protein??? How do I get it??

I keep reading how important it is to get protein, especially in the morning. Yesterday I saw breakfast turkey sausage and thought "yes! this is what I need" But, when I added it to my food log this morning, the rating was F!!!!   Please help me if you know what I can do to get the proper protein, and still lose weight. I have been stuck at -50 for almost 3 months now. Getting very discouraged.

The sausage likely got an F due to the sodium. Did you check the analysis to see if your over all grade for the day was good? The sausage might be just fine if you ate low sodium the rest of the time.

Spend some time searching for foods and recipes on CC that sound good and you might get some pleasant surprises.

Peanut butter is good. I add 2 teaspoons to hot cooked oatmeal, spread it on a whole wheat English muffin, etc. 2-3 times a week I eat scrambled eggs with one egg and two egg whites. The variations on this are endless. Here's two of my variations:

http://caloriecount.about.com/jannids-tex-mex -scramble-recipe-r241021

and

http://caloriecount.about.com/jannids-weekend -scramble-2-recipe-r243113

Some eat a wedge of cheese, but I do not find that filling nor does it have staying power. The egg scrambles are very low cal and so filling that I do not eat again before lunch. I sometimes eat a Boca breakfast patty on a muffin, but the patty has a lot of sodium as do most processed foods, so when I do that I eat low salt the rest of the day and come out just fine.

Breakfast doesn't have to be traditional. If you have left over chicken, make a sandwich. Or eat some almonds with your cereal. Type "protein" into the CC search bar for food and you will get a nice handy dandy list!

You might also try yogurt or cottage cheese. They both have a good bit of protein. You could mix cereal and fruit in with them for a parfait or blend them with some fruit and ice for a smoothie.

Thanks for your help. I will try those things and see if it helps.

I love adding 1/4 C cheerios to my Greek yogurt!

Pure whey protein can up your protein intake. 

I mix mine in 1% milk with a shot of espresso.   If it is after a workout I also add a teaspoon of sugar and a teaspoon of cocoa powder.

Original Post by jannid:

I love adding 1/4 C cheerios to my Greek yogurt!

Another good ceral for Greek yogurt (which is high protein!) is Fiber One. I always feel like I'm getting two very important nutrients in one - protein and fiber!

I have never heard of Greek Yogurt. Can you get it in any store?

Greek yogurt is strained so it is thicker and creamier. For me it is far more satisfying than regular yogurt or yogurt drinks and, yes you can get it all over. There are a bunch of different brands. I like Oikos - it's 0% fat and very good. When I am at my ideal weight, one way I'll add back calories will be to eat Greek Gods Yogurt (pomegranate yum!).

Original Post by jannid:

Greek yogurt is strained so it is thicker and creamier. For me it is far more satisfying than regular yogurt or yogurt drinks and, yes you can get it all over. There are a bunch of different brands. I like Oikos - it's 0% fat and very good. When I am at my ideal weight, one way I'll add back calories will be to eat Greek Gods Yogurt (pomegranate yum!).

Yup! I've tried Fage and Oikos (the former being a little more hard to find) and enjoy both, so either are a good choice. I always get the "0% fat" ones as well. I've found that it's good with cereals mixed in, and fruit as well - I mixed in blueberries today and felt very filled. I'm not a fan of normal yogurts, but I do love me some greek.

egg whites are pure protein - practically no sugars, no fats, no cholestrol, no nothing - except protein. I like to microwave mine to avoid cooking them in oil.

First off I wouldn't necessarily rely 100% on the rating CC gives it's foods - I mean it rates some green beans at a D-.... which definitely shouldn't be the case. With that said, those turkey sausages were probably completely processed so giving them a D rating was probably the right thing to do... In the morning you don't HAVE TO eat "breakfast style protein" in order to get it, why not try some chicken breast or salmon?

For me though, I have a whole egg (omega-3 enriched) every morning and it typically satisfies me! I love runny yolks - ha ha!

Yes, I like the idea of a whole egg. I also went and bought some peanut butter and sugar free jelly. I had an appt. with a personal trainer and he was telling me I wasnt eating enough. Thats why I am concerned so much with what I eat. If I have to eat more, I want it to be healthy and not un-do everything I have worked so hard for. lol

Less processed meats would probably get a better rating.  Here is a list of good protein sources (in no particular order):

• eggs
• nuts
• nut butters
• soy
• tofu
• yogurt
• greek yogurt
• cheese
• cottage cheese
• turkey
• chicken
• beef
• pork
• protein powders
• fish
• shellfish (shrimp, etc)
• quinoa
• egg whites/egg beaters
• dairy (milk, yogurt, choc. milk, fro yo, etc)

That's all I can think of for now.  Personally, my favorite protein sources 1/2 c lowfat cottage cheese (90 cals, 16 gm protein), 3 oz fresh deli turkey (90 calories, 16 gm protein) and whey protein powder (100 cals, 17 gm protein).  But look around your grocery store, figure out what works for you.  

I have 3 breakfast stand-bys that have a decent amount of protein:

boiled or scrambled egg (sometimes 2) with ww toast and a bit of butter, cream cheese or low-fat cheese (sometimes I add spinach to the scrambled eggs)

birchermuslei (1/3 c oatmeal--pour over boiling water to cover and soak overnight, 1/2 apple grated, 1/2 c nonfat plain yogurt, 1/4 c blueberries, 6-12 almonds, sometimes add 2 tsp plain whey powder)

chocolatey smoothie (1/4 to 1/3 c oatmeal soaked overnight for or for at least ~15 min, 1/2 to 1 c skim milk, 1 Tbs nonfat yogurt, 2 tsp whey powder, 1 tsp natural peanut butter, 1 Tbs unsweetened cocoa powder, 3 ice cubes, blend--YUM!!!)

I find I get enough protein from any of these to kick-start my morning and none of them have added sugar (which makes me feel icky first thing in the morning). Pretty much nothing short of a 1000 calorie breakfast will last me until lunch, but these definitely last until snack time!

Swimfan93 pretty much summed up the good proteins for any time of day--canned white/light tuna in water is really good (but shouldn't eat more than a couple times a week because of mercury content)

edit: fixed soaking time for oats!

The best way to put protein into your meal plan is to have either

Chicken breast for lunch for about 4x a week.

or have whey protein milkshake with peanut butter. =]]] You should also add some beans for dinner if you are really looking for some extra protein

Here are some great sources of protein :

Boneless, skinless, chicken breasts. Four ounces of cooked chicken has 30 grams of protein.

Tuna - One can of tuna has 22 grams of protein and is only 90 calories. This is the Starkist brand in spring water.

Lean ground turkey - Four ounces has 23 grams of protein. The good thing is that it has a lot less fat in it than red meat and is much healthier for you overall. I usually have a five ounce serving to get me 30 grams of protein and it is still under 200 cals.

Lean Turkey cutlets - Foster Farms puts out these lean turkey cutlets that are outstanding. Low calorie, basically no fat, low sodium, etc.. Four ounces has almost 30 grams of protein.

Milk - A 16 OZ glass has 20 grams

Whey Protein supplement - You can usually get 25-30 grams of protein in one serving.

Also, comples carbs from whole grains have higher levels of protein. A 1/2 cup of oatmeal has 5 grams of protein, 2 ounces of whole wheat pasta has 8 grams of protein, etc..

 

If it was Jimmy Dean sausage, it says it's high in cholesterol and sodium.  I really don't worry about what the grade says; there's a lot of errors in there.  Some are miniscule, and some are huge.  (I'd just as soon go for a breadfast pork sausage patty that gets a D.)

Whey Protein Powder:  Whey protein powder can help you lose weight and build muscle. New studies suggest that whey may have an impact on food intake through its effect on hormones that influence a feeling of fullness.

I get mine at GNC - strawberry flavored. 

For breakfast, I have one drink with a piece of fruit (apple, banana, or peach).

I always have a drink before working out, because it provides an energy boost.

 

I like plain Whey Protein, if I want to sweeten it up I can, but if I want just protein mixed with a glass of water I can do that as well.