I need more protein! Any ideas?

Hi everyone,

I bet there have been many posts to this effect in the past, but i've been researching and can't find what I'm looking for!

It dawned on me today that I just don't eat enough protein every day.  I am 5'7 130 lbs, and am just really trying to maintain this weight.  I'm doing well, and dont overdo it with any one particular food group, but for how active I am I realized today that I'm deficient in protein.

I pack my lunch every day for work, and that is the meal that I'd like to try and alter to eat more protein, because it is constant.  My dinner times and portions vary based on my hectic schedule.  Does anyone have any ideas for low-calorie high protein lunches?

Thanks in advance for the ideas/support!

chicken is lean, tasty, low in calories and high in protein. just make yourself a simple chicken sandwich with a couple slices of tomato, lettuce, or whatever you like.

you could also bring chili with beans and ground beef or turkey, or some kind of soup.

or if you're like me and like a lunch that's a bunch of different little snacks, bring some stringcheese, yogurt, beef jerky and/or a protein bar like luna or clif.

I love hummus.  It's so rich and creamy, yet it's good for you.  It's high in protein and makes a great spread on sandwiches, pitas, and wraps.  You can also add it to salads, dip veggies in it, or spread it on crackers.  With hummus you don't need mayo or mustard or anything.  Plus it has heart-healthy fats that will help keep you satisfied.

Great ideas!  These are really helpful.  I do like my lunch to be lots of little snacks!  These are very good ideas for that.  I like the chicken sandwich idea, and I bet i could spread some hummus on the low-cal bread I like and add lettuce and tomato as suggested.  Thanks :)

I just bought protein powder and protein bars, I also seem to have a hard time getting enough. You could have cottage cheese or tuna (any lean meat really, but I think fish have the least cals), beans too maybe...nuts are higher on the calories but good too.

lean (skinless chicken)

lean (skinless turkey)

lean ostrich

lean beef

hardboiled egg whites

egg whites / Eggbeaters

Tofu

tuna

salmon

shrimp 

fat free cream cheese

fat free cottage cheese

fat free cheese

Soy products (crackers, etc.)

fat free yogurt

fat free milk

lentils

kidney beans

garbanzo beans

whole grain wheat flour

oat bran

quinoa

 

=^..^= MOLLY

Somebody already mentioned it, but it is really hard to go wrong with 2% cottage cheese. Some people can't stand the stuff, so that is what it is; but it's a fantastic source of protein (something like 2/3 of the cals are from protein), very low in sat fat and has other goodies like calcium to boot.

Yeah, I suppose you could go 1% or fat-free, but that stuff's just nasty :)

Gotta watch the sodium in the cottage cheese too.   Like with all the low fat foods, it takes a little getting used to, and then the higher fat stuff seems gross.  I eat non-fat no-salt cottage cheese, and mix some no-sugar added preserves in with it.  Good stuff!

Low-fat string cheese packs easily for lunches/snacks!

Half a cup of the cottage cheese i buy has 12g protein and only 80 cals. Mix it with pumpkin, spread it on toast, possiblities are endless.

With a bit of garlic and hot sauce, cottage cheese makes an amazing salad dressing/veggie dip. It's also surprisingly tasty with cinnamon mixed in!

Also, when shopping for breads, tortillas, and cereals, compare brands - you'd be surprised how some products vary!

If you're craving chocolate, pour yourself a cup of protein-packed milk and add some unsweetened cocoa powder or low fat hot cocoa mix - kill two birds with one stone!

Hard boild eggs are a good choice if you like them, boiled and stored in the fridge you could cook them up for each week for a compact (already packaged?) choice.  Add to a salad or make egg sandwiches if you want a change.  With free range eggs, high omega 3  eggs, organic eggs becoming more available-they way work for a healthier choice.  look up recipes like pickled eggs,or thousand year eggs. tea soaked cracked eggs are so pretty when shelled- the random crack pattern is a touch of beauty in your lunch.

my Dr just told me to eat 80g a day.  his figures come to 4.5g per every 10 pounds you weigh.

Usually I stick to beef or poultry.  Cheese is loaded with sodium so I never eat it.  Just started eating a ton of beans; baked beans, refried beans in a tortilla, lentil soup, black beans and 15 bean soup.  Just started cooking with dried beans.

I've been cooking up patties of ground turkey, flavoring it for a breakfast meal (sort of taste like sausage, but not the meal you asked for).  I cook up 92% lean hamburger patties, with seasoning and heat them up for lunch. (2 for a meal, as mine comes to about 22g of protein each).

personally this is the most protein I've ever eaten.  I choose tortillas for the highest protein and breakfast cereal for protein also.