High protein

[Lauxa]

I'm thinking I may want to add more protein to my diet since I want to gain some muscle mass. I had been trying to eat less animal products, favoring rice and beans, but I don't know if I can do that AND eat more protein. Especially since I don't have any desire to eat things like protein bars or powders.

Here are some high-protein foods that I have found:

• 1 egg - 6g
• 1/2 cup cottage cheese - 15g
• 1/2 cup yogurt - 4g
• 1/2 can tuna - 15g
• 1 oz cashews - 5g
• 1 cup quinoa - 15g
• 1 cup beans - 14-17g
• 1 cup green peas - 8.5g

I'm thinking 100g/day protein to start. So, I could add cottage cheese and yogurt to a morning smoothie (19g), exchange rice and beans for quinoa and beans (30g), make a quinoa, tuna, and pea salad (34g), and snack on a couple hard boiled eggs (12g) and a handful of nuts (5g) ... AND ... it comes out to exactly 100g, how about that. Throw in a green salad topped with blue cheese somewhere in there and I'm all set.

And actually, my quinoa will have 21g of protein since I'll be cooking it in homemade chicken stock, which will give me a little wiggle room. I think quinoa is really going to be the key here; if I can replace most of my grain intake with quinoa that alone will significantly increase my protein levels. I've only had it a few times so far, so I hope I can get used to this!

[ginkgo]

The fake meat, seitan, has twice as much protein as beef. Spirulina has more protein than meat and more vitamins and minerals than other foods. It is neither plant nor animal. It is blue-green algae and all plants and animals descended from it so add that to your diet. All the nuts, seeds and beans are high in protein.

[russianrocket]

Originally Posted by ginkgo

The fake meat, seitan, has twice as much protein as beef. Spirulina has more protein than meat and more vitamins and minerals than other foods. It is neither plant nor animal. It is blue-green algae and all plants and animals descended from it so add that to your diet. All the nuts, seeds and beans are high in protein.

Yeah, and seitan is super high gluten food. But, how you got that seitan has twice as much protein then beef, is beyond me. Mainly, because you are 100% blatantly wrong. And I've shown you and others trying to state that, that you are wrong. So why bring it up again?

And sure, spirulina has more protein then meat, because it is super condensed and dried. And just like seitan, I've already corrected you and others multiple times, by showing that comparable meat, that is dried, has the same, if not more protein. And is a whole lot cheaper.

[Lauxa]

Thanks gingko, I do add spirulina to my smoothies sometimes and I see that it does have 1g protein per tsp.

My tuna, quinoa, and green pea salad was super tasty, I am encouraged!

[Gabo]

Since you seem to like beans and peas, I'll mention that lentils are another delicious option with lots of protein (and vegan to boot!).

[Weena]

Quinoa
Hemp seed

[Beuford]

Roasted Fava Beans (Salted) — Fava Beans — Snacks — NutsOnline

I have had these (but a different brand from the supermarket) and they were very good. Both claim to be 24% protein so that should be correct(that one says 8 grams of protein for 33 grams of the product). They are just roasted broadbeans that are dry. The only down side is that they have a bit of salt, but since you wouldn't have to eat a lot of them it isn't much. Still, for a vegan product, 24% protein is good and I had no problem eating 200 grams of them in a reasonably short period of time like half a day, so an easy way to get some extra protein.


Dry Roasted Edamame (Salted) — Soy Beans — Snacks — NutsOnline

These ones claim to be 36% protein.

[Lauxa]

Originally Posted by Beuford

Roasted Fava Beans (Salted) — Fava Beans — Snacks — NutsOnline

I have had these (but a different brand from the supermarket) and they were very good. Both claim to be 24% protein so that should be correct(that one says 8 grams of protein for 33 grams of the product). They are just roasted broadbeans that are dry. The only down side is that they have a bit of salt, but since you wouldn't have to eat a lot of them it isn't much. Still, for a vegan product, 24% protein is good and I had no problem eating 200 grams of them in a reasonably short period of time like half a day, so an easy way to get some extra protein.


Dry Roasted Edamame (Salted) — Soy Beans — Snacks — NutsOnline

These ones claim to be 36% protein.

Thanks! I had read fava beans were high protein but that they had to be shelled before eaten. I'm going to look for a prepared product at the health food store.

I'm kind of shying away from soy because of the high estrogen. BUT my cousin visited recently and said her estrogen level is low and she has been prescribed one serving of soy a day. Which makes me think I should maybe test that and see.

[Beuford]

Yeah, I'm not really into soy either. I eat it if it comes up but less than other legumes. I just clicked on it and saw it was high in protein, I guess that's because it doesn't have much water in it prepared like that.

[NickWeb]

I do not know how good it will work for you but you should know that muscle gaining is not only about more protein. You have to calculate you carbohídrate intake too. And also dont forget that some of the amino acids are only contained in meat (or protein powder)

[scorpio1980]

Originally Posted by NickWeb

I do not know how good it will work for you but you should know that muscle gaining is not only about more protein. You have to calculate you carbohídrate intake too. And also dont forget that some of the amino acids are only contained in meat (or protein powder)

I'm an omnivore, but I had to respond to this. All the amino acids can be found in plants it's just harder to find plant sources which are as abundant in all the essential amino acids as meat. Let us be reminded of hemp seeds, which I consider one of the most awesome plant sources for both omega 3's, and solid complete protein.

[joelr]

If taste is a problem with powder then adding a scoop to a fruit smoothie should help.

My favorite meal is 1C oatmeal, 2 bananas, pineapple chunks, blueberries, protein powder and lots of ice. The trick is to freeze all the fruit first, blend up the oatmeal/powder with a little water then start adding frozen fruit and ice. It's hard on the mixer but you end up with an ice cream like substance that's really good.
But even without powder, oatmeal has 8gr protein per cup. 1 cup skim milk would also add another ~10gr.

If you want to put on mass the protein is important but like someone mentioned complex carbs are important also. Oatmeal is a good carb. Even a smoothie with 2 cups of oatmeal and lots of fruit would give you ~17 gr of protein plus over 100 gr carbs. A good post workout meal.

[Lauxa]

Can anyone tell me how much carbs I should be shooting for in a day?

[Lauxa]

So I did some more research on this, got this info off a bodybuilding forum. Please correct me if this looks way off...

To gain muscle, you need about 10-20% calorie surplus per day. So if your base is 2000 calories, increase to 2200-2400. There are several calorie calculators available for estimating this.

For protein intake for normal weight person, shoot for 1-2 grams per pound body weight.

For fat intake for normal weight person, shoot for 0.5-1 gram per pound body weight.

If overweight, use lean weight instead of total weight for these.

Carbs is the extra, any calories you don't get from fat or protein, get these from carbs.

[joelr]

Bodybuilding.com is a place full of folks who put energy and time into bodybuilding/eating so it's reliable information. Most people who disagree with that stuff are not bodybuilders or are on the too-skinny side. Especially the low protein bodybuilders.

Low carbs are from 25gr to 150gr so you can have 200, 300, 400, you need to experiment a little and find out how much you need to increase your strength but if you notice bodyfat gain then it's too much.

The thing is, it's hard to really get fat on clean carbs. How much oatmeal can you eat (with fruit not sugar) or brown rice? Even pasta, if eaten clean then you want just a small amount of olive oil, healthy fat spread or red sauce. Not something with lot's of cream, cheese, etc. Save that stuff for the cheat meal.

If you're avoiding desserts, most things with simple sugar, and still doing cardio you won't get fat on a mass phase. Weight gain happens with meals that have an excess of 1 or more nutrients. Like a 1/2 pizza which has a good amount of carbs but then like 50 gr fat. Or a hamburger (lean red meat) and bun which isn't too bad but then a bunch of fries adds more fat/carb than you need. Or a soda which adds 40gr? of simple sugar.
But you should eat a lot of the right things. Have 5 or 6 meals. Meals like a piece of fish, potato w/ Smart Balance butter and unlimited vegetables. Chicken breast with rice, 1 whole egg plus 6 egg whites omlette and bowl of oatmeal with raisins. Try eating wheat bagels with meals too, they have lots of carbs.
One of my favorite mass meals is a protein shake and a few bagels with healthy fat spread.

The idea is to be well fed but never go overboard. A hamburger, wheat roll, and salad is a good re-fueling. Eat 6 Oreo cookies with it and your body gets a whole bunch of sugar and fat to store as bodyfat. Especially since you just met your calorie needs with the meal.

But enjoy the mass phase, you get to be full all the time.

I have a hard time with mass phases because I already have to be 100% strict on a cutting phase. So on the mass phase I add cheats more and more.
The last month or so of a mass phase or some years several months I just chill out, train less, eat less food, less strict.