How can I get more protein??? « Back to Group Discussions

[Carinthia]

Hello all! During my first pregnancy I was vegetarian and was very focused on getting a ton of protein (I was shooting for 80 g a day pretty successfully). This time around I eat meat and maybe that's the reason I haven't worried about it too much BUT tomorrow I will be 17w and I started to pay attention to my protein intake recently - well it's WAY too low! HELP! What's the answer? Smoothies with protein powder? Protein bars? That all seems so processed... How does everybody else keep up with their protein needs? Could the mild headaches I'm having almost daily be related to that? I would appreciate your tips and tricks!

[distantstars]

I'm a vegetarian so I am always looking for protein sources. Well, I eat fish so not really a vegetarian. I try to eat a low-mercury fish once or twice a week for protein and omegas. 

I usually have Kashi's Protein & Fiber cereal for breakfast (13g protein) with fat-free Greek yogurt (22g per cup). I also try to eat a boiled egg or two on a kale or spinach salad. Alavarado St. and Trader Joe's have a complete protein bread that I eat with peanut butter. 

Eager to hear what others eat!

[sere234]

Meat and eggs grossed me out first trimester and I'm still recovering from that! So far I'm back to eating eggs every morning, lots of Greek yogurt, different nuts, hummus (so easy to make!), peanut butter sandwiches, beans in soups and such, and occasionally meat.

I'm focusing on eating more protein now too so I'll be watching this thread!

[oikophile]

I have really been craving meat more than usual during pregnancy. No one in our house is vegetarian, but we are kind of de facto vegetarians a lot of the time, since we try to buy local, sustainably-raised meat whenever possible, and it's more expensive.

What do you consider way too low? I am trying to keep up with the Brewer diet for my Bradley birth class and they want us to go for 80 - 100g a day. A lot of days I don't break 80. One of my midwives says not to get too obsessed--60 - 80g is sufficient. 

The days I eat meat, it always gives my protein count a huge boost. I like drinking milk, so I have a glass with breakfast and dinner (8g protein per cup). I think almonds and cashews have the most protein of any nuts (21g and 19g per 4 oz, respectively).

[abouttobe5]

If you're eating meat, there are so many options!  Beef, chicken, fish, turkey, lamb, eggs, game meats, bacon, pork...you name it.  I eat protein at every meal and for the most part it's animal protein. I'll get a serving of nuts/seeds in a day but I don't rely on grains that are high in protein as I know the downsides of grains & legumes, which is that they are inflammatory to the gut (regardless of whether you have a diagnosed celiac or grain sensitivity/allergy....we all do at some level). And I don't eat a lot of dairy (cow's milk is for cows!)  So, for me, it's animals.  

I eat eggs almost each morning.  On Sundays I treat the kids to almond meal pancakes or waffles (which inevitably calls for eggs but is also my dose of nuts for the day).  I'll add bacon in 2x/week at breakfast.  Lunch is usually a huge veggie salad with HB eggs, chicken, or steak.  Dinner is whatever I made sure I picked up at the farmer's market or grocery store.  

I pre-plan all my family's meals in advance.  I know what I"m serving and what leftovers will be there.  So for me, it's just about making sure we have enough when I hit the store on Tuesday or market on Saturday.  

Because I don't eat grains, I instead focus on increasing my fats intake.  Avocados, oils, animal fats, coconut, nuts/seeds (one serving only per day though), etc.  That way I'm not hungry.  I go by the Paleo diet for the most part.  

Especially with BBQ season, it's so easy for me.  Just grill up meat & veggies and then serve.  Leftovers for breakfast or lunch the next day (nothing like grilled steak & veggies for breakfast!)

Hope this helps!

andrea

[Bmorefarmgirl]

Bacon and eggs for breakfast. Chicken/tuna salad for lunch. Meat for dinner. Done!

Yogurt as a snack or a yogurt smoothie. Whey protein isolate I think is supposed to be one of the best forms. I don't think it's too processed. Just filtered dried whey, which is a natural byproduct of cheese making. I am sure it is way more involved than that, but for the occasional snack, I think it'd be fine.

What are you eating now?

Try nuts, cheese, cottage cheese, etc for snacks. But meat is going to be the most concentrated source.

[Carinthia]

OK...more meat... I have been a little grossed out by slabs of meat (not salami and bacon however..no, no). I'm having a hard time eating more then one egg at a time. I don't know why. We are dairy free at home, but I have started to get some yoghurt for myself to eat with my granola. I just figured out yesterday that greek yoghurt is so high in protein - it's been a long time since I looked at that stuff closely. And yes, BBQ season will be making things easier I think. So maybe I need to just add a breakfast meat and eat more yoghurt and I'll be good? What you ladies have suggested so far sounds totally doable. 

[Therese's Mommy]

I start every day with 2 farm fresh eggs.  These days I am making a sort of frittata/omelet concoction with the eggs and some veggies and then some cheese melted on top.  I figure that gets me off to a good start.  For lunch I will have a can of wild caught salmon and a salad or a salad with an ounce of cheese.  For a snack I almost always grab a thing of string cheese.  Dinner is always focused on protein:  chicken, fish, or beans.  We don't really do nuts here because of a kiddo that is allergic to just about everything.  We do sunbutter, but that stuff totally grossed me out during the first trimester and I haven't gotten over than yet (I usually love it).  We eat clams every Friday night and I could eat all 50 of them!  We have them over pasta, I generally go light on the pasta and heavy on the clams   I am also in the market to expand the protein sources we eat since my allergic kiddo needs more variety in her diet.  I am currently looking at mussels and buffalo.  The buffalo will be a huge change for us.  We were vegetarian forever until about 2 years ago when we needed to make the change for her.  

In the end, I try to think about protein and veggies and figure the other things will take care of themselves.  I haven't counted how many grams of protein I am eating, I just try to eat to hunger and focus on the protein.  I figure that is the best I can do.

[JodiAriel]

I'm having this problem... they want me to eat 150-175 grams of protein a day which is just unreasonable.  I have a hard time getting even 75 in most days, in fact on memorial day I had 2 hamburgers and 3 hot dogs and that only totaled 87 grams.  I am an extremely picky eater so it's even harder because I don't eat alot of "hidden" protein sources - yogurt, eggs, peanut butter.  I do eat meat but have lately been turned off by a lot of meats, it just depends on the day.  The only thing I can consistently eat is hot dogs which is not great for me either.  I am eating pepperoni sticks at work (5g/ea but again a lot of nitrates) but otherwise am having a hard time finding high protein snacks.

[laurasim77]

Originally Posted by JodiAriel 

I'm having this problem... they want me to eat 150-175 grams of protein a day which is just unreasonable.  I have a hard time getting even 75 in most days, in fact on memorial day I had 2 hamburgers and 3 hot dogs and that only totaled 87 grams.  I am an extremely picky eater so it's even harder because I don't eat alot of "hidden" protein sources - yogurt, eggs, peanut butter.  I do eat meat but have lately been turned off by a lot of meats, it just depends on the day.  The only thing I can consistently eat is hot dogs which is not great for me either.  I am eating pepperoni sticks at work (5g/ea but again a lot of nitrates) but otherwise am having a hard time finding high protein snacks.

Wow, that is a lot of protein! I'm not even close to that. And I have a pretty silly question.... I have one child already but don't remember anyone ever telling me I need to eat a ton of protein? And the docs haven't said anything this time around, either. Now I'm panicking! I try to do everything right and now I feel like I'm missing some huge thing. Does it help with something specific in the baby's development? I seem to have a hard time getting down anything that's not carbs, hope that changes soon (even though I'm 15.5 weeks already!).

[Carinthia]

laurasim77,

Here is some basic protein info:

http://www.babycenter.com/0_protein-in-your-pregnancy-diet_1690.bc#articlesection1

Really I just think of it as the stuff that makes the baby big and strong and prepares my body well for nursing, etc...

[JodiAriel]

Originally Posted by laurasim77 

Wow, that is a lot of protein! I'm not even close to that. And I have a pretty silly question.... I have one child already but don't remember anyone ever telling me I need to eat a ton of protein? And the docs haven't said anything this time around, either. Now I'm panicking! I try to do everything right and now I feel like I'm missing some huge thing. Does it help with something specific in the baby's development? I seem to have a hard time getting down anything that's not carbs, hope that changes soon (even though I'm 15.5 weeks already!).

Laura, I am having twins so everything is pretty much doubled but like you I have a hard time with anything that is not carbs.  They had said to decrease my risk of preterm labor I should gain 24 lbs by 24 weeks but I am not 17w3d and have only gained 2-3lbs.  I was a little overweight to begin with, 5'3"/186lbs, but this is really hard, I seem less hungry now than I did before I was pregnant.

[CindyCindy]

Originally Posted by laurasim77 

Wow, that is a lot of protein! I'm not even close to that. And I have a pretty silly question.... I have one child already but don't remember anyone ever telling me I need to eat a ton of protein? And the docs haven't said anything this time around, either. Now I'm panicking! I try to do everything right and now I feel like I'm missing some huge thing. Does it help with something specific in the baby's development? I seem to have a hard time getting down anything that's not carbs, hope that changes soon (even though I'm 15.5 weeks already!).

Unfortunately I think most docs don't discuss much of nutrition with their patients.  Yes, you absolutely need tons of protein.  After getting used to lowering the carbs and adding in the protein you will notice how much better you feel.  Having more protein and watching what you eat can ward of so many issues with pregnancy it's ridiculous, yet it's not something that is discussed much.  In reality I think docs and midwifes should be asking what your meals are like at every appointment to help guide you and help you make smart decisions.  My midwife typically asks me what I ate the day before on most appointments.

Quick protein idea: apples dipped in almond butter.  Seriously?  Best snack ever!!

[Thyme Mama]

Some of you may possibly be and when you read this, but, hey, this IS MDC! Let's bring back the crunch, baby!

One of my favorite go-to's when I need more protein is a raw milk, egg yolk and coconut oil smoothie. Of course, you can't use supermarket eggs (the very abridged version is this: dangers from raw eggs are due to being factory produced), you must have farm-fresh pastured eggs. 

Raw Milk Smoothie:

1 cup raw, whole milk (from a pastured cow)

2 raw farm-fresh egg yolks (from pastured hens)

1-2 bananas

1-4 tablespoons coconut oil

maple syrup (optional)

ice (optional)

This recipe will give you around 30 grams of protein or so. It's nourishing and filling, but not heavy. Yum!

[CindyCindy]

Love it Thyme!!  We have our own chickens so I have no issues with eating raw egg yolks.  And we have resources here for raw milk which I am looking into.  I hear cashews can also be good in a smoothie, that's a good protein right?

[laurasim77]

Originally Posted by Carinthia 

laurasim77,

Here is some basic protein info:

http://www.babycenter.com/0_protein-in-your-pregnancy-diet_1690.bc#articlesection1

Really I just think of it as the stuff that makes the baby big and strong and prepares my body well for nursing, etc...

This was so helpful, thank you!!! Seriously, I had no idea. I feel a bit clueless but it totally makes sense. That must be why I have headaches all of the time and my energy is still quite low for 16 weeks. I made a valiant effort to get more protein in my diet over the weekend (eggs, ham, hamburgers, cheese, nuts, chicken), hoping I see the results soon. Thanks, ladies!

[oikophile]

FYI for those of you who eat eggs: you may want to try duck eggs if you have a source for them. I had never tried them before but my partner brought them home from a farmers' market this weekend and said the farmer had told him they're slightly higher in protein. I looked it up and it looks like it's true: 6g per chicken egg but 9g per duck egg. I think they taste about the same--the duck eggs taste a little richer (they're also higher in fat).

[CindyCindy]

I have heard some people like duck eggs for baking, it makes it more moist, but not so much on their own.  ??  Oikophile, did you eat them scrabbled or in something?  I would LOVE to try some!

[QMtwins]

JodiAriel...I too am doing the twin thing and the rec is actually about 170g/day.  Its hard.  I try to do egg sandwiches, cottage cheese or greek yogurt, meat, peanut butter and I try to do 2 protein smoothies a day.  Every time I eat, I eat some form of protein.  I'm 17w4d and gained about 8lbs thus far (started at a "typical" BMI).  My OB cautioned me about gaining too much with twins!  Ha!  Unlikely so far to be an issue!  Good luck! 

[oikophile]

Originally Posted by CindyCindy 

I have heard some people like duck eggs for baking, it makes it more moist, but not so much on their own.  ??  Oikophile, did you eat them scrabbled or in something?  I would LOVE to try some!

I just had one fried in butter. To me it tasted about the same as a chicken egg, but a little richer. I'm going to make muffins with them and see if they're any different, though!