Discussion: I need sources of easy, fast protein

Does anyone have a trick for getting quick, low-fat protein into their diet? I come back from long workout days and unless I want to grill up some chicken or fish (3 kids, so time is short), or eat another egg, I start getting desperate.

in australia, they call it a steak.

Salmon from a pouch? Almonds? String cheese!

You could try baked beans, or fish from the can. Dairy is also pretty good so you could add cheese to the beans or eat a tub of low-fat cottage cheese (by itself or with some fruit if you want).
What about bunging some sliced meat and cheese or egg on toast, and then a tub of yoghurt for afters? Don't forget the carbs, though!

always thought that peanut butter was good...but not sure...i just eat it plain because it tastes good :)

I've been horsing down the almond butter lately -- love it -- but I look at what that does to the % of calories per day derived from fat and just think it can't be good! Here's a receipe for peanut butter balls (no, that's not a condition one gets after 24 hours of racing.) Mix this up, dollup to golf ball-size blobs, freeze and grab when needed.

2 mashed bananas
2 c PB
2 scoops choc whey
2 tbsp flax

The protein shake of whatever mixture to whey/soy/whatever protein powder is the quick low fat version. Lots of recipes for this out there

I think I will try the peanutbutter balls, with the flax seed packed in to them, they should keep you real regular as well.

sorry to get commercial but i use Hammer's Whey Protien isolate. It is great in shakes and smoothies after a workout.

http://www.hammernutrition.com/za/HNT?PAGE=PRODUCT...

Pardon the ignorance, but where do you find chocolate whey? I want to try them out.

In the US try GNC. Their 100% Whey Protein is cheap, tastes good in milk or water and has been effective for me.

You try milk with clotted cow blood, mebbe. Cheap, and the blood iron good like the good red earth.

WTF?....

Well back here in civilization, soy isolate powder makes a better shake than whey. And this is because there is some indication that men in the western world would benefit from increased soy intake. It appears to have some effect on keeping your prostate healthy.

The prostate is a gland between your legs, through which your urethra passes on its way from the bladder. Most guys suddenly discover their prostates when they turn 50 or so.

This is a little beside the point, but why do you guys find it necessary to supplement your protein intake with powders? Runners (even doing some strength stuff) should be able to get all the protein they need from a balanced diet, right?

Egg whites are one of the few complete proteins. The cholesterol is in the yolk.

rambo, not beside the point at all. I'm not much of a strength trainer, but everything I've read on that front suggests that even people pumping iron here and there probably get more than enough protein in their diet already. I think most people don't realize how much protein they're eating throughout the day.

Rambo,

Protein powder - I'm a veg who very occasionally makes a shake/smoothie. The original question was "quick" and "low fat" source of protein, so I offered an answer.

I'd ask the same question about multi-vits.

WHOA i am going to make a protein shake right now... chocolate milk, GNC chocolate whey protein, yoghurt (all with excessive amounts of protein) and good tastin fruit.. that s the stuff!

and if i were austrailian i d probably throw in a kanguroo steak as well...

Does anyone have a trick for getting quick, low-fat protein into their diet?

Why is it so important that it be low fat? Not all fat is bad - in fact, most of it is pretty good for you (in reasonable quatities). A 5-minute dinner that I make when mama isn't cooking goes like this:

1) Chuck a bag of frozen veggies in the microwave. My personal favorite are the Birdseye Steamfresh as you don't even have to take them out of the bag to steam them.

2) Chop up some spinach (or not, I just like it chopped up into bite-sized pieces) and put it in a bowl.

3) Pop the veggies out of the bag and onto the spinach.

4) Add veggie shreds (soy product that does a fair job of imitating cheese).

5) Top with either salsa or vinegar and olive oil.

For even more protien, you could throw some chopped nuts on there, but I usually have a handful of nuts as a snack some other time during the day.

Yes, more than half the calories are fat (paricularly if you go for the vinegar & oil), but you'll have to hunt around to find a dietitcian who thinks that meal will give you heart problems. Total calories is less than 500 and it's a LOT of food. Holds me until bedtime no problem.

I'm eating Beef Jerkey right now... 80 Calories and 11g of Protein 97% fat free... salty but satifying.

Probably depends on what you read and who you believe. It seems like most of the people or groups that publish data are also selling something. However, I know that I feel better when I eat more protein on a daily basis, than when I eat less. Also, if memory serves, the body will only deal with so much protein at a time. Something like 30 grams. So you have to spread the intake over the course of the day.

The formula I've seen most often (for endurance athletes) is body weight in kg x 1.5 = daily grams protein.

By the formula I'd be eating 115 gms/day which is a lot... I think my intake from meals and snacks is between 75 and 90 grams.

My favorite supplement is a scoop of chocolate soy powder in a cup of milk (24g protein). The brands of powder differ in taste, texture, and smell so you might have to try a few. I like Whole Foods soy powder. I have some before bedtime 4 or 5 times a week (replaces a bowl of ice cream).

I also like Promax Double Choc Fudge bars and Cliff Builder Chocolate bars. (hmm, you think I like chocolate?) Again, you may have to try a few to find what you like.

A banana, a yogurt smoothie or a cup of yogurt, and a Promax or a Builder bar make a great lunch if you need something quick.

Tuna tuna tuna. I hear you should eat this in moderation due to traces of mercury in the fish.

wild-caught pacific salmon wild-caught pacific salmon wild-caught pacific salmon.

Yum - mercury. Slides down so easily.

Another snack I like is Turkey pepperoni. Close to 100% protein and tasty.

The cheap canned tuna has is supposed to have less mercury than the more expensive stuff. The pricier cans is sometimes labled "Albacore". The pricier tuna are more mature and therefore have accumulated more mercury in their flesh.

Since Kona was talking about coming home after long workout days... Dr. Mark Tarnopolsky, sports nutrition expert and former orienteer, says that the optimum post-workout snack includes at least 70 g of carbs and 10 g of protein. You should aim for 1-4 g of carbs per kg of body weight and minimum of 10 g of protein. He suggests chocolate milk, “God’s gift to all of us”, as part of the snack.

One quick snack is a cup full of peanuts. Not ones with seasoning, but straight up peanuts. Usually gets around 7-8g of protein per serving.

I also read somewhere recently that salmon is a good post-workout food because it has a natural anti-inflammatory effect.

You guys are great -- I really appreciate all the input. Many great ideas tried in the field.

I especially like the chocolate milk idea!

I "like" it, too. Just don't like the effects. What works for an elite athlete in their 20's may not be the best formula for those of us over 30. True, if the workout is long enough, there's no downside to jamming some sugar back into your system (in moderation), but if you want that long workout to help reduce your weight, you'd better be sure your post-workout meal is less calories than the workout. Adding a few hundred empty calories might not be the best way to ensure that.