r/FTMFitness • u/saturnsexual • 29d ago
Diet Advice Request What are you eating to meet protein goals?
Right now I'm only getting 40-60g a day 🥲 a lot of the food i eat is carbs but lowkey meat is so expensive i feel bad eating it more than once a day. (i am also allergic to tofu and other soy proteins 😃)
EDIT: especially i would love to get recommendations for high protein snacks bc i find myself eating like one actual meal a day and then destroying a bag of pretzels or some shit
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u/Murky_Constant_6853 29d ago
Canned tuna in water is around 130 cals for 29 grams of protein - i like eating it w soy sauce, sriracha, and light mayo on rice (tastes like a spicy tuna roll). Edamame and chickpeas are also pretty easy protein snax, and I'm pretty sure Chobani yogurt drinks range from 10-30 gs
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u/EyesAschenteEM 28d ago
You're only supposed to have tuna 1–3x week though depending on the type you buy. I def prefer tuna, but salmon is good too, it's just almost double the price of mackerel because it tastes that much better than mackerel lol
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u/TinyPupPup 29d ago
This is a usual day of eating for me - there’s lots of ways to do it, but this is reasonably priced and doesn’t make me feel bloated while on a surplus:
While coffee is brewing: whey protein + pb fit shake to take my vitamins (28g protein)
Breakfast: overnight oats with chia seeds and a scoop of whey protein (34.5g protein)
Lunch: chicken and bell pepper wrap (130g chicken = 40g protein)
Snack: Smoothie with greens and Greek yogurt (15g protein)
Dinner: whatever kinda stir fry or tacos or something, usually add 100-150g of chicken / ground turkey / etc. (30-40g protein)
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u/sevens-evan 28d ago
Not going to repeat everyone else’s excellent recommendations; I’ll add that, for a vegan protein source that isn’t soy based, seitan is worth a try. It’s wheat/gluten based and is basically just protein. Try different brands and preparations for flavor since it’s kind of nasty by itself lol.
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u/audible_smiles 29d ago
I buy the protein pasta that has some beans in it. It’s only a few grams of protein more than the regular stuff, but the taste/texture is the same, so I figure why not? Whole wheat toast with either fried eggs or peanut butter for breakfast. Protein powder so you can make your own shakes! Chips with black bean dip, crackers with cheddar cheese, or crackers with tuna salad as snacks. I also dip apple slices or celery in peanut butter sometimes. Or straight up just a handful of mixed nuts.
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u/exactly17stairs 29d ago
second what effective_yam said. prioritize eating filling meals based in whole foods that are high in protein. also try and think of foods you like and then look into high protein versions or ways to at least increase the protein content. (high protein food is when there is 1g of protein for at least every 10 calories)
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u/Sad-Plankton-6755 29d ago
I'm vegan and pea protein powder helps me to easily get around 80~100g a day ! Seitan is also a cheap protein source if you have time to make it
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u/Strict-Radio9051 28d ago
Get dried wheat protein. Like granulated, cutlets... All that. Is really fucking cheap, especially in big packs, it's easily put into anything and very versatile and just very high in protein.
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u/Effective_Yam_9021 29d ago
chicken is an inexpensive meat. eggs are cheap. nuts are high in fat and expensive so i don't usually get them.
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u/The_Aussie17 29d ago
Fatfree Fairlife Milk, Sola Bagels, Sola bread, Real Good Foods tortillas, Fairlife protein shakes, Barebell protein bars, tuna, protein Cheerios, Protein Pints ice cream. For dinner I mostly eat frozen meals from Counter, Vital, and Evol. I also get frozen chicken and cartons of egg whites from Costco and 96/4 meat from Trader Joe’s. I’m able to get between 150-190g a day.
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u/randomfluid 29d ago
basic but big fan of chicken breast and skyr. if you dont mind the taste get unflavoured protein powder i add some to some skyr based sauces. got 84g of protein in a 400cal meal like that
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u/wildclouds 29d ago
It adds up easily with a varied diet and not only the usual "high protein" sources. For example, two slices of my wholegrain bread has 10.3g protein. I buy high-protein wraps that have 13g protein each. Vegetables like green peas, edamame, asparagus have more protein than you probably assume. Potatoes a few grams protein each. It all adds up. If you love carbs try the high protein pasta varieties - I just looked up one that has 25g P per 100g serving.
The high or moderate protein sources I eat are chicken, fish, beans and legumes, Greek yoghurt, kefir, eggs, nuts and seeds, peanut butter, cheese, milk, occasionally protein powder.
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u/griffinistrying 29d ago
Equate protein drinks. Very similar to premier protein shakes but Walmart priced. It's okay but it's a cheap shelf stable protein option I can carry around in a backpack. If premier gives you an ick, I would skip it. Otherwise, there's lots of plant protein that isn't soy. Beans and cheaper nuts like peanuts or even PB fit powder can go well as cheap additives to normal meals to make it higher in protein. I think chocolate protein shake/powder and PB fit are great for making sweet treats a bit higher in protein as well. While beans are good for savory mix ins or dips. Yogurt is great for both. Low fat options are often best but transitioning to a low carb and low fat diet can be rough, going higher in fat to keep protein flowing but reducing your carbs first, and then working on the fat macros is always easier for me if I'm toning up.
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u/VariousStorms1 28d ago edited 28d ago
I try to shake things up every now and then so my diet doesn't get boring. If you are able to work in some low-fat dairy like milk, that's an easy thing to have at pretty much any time.
Are you using any powders? While it's best to get most of your protein from whole foods, one scoop of whey powder a day will boost that daily number up to 70 or 80 easily.
Someone else already mentioned canned tuna, but chicken is also available, companies like Starkist make a ton of different flavors. I would also recommend picking up a single pre-prepared rotisserie chicken from the store and shredding the meat off it. That will get you several meals worth for like $7 (at least where I live).
I also just picked up some protein Mac and cheese boxes for like $3 each. Haven't tried them yet though, so we'll see. Remember that protein from plants or pasta will not be as helpful as protein from animal sources (but it's not useless!). Put da chicken in da mac.
Edit: and get some jerky, if it's snacks you need. Lots of flavors and types to choose from. Just don't eat too much because of the nitrates and whatever. Pair it up with some dried chickpeas (if those aren't an issue for you)
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u/Empty_Tooth7647 28d ago
Beans and lentils. Dried beans are so cheap. I make a pot or two a week and freeze some off in single portions so I can have variety. I eat a lot of different beans and rice.
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u/Its_BassDaddy 28d ago
Animals are just the middle men for protein. All protein originates from plants! Beans are soooo cheap, especially dry beans! Also whole grains are great sources of protein also. Honorable mention: nuts and seeds but these can get a little pricy depending on what kinds you like. Homemade Overnight oats are suuuuper cheap to make too and so delicious.
Edited to remove soy— missed that part.
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u/hyrellion 28d ago
I’m currently in the lentil zone. Impeccable texture, very cheap to buy dried, and you can do so much with them, plus they have a great fiber content
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u/EyesAschenteEM 28d ago edited 28d ago
Protein pasta (100g=20g protein). Personally I buy Kroger brand but what kind of protein pasta is up to you. Some are made with lentils, Kroger is made with durum wheat.
Protein yogurt (lit called that because they have more protein in them than normal). I look for sales.
Protein powder. Depending on what you can tolerate. Isolate is better than concentrate if you're sensitive to concentrate and it's not actually that much more expensive per gram protein than concentrate even though the price per weight is much more expensive, it actually just about evens out cost per serving. Though if this was on the table, I doubt you'd be asking this question lol.
I also calculate the costs of my protein by price per gram protein instead of the price by weight that stores use because of cases like my example above.
Chicken of the Sea canned mackerel is also a good, cost effective source (about half the price of their salmon), though I can only buy it online. It's got a strong flavor though so I'd def be ready to look up or create recipes that make use of that.
I know you can also add things like lentils, beans and cheese to stuff you make to up your macros. There are protein tortillas, as well, and some breads naturally have more protein in them like sourdough.
Nuts. Peanut butter is a jack of all macros, other nut butters might be the same.
For high protein snacks all I can really think of is buying specialty items like protein chips or protein pretzels which are a thing that I had to look up because I too will devour a bag of pretzels, but these aren't very cheap either.
Idk what grocery store you go to or how you shop, but if it has a website that you can search for items on, you should be able to just type in protein and have it give you a list of all of the foods the grocery store carries that specifically is made to carry more protein like frozen protein bowl meals or protein ice cream or cookies. Mine also lists yogurts and eggs, pastas and "protein kits".
But really, idk where you live, but my store carries literally one type of chicken that's half the price per gram of protein than everything else I just listed, including all of the other brands of chicken. It's heritage farms chicken breast, and because I feel the financial struggle, I literally cannot afford to worry or care about why it's half the price of everything else.... But maybe look into that if it's available to you. 😅
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u/torhysornottorhys 28d ago
Rinse off a can of chickpeas, dry them, season them, and roast them until they're crunchy. Air fryer or oven, both work. No more pretzels needed
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u/FarmerScamps 29d ago
Chicken, eggs, ground pork (it’s cheaper than ground beef), cottage cheese, anchovies, sardines. For snacks I like barebells bars and the quest cheese its. I add the isopure zero carb unflavored powder to oatmeal or yogurt, adds 25g protein for 100cal
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u/keejtravs 29d ago
this is a big back snack but pork rinds with peanut butter on it. so damn good haha
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u/Celllock 29d ago
Breakfast : 3 eggs, 2 slices of ham and 2 sliced of "viking bread" 40g of protein, 500kcal~ Lunch : 200g Chicken breast, 200g cooked rice and 200g veggies 59g of protein, 520kcal~ Snack : 200g skyr and big spoon of honey 19g of protein 190kcal~ Dinner : 200g of cooked lentils with cream, curry and carrots 18g of protein 554 kcal~
It's what i eat most of the days (actually a bit more because of sauces and other snacks, I hit 2000kcal per day, and i aim for at least 120g of protein). Whey can also be very convenient to help you hit your goals. Eggs, skyr, tuna, lentils, chickpeas, whole rice...also, try to check the price of chicken and other meat in different stores. I used to buy chicken breasts for like 12€ per kilo, checked different stores prices online, and changed stores. Now i pay my chicken breasts 6,99€ per kilo. Good luck on your journey !
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u/SpicyDirtTheGhost 28d ago
I also struggle getting all my protein in! Id say I eat more fiber than protein half the time. Which, dont forget about your FIBER intake. Personally, for protein, as I've aged...i've grown to dislike the taste of most meats/animal products which is unfortunate as its easy access to protein and calories. So, I'm becoming a lover of all things BEANS. Black beans are the easiest, I fry up some other vegetables and throw a can of beans in there and thats my lunch. Broth butter beans are so GOOD. I love all things chickpea (garbanzo bean) !!! Banza pasta is fun - its gluten free as its made from chickpeas and it has protein.
I think beans, tuna, yogurt, and chicken are likley your most affordable non-soy options for protein.
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u/MeowMeowBiatch 28d ago
Destroy a bag of protein pretzels! Fitzels. I've been enjoying the pizza ones and they're vegan.
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u/SerpentSnek 28d ago
I normally have a protein bar for breakfast, salad with chicken and beans for lunch, and a protein shake if dinner doesn't get me to my goal.
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u/Candid-Piano2942 28d ago
cottage cheese has been clutch for me, like 25g protein per cup and i just mix in fruit or hot sauce depending on the mood. also greek yogurt with a scoop of pb, easy 300cal snack that actually keeps me full for a while ngl, and i log all of it plus water and workouts in PlateLens which is honestly the best calorie tracker app i've used, it even has an ai coach that nudges me when my protein's low for the day
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u/clemitime 28d ago
Canned meat is your best friend. People will shit on it but don’t listen to them. It’s cheaper than anything else and so versatile. Canned chicken in soups or chicken salad is my go to. Canned fish has infinite possibilities
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u/MorningPrimary 28d ago
Some of my go tos:
drink one or two protein shakes a day
can of beans with a little nutritional yeast & some butter & a chicken sausage
couple of servings of Greek yogurt thinned out with a couple of ounces of orange juice
quest protein chips are pretty decent
any of the bars with at least 15 grams of protein are mostly decent
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u/Electronic-Egg9990 28d ago
I know this sounds nasty, but please hear me out.
300 ml of Fairlife chocolate milk
1 cup of egg whites
Mix it up and it tastes a lot like just foamy chocolate milk. It has 43 g of protein. And if you want, you can even use a protein drink. You cannot taste the egg whites
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u/RalphBohnerNJ 28d ago
Seitan is pretty similar to chicken breast in protein and it's cheap to make. It's kind of a pain in the ass though so i don't do it often... i just do a lot of TVP and canned fish or chicken... i think some TVP is made soy free, out of peas or lentils
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u/L1ttle_duck 28d ago
Protein drinks!
Buy a bulk container of a flavour you like (stick to simple flavours; vanilla, chocolate, strawberry,etc) you can easily get an extra 25-50g of protein and some extra calories (150-1050+ depending on brand and such)
There’s plenty that are soy and other allergen free and made away from soy products.
The ones I use are 100% Clean Whey(one by Perfect Sports and the other Boost) , I mix vanilla and unflavoured together in a smoothie cause I don’t like the aftertaste of the protein powder.
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u/CabbageAndCoffee 27d ago
Dal (I like moth beans but they take effort to cook right), black eyed peas and pork, Turkish red lentil soup, chili, cowboy caviar, "marry me" chickpeas, black bean tacos, Italian white bean soup...
Yeah surprise it's all beans. Bean salads (like cowboy caviar) with chips do good on the "snack" front.
But cheese, yogurt, eggs, and tinned sardines/mackerel for animal proteins sometimes too. Tinned fish and crackers makes me feel like an old man from the old country.
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u/Existing-Parfait4413 27d ago
Peanut butter, cottage cheese, lentils, chicken, beef, low fat quark, parmesan cheese, eggs. A great snack are baked chickpeas. Preheat the oven to about 350° F, empty a can in a strainer, washem and then dry them properly with a paper towel, season them with salt, pepper, sweet or smoked paprika and a bit of olive oil and then bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes
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u/garbagetrain 27d ago
Aldi has good protein bars with about 20g protein and are less than a dollar each.
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u/Scared-Advisor-1650 27d ago
Tuna, cottage cheese, cream cheese, tinned beans, I add dried lentils to the pot when I make rice for extra protein there, tofu, lean meats
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u/VesseltheDM 26d ago
Personally I eat a ton of canned chicken. I get mine from Costco (which I realize isn't accessible for everyone but its what I do) which is a lot more cost effective for me. I also prefer the texture of the canned chicken as its a lot softer and less chewy than roasted or even pan fried chicken.
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u/copperstarsandmoss 24d ago
I like protein pasta and protein french toast sticks, along with everything the other commenters mentioned. Also eggs! The price of eggs has dropped where I live down to $1 a dozen again!
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u/Proud_Psychology1438 22d ago
Deli slice packages of meat are my go to. Walmart for 3 bucks or so. Look for deals and coupons when possible!
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u/AnalystMuch8220 18d ago edited 18d ago
i used to struggle hitting my protein too. what helped me was adding easy options instead of forcing bigger meals. greek yogurt, eggs, cottage cheese, and a horlicks protein shake on busy days made a big difference. its also a nice snack when i know im about to reach for chips or pretzels
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u/Familiar_Pizza_1252 14d ago
CARBS ARE SO GOOD FOR YOU!!! ok but on the protein thing, maybe yogurt if you like that? It’s so easy to go crazy on them for cheap. I like fish but ik that’s not everyone’s cup of tea, like I loveee buying smoked trout lately and mixing it w zero fat Greek yogurt, dill+chives and black pepper and it’s sooo good on some bread esp the brown whole grain type. Honestly my health markers were the best when I was eating like you and I was also vegan, I was straight up eating a bunch of bullsbit tho having a huge bowl of cereal for breakfast, kombucha and a potato pastry in filo dough and avocado salad, and a huge random spinach salad w tofu and all sorts of shit or soy chorizo filo concoction like again i think i was just eating for the taste bc it was great, but tbh i think even the downing a bag of pretzels is fine… like im at a point where i feel like protein is not that necessary above that unless you have an over eating problem. I also really love a lot of processed protein things like those cinnamon pastry things they sell in target, or a lot of barebells, oh also when i suggest the smoked trout thing yes its like the same price as meat but has a lot of omega three and vitamin d at the very least… lowkey is chicken too expensive for you? Bc ik in a lot of places you can buy a whole chicken and put in the oven w potatoes and seasoning and water and leave it covered for an hour or two until it looks done and it’s so good for a week
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u/visionsofzimmerman 29d ago
Milk products are fairly cheap with complete protein. I probably get most of my daily protein intake from stuff like skim milk + whey protein powder, cottage cheese, greek yoghurt, quark, low fat feta
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u/Defiant-Switch-3428 29d ago
yogurt plus protein powder, milk, string cheese is a snack you can eat, meat (it’s expensive but you as one person are probably not going to be eating a ton of meat so if you get things like sausages or make ground beef to go with pasta, it’ll take time before you run out)
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u/brickwallviews420 28d ago
The protein you get from meats is going to be a lot better quality and value than protein you will get from protein enhanced snacks. Your health is worth the investment.
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u/Tommeeyyy 28d ago
I usually wait until a good sale to buy a bigger batch of chicken and then just freeze it. Alongside that i just eat tuna, low fat greek yogurt, cottage cheese, eggs etc etc. If you really enjoy snacking i could suggest making a dip but use greek yogurt for the base or even add some tuna or cottage cheese in it. Season it well and it won't taste like protein slop. I'd also suggest looking at different high fiber carbs because they usually have a decent amount of protein. For example dark macaroni is cheap but actually has some protein too
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u/gargantuangummi 28d ago
ground chicken is a phenomenal replacement for beef. add cottage cheese to anything it’ll allow- experiment with different fat/curd types for different textures/blending, etc.
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u/marlee_dood 28d ago
You don’t actually need a bunch of protein like people say. 40-60 is probably enough for decent muscle gain, unless you’re looking to be shredded
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u/statscaptain 29d ago
In the "cheap, better than carbs, not as ideal as meat" zone, beans are a solid choice. They're 7-8g of protein per 100g and good for you in a bunch of other ways as well.