Petite people: what do you consume to get enough protein for muscle building?

[vman8r]

I don't want to have to do one of those boring set plans where you eat the same meals several times a week. My tastes are pretty healthy anyway, but I found that when I started recording what I ate, I didn't often get the amounts of protein recommended for muscle building. Then yesterday I read this excellent paper you guys posted - which recommends up to 1.6g protein per kg of bodyweight for women

https://www.reddit.com/r/xxfitness/comments/milsbk/sex_differences_and_considerations_for_female

and I am well short of that. If you are a small build that is such a high proportion of what you eat especially on rest days. I sometimes end up with about 1g protein per kg by eating what I feel like, but that's maybe 2 or 3 days a week.

I am a dairy-intolerant flexitarian who would rather be eating animal products on less than 10 occasions per month, though in practice it sometimes works out more because of batch cooking and pack size.

Is the best way of keeping eating what I feel like *and* getting the protein, to make a bit of space for drinks with vegan protein powder? What do others do who are small-framed and aiming for body recomposition or muscle building?

Also as I have 3 old injuries to rehab as part of getting fit again, I can't exercise hard every day or do big compound lifts and it will probably be months before that. So the whole 'exercise more so you can eat more' thing is of limited applicability and there are days when I need to eat less and/or don't feel that hungry anyway. (e.g. last week I walked about 55 000 steps and this week about 70 000 but that is concentrated over 4 days, a lot of that is also practical walking that saved me paying bus fares; the other days are largely sub 2500 steps and I defo need that rest at the moment.)

 

[queslove]

@vman8r So a lot of people are recommending protein powder supplementing and I agree, however they all just mention dry protein shakes (which I think are so damn gross that I never drink them). So here's a tip: throw a tasteless soy/pea protein powder in.... everything. Especially breakfast foods are a great vehicle for protein powder. Smoothies, oatmeal/baked oats, pancakes, waffles, even yoghurt (since non-dairy yoghurt is usually not amazing when it comes to protein content). I also use protein powder to bind certain things like potato cakes, fish cakes, the works. I also eat a protein bar every now and then if I notice I'll have a protein-light dinner or sth.

I usually hit over 50 grams with my brekkie and afterwards I don't have to pay as much attention.

Honestly, wherever you use flour (except for bread maybe) you could substitute a part with protein powder. I currently use soy protein isolate by myprotein!

 

[vman8r]

@queslove Interesting to add it to flour too. I don't mind drinking unsweetened protein powder in water, though it will make it least obtrusive to add it to other stuff

 

[dawn16]

@vman8r Breakfast essentials, ensure drink and powder

 

[vman8r]

Thanks so much everyone! There are loads of good ideas here and there's something great about hearing from so many posters who have similar aims and needs.

 

[red33med777]

@vman8r Upvoting all the great comments of vegan sources of protein. I get all my protein from natural plant based sources without protein powder. 100g+ of protein per day even on a 1800 calories daily intake. Check out r/veganfitness too!

 

[djena]

@vman8r 5'0 110lb - Deffo protein powder. Need it to close the gap. And eggs/egg whites, soy milk, tofu, peameal bacon, salmon/shrimp.

 

[lisa0617]

@vman8r Vega scoop in my smoothie every morning gets me 30g right off the bat! I’m also a huge fan of Perfect bars which are also 30g. Boom daily dose achieved

 

[ktoader]

@vman8r For everyone that uses protein powder, what is your favorite kind to use that’s cost efficient and tastes good?

 

[projectexodus]

@ktoader I mix mine with Greek yogurt and oats it’s soo good I call it my morning pudding

 

[dawn16]

@vman8r I'm flexitarian but currently pregnant so meat is just disgusting to me right now. I try to get a minimum of 15-20 g of protein per meal. My favorite non-milk sources are beans (esp black beans, chickpeas and edamame), lentils, quinoa, tortillas and whole grain breads, peanut butter, tofu and eggs. Basically, two scrambled eggs and two tortillas will net me about 20 g in the morning. I also eat oatmeal (6 g per 1/2 cup) with milk (opt for soy milk, it has similar protein content to cow milk) and some peanut butter and banana which gets me close to 20 as well. I also do things like add nuts or seeds to snacks for a little extra.

If carb count and FODMAPs aren't a concern it should be fairly easy to get the protein you need. The important part of plant-based protein intake is to make sure you're getting the "complete" protein throughout the day. This isn't super hard; it usually means eating beans/legumes with a grain (rice and beans, chickpeas on toast). Fortified cereals/breads and nutritional yeast can add vitamins and minerals that plant-based diet lacks.

 

[carolsheats]

@vman8r This is kind of a tangent and not answering your question (there are already some great answers here), but depending on your body fat percentage, the rule of thumb you’re using might overestimate your protein requirement. The higher your BF % the more likely you are to be overestimating. I personally go based off of lean muscle mass instead of total body weight, since that’s what matters for protein requirements, body fat is irrelevant. Anywhere from 0.5-1.0 grams of protein per pound of LMM fits the bill for most people, depending on your personal needs and goals.

 

[vman8r]

@carolsheats Yeah, I'd read 1g per kg of LMM somewhere too and it is a heck of a lot easier to achieve. But as that meta-analysis suggesting up to 1.6g per kg of bodyweight was from a meta-analysis published in a journal rather than a fitness mag or PT's site, it seemed more reliable. (As high as 1.6 daily is likely to be unnecessary for me as I can't train hard at the moment.) However the 1g per kg of LMM probably comes from scientific studies too, just ones I haven't read. Do you happen to have references for it?

 

[carolsheats]

@vman8r Hi, I don’t at the moment honestly, that guideline is what was told to me by my trainer! I’ll try and reach out and see what references he was going off of.

 

[vman8r]

@carolsheats Cheers. The other thing is that I'm in my 40s, and there is an increased need for protein to minimise muscle loss at menopause. As I am getting fit again now it seems to make sense to make a habit of having more protein before my 50s. So I figured that for a middle aged woman the higher guideline might be appropriate.

 

[missveronica]

@carolsheats How do you figure out your LMM?

 

[carolsheats]

@missveronica Yes, as she said you’ll have to have an idea of what your body fat percentage is, which you’ll then multiply by total body weight to get total pounds of fat. Total fat subtracted from total body weight gives you lean muscle mass

 

[missveronica]

@carolsheats Ah ok, I wasn’t sure if it included bones and organs and all that or what not. That’s interesting!

 

[vman8r]

@missveronica There are calculator sites like this

https://www.calculator.net/body-fat-calculator.html?ctype=metric but they can potentially be skewed by an uneven fat distribution. (There may be others which include more body measurements for improved accuracy but I haven't really looked.) Then there are calipers, household and gym scales that include it (don't think those are considered particularly accurate), and scans (expensive and still have some margin of error).

 

[dawn16]

@vman8r I prefer to eat vegan but occasionally dabble into meat.

I have a protein shake for breakfast consisting of 20gs pea protein , flax milk which has 8gs protein and almond milk greek style yogurt which has 4gs protein. I also add a banana and cocoa to add flavor.

I enjoy eating nuts such as cashews, almonds and pistachios for snacks. They contain healthy fat and protein.

Salad with pan roasted tofu and almonds can be tasty with the right dressing.

Sometimes I make a peanut butter banana sandwich with one slice of bread and a drizzle of honey. Only one slice because it is very filling.

Pasta with Beyond Beef and lentils is a great option and is simple to make. I use tomato sauce for this dish, never tried it with any other kind.

If you can spare some time to prep, cut up some onions and garlic and make a stir fry with lentils, black beans, and canned diced tomatoes. Sometimes I add a bit of rice for carbs. I like to add curry powder for a spicy flavor.

If you like seafood I buy cocktail shrimp and snack on it.

Scallops can be tasty and don't require much effort to cook.

Low fat string cheese can be a good snack.

If you're going to eat meat look for lean options. For steak inspect it first. How much fat do you see in it? Is it glossy? Lean cuts are dull and have minimal white fat on it. Round steaks are a good option.

93 percent beef with pasta is an easy dish to prepare. Tacos with lettuce, tomato and salsa is simple too.

I've never been a fan of chicken but chicken breast packs alot of protein per serving.

Chicken thighs are said to be tastier because of the cut. A little less protein but not by much.

Honestly protein powder can be your best friend. You can mix it in a shake, make breakfast waffles/pancakes or just find a flavor you like and mix it with almond milk and drink it up. I never used it in savory dishes but there might be recipes that call for it.

Ideally whole foods is best but protein powder does have benefits.

As long as you're eating protein at every meal you should be okay.