Upping my protein on a budget

Since I’m doing my test-run of online personal training with Ben Palocko, I’ve mentioned here and there that I’ve been working hard to eat enough protein to support my muscle-building efforts.

In the comments on a recent post, Kaitlin said, “I’m interested in hearing how you get enough protein. I decidedly do not despite best efforts!”

And Erika said, “Kristen, I too would LOVE to learn more about your protein recommendations since I have a need in that area.”

I am not exactly a protein expert at this point, but I’m glad to share what I have been trying.

First up, Ben’s recommendation for me was to keep my carbs the same but to swap out some of my fat calories for protein calories.

Prior to this, I did try to always keep an eye out to make sure I was adding protein into my meals, but I was for sure falling short of what Ben recommends.

 

A range of 0.7-1 gram per pound of body weight seems to be pretty common and by Ben’s calculations, I need to be hitting 136 grams per day, which is about 0.85 grams/pound of body weight.

(Exact recommendations are going to vary based on your age, gender, activity levels, goals and so on.)

I have no idea how much protein I was eating before, but I can tell you it was way less than that, because even with a concerted effort on my part, I am routinely falling short of 136 grams!

You know I always am interested in doing things the affordable way, so you can imagine that I am not out here buying a bunch of protein-rich ready-to-eat foods. 😉

Two foods that are surprisingly low in protein: cheese and nuts

Before I started tracking everything I ate, I sort of assumed that some foods were higher in protein than they really were.

But I have discovered that cheese and nuts (especially nuts!) are largely made of fat calories, not protein calories. Peanut butter is not the protein powerhouse we imagine it to be. 😉

So, because I am trying to swap some fat calories for protein calories, I haven’t been eating tons of nuts and cheese (with the exception of cottage cheese).

Although, I am reading that Parmesan cheese is actually pretty high in protein, so I might opt to add some of that into my life. 😉

Ok…on to the main foods that are helping me with my protein goals.

In addition to wanting my proteins to be affordable, I also want them to be pretty basic, without a lot of additives/artificial sweeteners and luckily, most of the cheaper protein foods are like that.

It’s when you get into prepared protein foods that the additives show up.

So my standards are:

• easy
• minimalist
• inexpensive

1. Cottage Cheese

It’s super affordable and it has a crazy amount of protein: 26 grams for a 1-cup serving.

That’s more than even Greek yogurt!

I know creative people add cottage cheese to a bunch of things, but I usually just eat it as-is, with fruit. I know the texture of cottage cheese bothers a lot of people, but I grew up eating cottage cheese, so this feels pretty easy to me.

I usually pack a container of this with fruit when I work at the hospital; the hit of protein helps keep me full.

I try to get mine from Aldi (when it’s in stock) or I also sometimes get a huge container from Sam’s Club for about the same price per pound.  I get the 2% milkfat variety because I am trying to eat more protein and less fat.

But I am unwilling to go as far as getting the skim milk cottage cheese. A girl has to live a little.

2. Eggs

Eggs have 6 grams of protein apiece, so if I start my day with two scrambled eggs, I’m off to a good beginning.

Ben recommended buying a liquid carton of egg whites to add in with my scrambled eggs to up the protein content, but I haven’t done that yet.

3. Rotisserie Chicken

Chicken has a LOT of protein (higher than steak, actually!)….67 grams in 8 ounces.

And it’s hard to beat the price per pound or the convenience of a rotisserie chicken, especially from warehouse clubs such as Sam’s Club or Costco.

I eat this as is, or in salads or bowls with beans and veggies.

4. Tuna

Canned tuna is pretty darn cheap, and a small can usually has about 25 grams of protein. I eat the whole can in a sitting, usually by making a tuna melt on a slice of Dave’s Killer Bread.

5. Canned beans

I know cooking beans from their dried form is the most inexpensive route, but I’m also balancing my desire for convenience here, and canned beans are a convenience I’m willing to pay for!

A cup of black beans has 15 grams of protein, and other legumes like chickpeas are similar.

So, if I make a lunch bowl that includes both chicken and beans, I’m making a serious dent in my protein goal.

6. Shrimp

Zoe is allergic to shrimp, but shrimp are so quick to saute in a pan, I don’t mind making some just for me as an add-on to whatever is for dinner.

Of course, I don’t pay full price for these; I look for a great sale on frozen, uncooked shrimp, and then I just take some out for a single serving and cook them.

7. Rx Bars (from Sam’s Club)

A lot of granola bars have more sugar and additives than I would prefer, and many of them don’t have a lot of protein.

Rx bars have a very, very slimmed-down ingredient list (usually just egg whites, dates, nuts, and some flavorings), and each bar has 12 grams of protein.

They’re about $2 apiece on Amazon, but at Sam’s Club, they’re $1.33/bar.

This is not the cheapest way to get protein, but if you need a quick snack on the go, these are a pretty affordable, minimalist choice.

I always have one in my lunch bag at the hospital, so if I need something to tide me over until lunch, I eat one of these while I’m doing some documenting, and then I’m good to go.

8. Promix protein powder

I have always been pretty resistant to the idea of adding protein powder into my life, largely because I dislike how many processed ingredients a lot of the powders have, not the least of which is artificial sweeteners.

But Ben recommended I give Promix a try, and Caroline Packard, a pelvic floor PT who is pretty big on Instagram, also recommends Promix.

Sooo, I placed an order and got a plain variety that is literally just whey protein, plus a vanilla version that is whey protein, coconut sugar, and vanilla.

Each serving gives you 25 grams of protein, which costs $1.03/serving if you buy it straight from Promix and slightly more expensive if you order from Amazon.

I am not very experienced at using this yet, but I am sure I will get better at it with practice!

I’ve added it to oatmeal (stirring it in after cooking), and that tasted pretty normal.

And I’ve tried a breakfast protein blueberry crisp, but I will tell you that it does not taste as delicious as it looks.

Mostly, there’s a texture problem. But maybe with some more tweaking….

(My initial instinct as a tweak was to put a big scoop of vanilla ice cream on it. But I think that might defeat the purpose a little. 😉 )

I also tried adding the unflavored powder to a smoothie but I swear I can still taste it. I bet if I threw some frozen pineapple in, that would work better because pineapple is a stronger flavor than strawberries.

As I figure out good protein powder ideas in the future, I will let you know.

Got good protein powder recipes? Do share! And if you have other general high-protein ideas, drop them in the comments.

P.S. Just to be clear: I’m not eating keto or low-carb; I’m keeping my carb intake the same as it was before. I’m just trying to add in more protein.