Protein

[sweetulip0623]

I just had my appointment with my midwife, which went real well. but she said i need to get in more protein in my diet. Does any one have any suggestions on how to get more in? Usually i eat an egg and yogurt every morning, grilled cheese and cottege cheese for lunch and a meat for dinner. snacks in between

[Munki'sMom]

I had to up mine too. I just looked at labels, ate peanut butter, eggs, cheese, more meat etc... It seemed to work.

[jennyfah]

A smoothie with wheat germ is great, especially if nothing else sounds good. Make sure you're getting lots of whole grains; good whole grain bread will have at least 5 grams of protein per slice. How do you feel about lentils? There are so many great ways to cook them, and they are loaded with protein. I think there are lots of great bean/lentil recipes in the Frugality and Finances forum if you are interested.

Are you writing down what you eat every day? You can just keep a sheet on the fridge in the kitchen. This really helped me to think about what I was eating, and to see if I needed to focus on something that day (protein, veggies, etc.). . . some days, I played 'catch up' on my charting for the last week or so!

eta: this post was definitely written by someone who doesn't eat meat.

[Emmeline II]

You should look up the Brewer Diet.

I did that and also drank protein shakes; I had pre-e with #1 and I was going on the assumption that it was environmental. I had no problems and a homebirth with #2.

[amandaleigh37]

I have a hard time with protein too... Peanut butter, nuts, eggs (usually eggs didn't really appeal to me until I started making deviled eggs all the time!), and I have one lentil soup recipe that I love and could eat every day Or you could try bean dip w/ tortilla chips for snack, etc.

[MidwifeErika]

First I would keep a food journal so you can see patterns in your eating and know where you can sneak a bit more in or make different eating choices.

You can make your snacks into small meals with a source of protein.... so a small cup of chilli or a salad with grilled chicken breast.

[hikingmommy]

That seems like a good amount of protein to me. Why does she think you need more?

A glass of milk, nuts, nut butters, hummus, tahini, smoothie with protein powder are my suggestions for extra protein.

[dogmom327]

I had to go on 125-150 g. protein diet at the end of my last pregnancy due to PIH. The biggest thing that saved me was drinking milk. Not everyone can tolerate large amounts of milk but it truly was a lifesaver for me. 16 oz. can be consumed quickly and has 15-16 grams of protein.

Also I simply had to always choose protein over carbs. Start my reconfiguring all your meals to feature a protein source (dairy, eggs, meat, lentils, etc.) and add some veggies or fruit to get your vitamins in. Then if you have any space left in your stomach, add some whole grains. You will also likely have to eat more than 3x times a day--I think I was eating about 4-6 times, small meals plus drinking milk in between meals.

For me, a day would look like this:
Meal #1: Smoothie w/yogurt, fruit, little honey for sweetness and possibly protein powder (you could do an egg too depending on where you get your eggs and how you feel about that). ~20-30 grams of protein

Meal #2: 3 Scrambled or fried eggs in butter with some veggies and a piece of fruit (add whole grain toast if you can). 20+ grams of protein

Meal #2: Sandwich on whole grain bread loaded with meat and cheese, tuna, etc. Cheese has about 8 grams per slice, meat varies. Try to get at least 20 grams of protein here.

Meal #4: Piece of meat (fish, chicken, steak, pork, etc.) with veggies. Add some whole grain side dish if you have space. 25-35 grams of protein.

On top of this, drink 4-8 cups of milk for an additional 32-64 grams of protein.

It isn't fun but it works. If you need more specific ideas, let me know.

[luckymamato2]

I am not pg so not sure of the safety/organic-ness of the following, but my dh and I have been on a smoothie kick -
we use (pasteurized) Costco-brand liquid egg whites (1C has about 24g protein), EAS protein powder which has about 27g protein in 2 scoops, a banana, 8 ice cubes, and organic milled flax seeds.

you can also add a tablespoon or two of organic peanut butter or some milk, which have protein as well as good fats and calories.

I don't know if I'd be able to stomach it while pregnant, if the next pg ends up anything like my dd's. I was lucky to eat ANYTHING that stayed down. I lost 16 pounds before gaining anything back, which I did with mainly ice cream.

[luckymamato2]

Also, tuna, salmon, chicken are all staple items for our dinners. We are both way into fitness lately so protein is a big focus here.

[JorgieGirl]

I had a rough time eating enough protein. I always have. I found protein shakes were the easiest way for me to include extra.

[HappyMommaBear]

I've learned that if I start the day with two eggs for breakfast, I have a much easier time getting enough. I've always been told 80-100 grams a day. Two scrambled eggs is 48 grams. Meat, cheese, milk, chicken... read labels, and keep track through the day. A chicken breast is 20 grams, I remember that much. Turkey is also pretty good.
Some suggestions - add milk in the pan as you scramble your eggs. If you like the taste (DH swears it makes them better) that's a good way to add a few grams. Or cut up some lunch meat and make an omelet. When you have a grilled cheese, either add several slices of lunch meat on the sandwich or eat it on the side. Drink lots of milk... ice cream even counts for a bit of protein!
And of course, there's always the option of protein shakes in the evenings if you just haven't had enough for the day.

good luck!

[tinyblackdot]

beans? I LOVE hummus, and crackers!

[derstina]

Two scrambled eggs is not 48 grams protein...it's more like 10-14. We add cottage cheese to our scrambled eggs, which is yummy as well as more protein. I've also had a hard time getting enough protein. I second the deviled eggs comment...or egg salad to dip crackers/corn chips into for a quick snack. I also keep small tins of almonds in the car. And I've just remembered that in previous pregnancies I ate Clif Builder's Bars (20 grams of protein each) a couple times a week. Just today I discovered that Fage 2% yogurt has 19 grams protein per cup!

Good luck!

[sweetulip0623]

How do you add cottege cheese to scrambles eggs? Do you do it while cooking the eggs or afterwards? I just bought some protein powder so i can have a smoothie instead of the sugery foods i usually eat :-)

[TzippityDoulah]

add a meat to lunch (or eggs like boiled eggs or egg salad), beans, nut butters for snacks, handfuls of nuts.

why does she feel you need more protein, btw?

[sarahtdubb]

The other day at our local food co-op, I had tofu pudding... it was tofu blended w/ a little sweetener (agave nectar) and some blueberries. It was so yummy, and I thought "this would be a good way to add protein into my diet if I was pregnant!."

[dogmom327]

I wish 2 eggs was 48 grams of protein but unfortunately like derstina said, it's only 6-7 grams per egg. Two eggs may weigh 48 grams but the actual protein is only 10-14 grams for the two.

100 grams of protein would be something like:

1 chicken breast (~25g.)
2 eggs (~14g.)
1 quart of milk (~32 g.)
1 can of tuna (~30g.)

Other options:
1/2 c. bean (~5g.)
Slice of whole grain bread (~5g.)
Scoop of protein powder (~20g.)

[jennyfah]

Originally Posted by sweetulip0623

I just bought some protein powder so i can have a smoothie instead of the sugery foods i usually eat :-)

My Bradley teacher said she could always tell when I wasn't eating enough protein because my food sheet would be full of empty carbs, especially late in the day---I tend to crave sugary foods especially when I'm not getting enough protein!

[sweetulip0623]

Originally Posted by HennyPenny

why does she feel you need more protein, btw?

Because I told her that I was eating a lot of sweets, and I'm swelling (i'm 29 weeks). She said that means I need more protein in my diet.