Question:
Where's the balance between eating too much and getting all your protein?

   — jen41766 (posted on September 22, 2002)

September 22, 2002
You should be able to get all of your protein in without eating too much - either by protein supplements or by making choices of protein-rich food and making protein your priority at each and every meal. <p> You can have 2 oz of ground beef and get 14g of protein; 2 oz of pork loin and get 18g of protein. 2 oz of chicken will get you 18g for white meat and about 16g for dark meat. If you like fish/seafood, 2 oz of tuna will get you 13g of protein, 2 oz of flounder will get you 14g of protein and 2 oz of shrimp will get your 12. <p> Dairy doesn't get you quite as much. 8 oz of skim milk only gets you 8g of protein. 4 oz of cottage cheese gets you 16g. 8 oz of yogurt only gets you 12g. Carnation Instant Breakfast only gets you 14g - and 8 of that is from the milk. <p> Vegetable protein is even worse - and is only 70-85% absorbed (as opposed to 97% for animal protein). 2 tbsp of peanut butter gives you only 8g protein (at the expense of 188 calories - 16g of fat). 4 oz of soybeans are 14g worth of protein. 1/2 cup of tofu...10g. 1 oz of peanuts are 165 calories (again, that fat) and only 7g of protein. Chick pears are 7g of protein for 1/2 cup. 1/2 of cup of Kidney beans are 8g of protein and 1/2 of lentils are 9g of protein. <p> I am not a low-carb advocate - you need carbs for energy - but I try to get my carbs as incidental to my protein source without having an additional carb-only food....JR (open RNY 07/17 -83 lbs)
   — John Rushton

September 22, 2002
uhmm.. I can get enough protein and still not be eating enough... at 5 calories a gram... 70 grams is only about 350 calories... I try to get more... and keep the other things in my diet to the barest minimum (carbs&fat). So.. its very easy, at least right now, from my perspective.
   — Lisa C.

September 22, 2002
Lisa "C" - protein is 4 calories a gram, so 70 g of pure protein would be 280 calories, not 350. However, even the protein drinks are not pure protein. So, from your supplements or food sources, you have to add in the calories from the fat or carbs that come along with your protein source.
   — John Rushton

September 22, 2002
I get my protein via supplements, made with water, so very low cal. 30g for about 160 cal, 0g sugar. I don't count food protein, never have. I do eat it, but I prefer veggies & such, so that's what I usually put in my pouch.
   — vitalady