Darn protein . . . .

[LionTigerBear]

So I went to make myself a sandwich for lunch today. Usually I do a nice thin-sliced turkey tomato sandwich, and I love it, but then I realized there's only a few grams of protein in the amount of lunchmeat I was using. :

I am really trying to up my protein so that I'm getting 100 grams a day, but it's hard!

So I figure out that to get enough lunchmeat to make close to 20 grams of protein in my sandwich I'd need an inch of lunchmeat! Yuck. Can't do it.

Then I thought maybe I could break it up with some bacon. Add a little diversity in there. I have some nifty nitrate/nitrite-free bacon, and the package says 2 pieces is 6 grams of protein! Great!

So I cook up some bacon and make my sandwich with yummy sourdough bread (part whole wheat, part white), two nice thick slices of tomato, : half an inch worth of lunchmeat and 3 pieces of bacon. Now I am trying to eat this monstrosity. There is way too much meat on it for my taste. I mean, I'm a meat-eater and everything, but this is crazy. I finally gave up with most of the lunchmeat uneaten. I finished the tomato and most of the bacon with relish. But I'm having so much trouble getting all that protein in! Arrrgh! What to do! This trying-to-eat-more-protein thing is taking over my life! Ahhhhhhh!

/vent Thanks for listening. I know it's silly I just had to complain.

[kohlby]

Do you eat dairy? It's amazing how fast protien in dairy adds up. I don't eat most types of meat but will eat boneless, skinless chicken breasts. It's quite easy to get a lot of protein in that. Also, read labels. You'll find protien hidden in certain types of bread even!

My regular breakfast is two scrambled eggs every morning. For a snack, I have a south beach bar, not the meal bar - which is one carb exhange and one protien exchange. (The meal bar has two protien and one carb exhange). Lunch always has some chicken. The next snack has yogart. Dinner has more chicken. The last snack always has some sort of dairy. That doesn't include the hidden sources of protien where it sneaks in small amounts. I don't need any protien shakes or special foods and find it quite easy to get plenty of protien. I've been on a diabetic diet since January and find it quite easy to get more protien than needed.

[LionTigerBear]

Oh, see, I don't like chicken breast very much . . . it's so dry . . . and I don't eat soy protien, either, for health reasons, which I'm guessing is probably what's in those snack bars. I guess a big part of the issue is that I'm picky! I do eat lots of dairy, but drinking a quart of milk a day takes care of only 28 grams of protein. But that still leaves 72 grams of protein.

[monkaha]

Why 100g? I've been trying to eat more protien, but didn't have a firm # to put on the amount. It's on my list of things to ask the OB at my next (5 minute) exam.

[LionTigerBear]

Brewer pregnancy diet. There's lots of information about it around here on MDC.

[My*Scorpio]

A slice of whole wheat bread has 4 grams of protein. So, if you use two for a sandwich, that adds 8 grams. A slice of cheese is another 6 grams or so.

Do you drink milk? I think a glass has 8 grams of protein.

Cottage cheese has a ton, but not everyone likes it.

[My*Scorpio]

Originally Posted by monkaha

Why 100g? I've been trying to eat more protien, but didn't have a firm # to put on the amount. It's on my list of things to ask the OB at my next (5 minute) exam.

I thought the target was 80-100 grams. Although if you think there may be twins, go for 100 grams. Here's a link with more info:
http://www.bradleybirth.com/PD.aspx

I don't have much trouble making it to 80 grams. I'm a well-fed vegetarian.

[nighten]

I rely on dairy and grains for protein primarily, honestly. I understand the attraction of and reasoning behind the Brewer's Diet (and I agree that additional protein is key in pregnancy), but as with ANY specialized diet, it's best to customize it to your individual body type, and I also think it's equally as important to listen to your body while pregnant. Perhaps your body's telling you that you don't need quite that much. Or perhaps that's just too much for your body size/type?

Either way, I wouldn't feel pressure to stick to that specific number. As long as you're getting an adequate amount of protein in your diet, that's the important thing. Gorging yourself on uber-meaty sandwiches sounds downright nauseating to me. I don't blame you for picking some of it off, at all.

But if you feel that number is appropriate for you, there are lots of other very good sources of protein:

Amaranth*
Cereals and grains - buckwheat*, rye, corn, rice, pasta...
Leafy green vegetables, including spinach
Legumes - beans, lentils, peas, peanuts
Nutritional yeast*
Nuts - almonds, walnuts, cashews...
Quinoa*
Seaweed - spirulina*, kelp ...
Seeds - hemp*, sesame, sunflower...
Soy* products - tofu, tempeh, soy milk...
Vegetables - Brussel sprouts, potatoes, yuca
Eggs*
Cheese*
Milk*
Yogurt*
* indicates a complete protein

...

If you want to be absolutely certain that you are getting enough protein, you should eat food combinations which form a complete protein, such as:

Legumes + seeds
Legumes + nuts
Legumes + grains
Chances are you already eat complete proteins without even trying. Here are some tasty and healthy complete protein combinations:

Beans on toast
Corn and beans
Hummus and pita bread
Nut butter on whole grain bread
Pasta with beans
Rice and beans, peas, or lentils
Split pea soup with whole grain or seeded crackers or bread
Tortillas with refried beans
Veggie burgers on bread

----

You can also make a protein shake with flaxseeds or hemp hearts/seeds for extra protein. Mix it up with yogurt and fruit and it's yummy! Don't cook with the seeds or oils though as they go rancid at fairly low temps.

-----

Maybe some of those might be appetizing to you? Good luck, mama.

[AllyRae]

I've been downing the Fage (greek yogurt) this time around. For some reason, fage with a touch of honey is my little craving. : And it has 15-20 grams of protein per serving (depending on the brand).

[LionTigerBear]

Originally Posted by nighten

<snip> but as with ANY specialized diet, it's best to customize it to your individual body type, and I also think it's equally as important to listen to your body while pregnant. Perhaps your body's telling you that you don't need quite that much. Or perhaps that's just too much for your body size/type? <snip>

Good point. I am short and small-framed so that would make a difference. Thanks for the list, too. I think I will relax a little about the protein thing!

[LionTigerBear]

Originally Posted by AllyRae

I've been downing the Fage (greek yogurt) this time around. For some reason, fage with a touch of honey is my little craving. : And it has 15-20 grams of protein per serving (depending on the brand).

I've never heard of this before. Do they have it at a regular grocery store?

[clovermom]

First of all, you just made me so hungry for a turkey club!!!! :

When I was pregnant with twins the mw told me to shoot for 75g a day so I think 100 is probably on the higher end of things.

I have been feeling really bad about my diet lately. I know for the most part I eat very well but I just feel lazy about going above and beyond to ensure I'm getting a great pre-natal diet. I really should be better about it since I worry so much about having another pre-term birth. Oh well, just no energy to even google Brewer's Diet right now .

[MomtoXane]

I totally hear you on struggling with the protein intake! I'm a semi-vegetarian, just not that fond of meat. Also I don't do soy and I've had a lot of sensitivities to dairy this time. So I'm eating nuts and beans as much as possible!

[AllyRae]

Originally Posted by LionTigerBear

I've never heard of this before. Do they have it at a regular grocery store?

I used to only be able to find it at Trader Joes and Whole Foods, but recently (as in the last month or so), I could find it at our local Meijers and Super Walmart. It is some good stuff too--thicker than regular yogurt but it tastes just like plain yogurt (so you can add fruit or honey or whatnot to it. )

[Queen of my Castle]

I've seen the term 'Brewer's Diet' around, but I just did some quick research and learned more about it. There's a good thread in Jan 2009.
I'm pleased to see my regular diet is not too far off. If I was to follow the diet, I'd have to slightly increase my dairy, and maybe my protein, and be a bit pickier with my veggies. I'm pretty conscious of my diet, even though I essentially eat what I want. I always have the 'Canada food guide' floating in the back of my mind, it must have been drilled into me as a kid.