Sources for Protein

kerich1117 said:
Thanks for the info,

How do I calculate my lean body mass?
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LBM is simply your total body weight minus your fat mass.

If you belong to a gym, a personal trainer could easily calculate your body fat percentage.

Do you mind me asking for your stats? Weight, height, sex?

I think whey protein would be a good idea, do you have any recommendations for what I should look for in a protein supplement? I would imagine one thats low in fat, but are there any other guidelines?
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Assuming you are dieting, a low fat protein would be ideal. Most whey powders have about 100-120 calories per serving and 20-25 grams of protein per serving. You'll have to toy around until you find one that you agree with in terms of taste. I take AST's VP2 whey protein. I've also tried, and I know a lot who love ON protein's various flavors.
 
I am a 20 year old female weighing 140 pounds. I'm 5'7.5". I try and workout on a pretty regular basis. My usual gym routine is 20 minutes running, 20-30 minutes on some other form of cardio, then I spend around 20 minutes on weights.

I've gained around 13 pounds in the past two months, mostly because of some pretty heavy emotional overeating. I was also sick for about two weeks so I wasn't exercising. I'm back at the gym now and trying to get my eating under control. I'm want to get back to where I was, though I know it will take longer to come off than it took to gain it.
 
I'd shoot for 120ish grams of protein. That will probably put you a little over 1 gram per lb of LBM which is fine while dieting. If you are a little under, it's not going to kill you.

I'd also give resistance training a little more emphasis in your programming.
 
I'll try that.

As far as resistance training is concerned, I mostly use the weight machines, legs one day, arms/core the next. Do you have any tips or programs to use for resistance? I use all the machines at the gym, but am pretty clueless about how to use the free weights.
 
kerich1117 said:
As far as resistance training is concerned, I mostly use the weight machines, legs one day, arms/core the next. Do you have any tips or programs to use for resistance? I use all the machines at the gym, but am pretty clueless about how to use the free weights.
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I'm not a fan of solely using machines for reasons we don't need to get into at this moment.

While free weights add a certain degree of dificulty, it certainly isn't rocket science. Don't read me wrong, I'm not trying to downplay the importance of proper form. I'm simply saying that learning to use free weights would be in your best interest.

Maybe you could hire a personal trainer just until you have the basic form down on the various exercises.

Or, if you know your way around the gym, I'd suggest reading through the thread I created, which is now a stickie, titled "the basic lifts."

How you are training right now, regardless of machine/free weight isn't very efficient. You'd be much better served focusing on 2-3 full body sessions per week that focus on compound lifts.

I highly suggest reading the following:

http://weight-loss.fitness.com/weight-loss-through-exercise/14264-basic-lifts.html#post296403

http://weight-loss.fitness.com/weight-loss-diary/8425-journey-not-destination-157.html#post228941

http://weight-loss.fitness.com/weight-loss-diary/8425-journey-not-destination-150.html#post226501
 
I take AST's VP2 whey protein. I've also tried, and I know a lot who love ON protein's various flavors.[/QUOTE]


Ya i recently switched to ON and im really loving the Rocky Road. It taste sooo good and you can actually taste the marshmallow. Also, i love how it doesn't chunk up with using a spoon to mix it.
 
Protein sources for part time/full time vegetarians??

Hi,

I see that protein comes up frequently in discussions here, and would love to hear from anyone who has information to share about possible vegetarian protein sources?

I was raised vegetarian (but dairy and eggs included), and only recently started to eat meat (white meat - chicken, fish)

Even then, I am too much of a newbie to meat to cook it by myself (handling meat freaks me out), so I eat it only about twice a week (when my husband cooks or I find a healthy restaurant entree)

But in general, i consciously try to keep my protein dosage up at a healthy level - apart from a daily dose of fat free milk, yogurt and egg whites, my protein sources tend to be beans - i eat lots of black and pinto beans (in scrambled eggs, sandwich fillers...), and particularly, I eat a lot of lentils - I do not know if lentils are in common use in the US and Europe, but where i come from, they are almost a daily thing - Apparently, a cup of lentils pack a mega dose of protein, and i met a dietitian who agreed...

I am not sure if they match up in quality with animal protein, but beans and especially lentils might still be a good option for vegetarians/vegans out there...

Any expert advice on this??

Thanks,

-Skinni

PS: if you are interested in lentil based recipes, I'd be happy to share!!!
 
I would love recipes!

I consider myself a vegetarian, though I eat dairy and fish. I have heard that the protein content from lentils/beans is actually higher per calorie and therefore a better source.

My protein comes from egg whites, cottage cheese, yogurt, soymilk, veggieburgers, tuna, almonds etc.

Even before becoming vegetarian, I rarely ate meat. I'm much more conscious about protein now so I think there is actually more protein in my diet than before.
 
I searched google for protein combinations and lists some of the basic combinations and recipe suggestions. The amino acids in the each food of the combination allow your body to create proteins. The three basic combos are: beans & rice (or a grain), beans & corn, beans & nuts/seeds. If you don't eat the combos, you're having incomplete proteins. Soybeans (edamame) are a complete protein by themselves AND they are very close to a 40% carb, 30% fat, 30% protein mix, all in one food.
 
I'm vegan, so most of my protein comes from soy (burgers, fake meat, milk, protein powder). But if I was only ovo-lacto, I'd eat the hell out of some egg whites and whey powder.

The amount of protein powder I consume in a day is not only revolting, but exhausting too. I'm sick of it, which is why I started eating fake deli meat. I'm not too fond of the high sodium content of those deli meats, but I literally cannot consume as much protein powder as I was consuming because I've had it with the stuff for a while.
 
lungsfortherace,

Lentils might really help you out!!

Stock up on the split yellow variety - it should be available in well stocked groceries, or definitely in South asian / Indian ethni food stores - they are dry, yellow, might be labelled as "Moong dal" and look like this:



They are small, oblong shaped, yellow and dry. They have a great shelf life too. They cook quickly in a pressure cooker, or else just boil them with enough water for about 20 - 30 minutes (yeah it takes a while, but i make a batch and refrigerate it for the entire week.

you can have some like a lentil soup - salt, pepper/paprika for heat, and if you like a small daub of butter/clarified butter on top. Great on a cold day.

here is my favorite recipe with lentils;

1. boil a cup or two of lentils (I prefer the moong variety) for about 15 minute - keep adding water as these take a while to cook.

2. Add a cup of spinach (fresh chopped or frozen), contiune boiling till every thing is soft.

3. Season as you like (salt, pepper/paprika and some butter)

but my favorite is to grind a pinch of cumin, 1 tsp of coconut flakes and 1 green chile pepper (the thin thai kind, but use with caution! Hot!!) and add it to the boiling mix , let simmer for another couple of minutes, add salt.

Goes GREAT with rice, tortillas, or if you make it mild enough, just by itself as a thick broth.

Yeah, I love to cook.

Very healthy, coconut flakes are the only source of added fat. Cumin gives it a lot of warmth of flavor, and the chili pepper makes it interesting.

I make a big tub of it and heat it every now and then.
 
lungsfortherace,

I am o expert, but I believe beans and lentils will help fill in some of your protein needs...


What I do is stock up on beans - pinto, black, garbanzo... I buy the baked and canned varieties, wash them out thoroughly beofre using them (get rid of the weird liquid and some of the added salt). Then i just toss them into my egg beater scrambler with salt pepper, paprika chili powder or my spice mix (I am from india, I use TONS of spices, but anything you like will do). I also add cottage cheese, about 2 tbsps of it (but that might not be an option fro vegans..), and then wrap the whole thing in a high fiber tortilla.

I think it is easier to cook great vegan meals if you stock up on small bottles of some spice seeds? I keep tiny portions of cumin, nigella, fennel, mustard seeds, cloves, cinnamon, pepper corns, coriander... The whole works. then i keep changing my mix of seeds each time, so i keep having new flavors. Then again, i really love to cook and fancy myself for a bit of a chef (Blush blush), so i keep a stock of everything.

If you do, then all you have to do is heat a tsp of oil, splutter a pinch of your favorite spice seeds in the oil, toss in your can of washed beans, add salt, and if you like heat in your food, a pinch of paprika/chili powder (I do)

And there is a low fat, fragrant bean salad :) great inside wraps or by themselves


As for lentils, stock up on the tiny, split yellow variety - it should be available in well stocked groceries, or definitely in South asian / Indian ethnic food stores - They are small, oblong shaped, yellow and dry, might be labelled as "Moong dal" and look like this:



They have a great shelf life too. They cook quickly in a pressure cooker, or else just boil them with enough water for about 20 - 30 minutes (yeah it takes a while, but i make a batch and refrigerate it for the entire week.

you can have some like a lentil soup - salt, pepper/paprika for heat, and if you like, a small daub of butter/clarified butter on top. Great on a cold day.

here is my favorite recipe with lentils;

1. Wash, drain and boil a cup or two of lentils (I prefer the moong variety) for about 15 minutes - keep adding water as these take a while to cook.

2. Add a cup of spinach (fresh chopped or frozen), continue boiling till every thing is soft.

3. Season as you like (salt, pepper/paprika and some butter)

but my favorite is to grind a pinch of cumin, 1 tsp of coconut flakes, a sp of water and 1 green chili pepper (the thin thai kind, but use with caution! Hot!!) and add it to the boiling mix , let simmer for another couple of minutes, add salt.

Goes GREAT with rice, tortillas, or if you make it mild enough, just by itself as a thick broth.

Yeah, I love to cook.

Very healthy, coconut flakes are the only source of added fat. Cumin gives it a lot of warmth of flavor, and the chili pepper makes it interesting.

I make a big tub of it and heat it every now and then.


The thing is, I dont know about the effects of a vegan lifestyle, but I do know that if you have a food processor and a shelf full of spices, you'll eat like a king - back home, entire sections of the society are lacto-vegetarian who dont consume even eggs - my mother, for example. But God knows the woman eats well - and by well, i mean an incredible variety of very tasty dishes.
yeah, spices and cuisineart. all it takes ;))
 
skinni-

Thanks for the advice and recipes. Lentils won't help too much, as they are so high in carbs. I'm very mindful of my macros, per my trainer's instructions, and while I can eat a variety of beans, I can't get enough protein or the balance right unless I supplement with protein powder or fake meats. Forty percent of my daily diet needs to come from protein. Ah, the perils of being a fat vegan who is trying to lose weight without ceasing the vegan diet. :)

Tamara
 
Where are you from? Asia?

I'm quite a fan of high protein grains and pulses like chickpeas/pinto beans:

- Quinoa 13% protein, 2x more than chickpeas
- Bulgur wheat 6% protein
etc.

I especially like bulgur wheat :) very healthy and I don't buy in that no carb nonsense, so not a problem for me! I think I manage 50-40% carb or lower while eating pulses and grains.

I'm from Europe btw.
 
Hi Lula,

yes I am from Asia.

As for "no-carb', well i am no expert, but i think "no-anything" is in general not a healthy approach... Spaghetti and sauce is not exactly balanced, of course, but that doesn't make carbs a bad guy does it :)

Yes, bulger wheat and ESPECIALLY quinoa are healthy and super tasty additions to a meal - prepared like couscous, it can make an excellent replacement for a rice or pasta side...

Do share ideas and recipes :)

The earlier post about lentils being high carb is valid too - some lentils more than others, in fact. Once that is accounted for, I find lentils to be a great option. And yes, beans too - apart from protein, beans like black beans pack anti-oxidants too (based on popular claims of course, am NO expert :))

I just made myself a super breakfast burrito - a tortilla (120 cals), pam spray sauteed onion, garlic, green adn red pepper, black beans (totally about 3/4 cup of veggies), egg beaters original, some fat free cottage cheese. Wrap it all up, coffee on the side. Yumm!!
 
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Sounds good!

Think it's hard to balance per meal - per day in total is probably a better goal for most people, unless gym rats etc I guess.

Where in Asia?

Today I had a broad bean based sauce eaten with quinoa - very easy to make: broadbeans + green olives + tomato and basil sauce + courgettes served on quinoa/pasta/whatever grains. For the non-veggies, add bacon or ham. Yum!

I also use some beans in egg fried rice - quite a protein rich meal.
 
Oh, sounds good Lula..! I live in the US, but i was raised in India.

Today I just had a lean Cuisine chicken deal :/
 
Got to say I love a good Indian (the UK's great for that, since there is such a big Asian presence) but I don't know how to cook Indian. I'm sure the basics are not difficult - I just need to go buy all the spcies!!
 
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