Protein

[azchowdhury1962]

Anyone have any tips n tricks to meeting the protein goal on 1300-1400 cal ?
I typically stay well under 1400 and am satisfied , but I just CANNOT seem to eat sufficient protein. My macro test said I should be around 115g a day. I eat between 50-100g on a good day.
If I try to eat more I am 1.) eating when full , and 2.) very close to maxing out my calories.

5’0, 22, 1,742 TDEE.

 

[dawn16]

@azchowdhury1962 There are many ways to increase your protein intake, like skim milk, chicken breast and PB2, or protein bars and powder. That said, I'm not sure you need to hit 115g? Typically 1.6g/kg body weight is enough for elite male athletes - for women this number is even lower. If you're hitting something like that I wouldn't worry too much.

 

[blessedjoanna]

@azchowdhury1962 In addition to protein powders and all the other ways from the previous posts both of the below options are excellent, you don't need a lot of them and they are very high in protein.

Edamame Pastas are 24g of protein in one serving and only 180 Calories, 4g of fat and 20 Carbs. I was very hesitant because of the green color but I made it with a cream sauce and added chicken. It was surprisingly very good. Adding chicken for even more protein

Also, I don't know if you like Scallops but they are highly nutritious. An excellent form of protein. A serving of scallops (about 100 grams) provides 137 calories, 1g fat, 6.3g carbs, and 24g of protein. They are soo good too.

 

[jeffshott]

@blessedjoanna Seconding edamame pastas - as a lacto-ovo vegetarian who tries to lean as far away from the lacto-ovo part as possible, those are a great low-cal way to pack in some protein

 

[paulbassett]

@azchowdhury1962 This grosses out everyone I tell, but I add pasturized cartons egg whites to my shakes and oatmeal. Adds a lot of protein for minimal calories. My protien oatmeal is my favorite part of the day. Tastes like cake batter lol

 

[exitworldwide]

@paulbassett Do you add while you're cooking the oatmeal or after?

 

[paulbassett]

@exitworldwide I cook first, add the whites and then cook for just a bit longer, 30ish seconds. Tonight I had 30g oats, 20g quest vanilla milkshake protien powder, 150g egg whites topped with frozen raspberries, walden farms pancake syrup and SALT! twas heavenly

 

[exitworldwide]

@paulbassett This sounds fabulous! I'm going to copy you!

 

[paulbassett]

@exitworldwide Enjoy! If you like a thicker oatmeal be sure to cook most of the water out before you add in the egg whites! Then stir in the protien powder. 150g of whites makes it rather soupy/batter consistency so adjust to your taste! Works really well with cream of rice, too

 

[dawn16]

@azchowdhury1962 Premier protein shakes are the only palatable ones I’ve found. I like the cafe late in the afternoon for a pick me up as it’s caffeinated. 160 calories and 30g protein.

 

[middletrust]

@azchowdhury1962 Egg whites, Greek yogurt, chicken, ground turkey, incorporated into my meals

Snack meat sticks and string cheese as snacks.

Find protein bars you like, protein powder can be added to a lot of stuff.
I hit around 1400 a day and can get anywhere from 100-120g

 

[denl]

@azchowdhury1962 The jerky I eat has 35g if protein for 240 cals. I eat an 6 tbsp of egg whites and an egg for 120 cals and 16g protein. Have a protein shake for 38g protein (and 20g of collagen!) and 170 cals. Cheese stick- 7g protein, 80 cals. Quest bars- 21g protein, 190 cals. Chickpea pasta- 190-340 cals based on how much I want and 11-20g protein. I add in a serving of ground turkey for 170 cals and 22g protein. Egg bacon sandwich- 360 cals, 32g protein. These are just some of the things I use to reach 120g a day.

 

[jwjohnson]

@azchowdhury1962 So, my breakfast is usually minimal protien, I enjoy carbs and fats a little more during the day, however, my dinner is around 40-50 grams of protein. I usually take 12 eggs white, microwave them, take a low calorie soup packet, boil water, cook the soup separately, then once the egg whites are cooked, chop them up in little pieces, put it in the soup, take some schezwan chutney on the side and that sounds a like gourmet meal to me, lol. Almost pure protien. I have been eating egg whites for dinner for almost 1.5 years now. Since the age of 17.
On the days that I lift, I have whey, milk, cheese, some chicken, to reach 120ish grams of protien. Most days its 100. I weight around 56-57 kgs and see gains from that amount. 5+ cms on my glutes, gains on my quads and definition on my arms. Keep going, my friend! GET THEM GAINSSSS (Also, more than 2.2g per kg is not needed at all)

 

[marioochi]

@azchowdhury1962 You're already getting enough protein with 50-100g. 0.8g/kg (not lbs) is sufficient, you definitely don't need 115g, calculators and tests grossly overestimate protein needs.

 

[klachen]

@azchowdhury1962 I regularly can hit 80g protein by lunch. Protein powder in my overnight oats, eggs/egg white, chicken breast cans, tuna fish cans, protein drinks or bars, greek yogurt, etc.

 

[jerryj]

@azchowdhury1962 I try to eat my protein first if that makes sense. Start off my day with protein powder and some eggs then lunch is Greek yogurt with oats then dinner is lots of chicken first then some veggies and the rice after

 

[jeffwilly001]

@azchowdhury1962 Calculate the caloriesrotein ratio to optimize your diet. The ol reliable of chicken breast and broccoli will carry you a lot of the way if you have a lot of different recipes to mix up the tediousness.

Focus on whole foods such as meat (low fat red, white, fish), eggs, dairy, vegetables (broccoli, spinach, green peas, brussels sprouts), beans (navy beans, black beans, kidney beans), nuts (peanuts, almonds), legumes (lentils), grains (oats, quinoa), etc. Prioritize high fiber and avoid sugar and processed foods.

Protein powder is also an easy way to meet protein intake requirements. So long as you treat it like a supplement and not a meal replacement, it's fine to eat what you need to hit your target.

Ultimately, stomach capacity is just another metric that will improve over time. Just stay consistent and prioritize weekly average over daily average.