'll get a chance to research and reply back with more info, but the metabolic window for protein at least I believe is a myth. When it comes to protein utilization, it's more important to think about your daily intake rather than per meal. With carbs, however, it is important to eat in post-exercise within a close time proximity to replenish lost muscle glycogen stores (aka long carbohydrate chains stored in muscle tissue utilized only when blood glucose is no longer in supply). So say someone eats 90g of protein in one meal, while I wouldn't recommend that simply bc it may put a lot of strain on the digestive system/kidneys, you would be able to meet your daily protein requirement/build muscle if your body mass aligns with that value.

 

[dawn16]

@marip Myth

 

[marip]

@dawn16 Thank you for the thought provoking response.

 

[farmer88]

@dawn16 I forgot to mention that seeds and nuts also make me constipated >:-( Thanks for all the other suggestions though!

 

[dawn16]

@farmer88 Aw, that sucks!! I used to have big time bloating problems with seeds and nuts, I find that peanut and almond butter is generally easier for me to digest though. Hope you can find a combination that works!

 

[jesswyersblessing]

@farmer88 How much water do you drink a day?

 

[farmer88]

@jesswyersblessing 4-5 liters

 

[dawn16]

@farmer88 Explore Cusine has edamame and or black bean pasta with 25g protein per serving. Each serving is 180 cals. This stuff is amazing. Game changer when it comes to getting protein.

 

[farmer88]

@dawn16 Aaah I totally forgot about this! I've seen it at the store and hadn't bought any yet because it's pricey, but this a great suggestion.

 

[dawn16]

@farmer88 It is expensive, but it's cheaper than some protein sources and each box is 4 servings = 4 dinners

 

[farmer88]

@dawn16 Lol no way would one box of pasta be 4 servings for me, but I think the price is totally worth it. Cheaper than powder!

 

[dawn16]

@farmer88 And a great sauce to go with it is: fat free refried beans, hummus, and pasta sauce all mixed together.

 

[farmer88]

@dawn16 Mm sounds amazing!

 

[lsweetn]

@dawn16 This is a great idea. Do you order it online or where do you get it from?

 

[dawn16]

@lsweetn There are a few stores where I live that carry it. Hyvee being one of them, the other two are local chains.

 

[lsweetn]

@dawn16 Cool thanks

 

[personalizedbook]

@farmer88 If protein powder, seitan, nuts, and seeds all make you constipated, then there might be a larger issue going on. I see that your fiber intake is very high, what foods are contributing most to that? What is your fluid intake like? Do you chew your food thoroughly? How often do you poo?