getting enough protein

laoch na mona

As a result of limited funds I'm struggle to get enough protein in my diet, as I can't really afford meat. I eat plenty of fruit and veg and all things considered my diet is pretty good. If anyone could recommend cheap proteins it would really help

Stench Blossoms

Chicken breasts? Some butchers have great deals at the moment.

Or are you interested in whey etc?

conzy

2l of milk has ~70g of protein for €1.40

Tinned tuna has 30g of protein for less than a euro and is filling

Buying whey in bulk is definitely the most cost effective though where you will get 25g of protein for about €0.40

The Ayatolla

the main issue I have with it is eating it without carbs. I find it hard to eat chicken breast without two slices of bread or potatoes or such.

thegreatiam

eggs, beans of all kinds, chick peas, lentils, dairy, nuts (maybe pricey) tinned tuna, quinoa, cheaper meat.


There are plenty of cheap cuts of meat to buy. always deals on chicken breast, but look for thighs or better yet whole chicken as pound for pound it ill be cheaper than breast meat.

Look for shoulder and shin cuts of lamb, beef and pork as this tends to be cheaper then tender cuts.

oxtail and cheek are usually dirt cheap unless you go to a hipster butcher as cuts like this are seeing a surge in popularity.

As luck would have it it is because they tend to be the most flavourful and tasty cuts, they are just a bit tougher and need more cooking. Buy a slow cooker and it will solve that problem.


There's always deals on Fish in Tesco, or better yet the fishmonger. same with meat, don't buy popular and fashionable cuts, just ask the seller (butcher or fishmonger) what is cheap that week and they will do you a price, buy a lot of it and they will do you a deal.

As with everything when you buy meat and fish you are paying for convenience and perceived value. easier to cook cuts are more expensive cos everyone wants them, buy cuts no-one wants and they will be cheaper.

buy in bulk,buy when its cheap, learn to cook it and freeze it

Also whey protein is the cheapest source of protein, but you really shouldn't replace all the protein in your diet with a whey shake

laoch na mona

meat is of the menu i cant find it at a good enough price (i'm that broke) I get my protein from beans and milk mostly,

thegreatiam

laoch na mona wrote: »

meat is of the menu i cant find it at a good enough price (i'm that broke) I get my protein from beans and milk mostly,

I would suggest that your whole budget needs checking then, rather than a cheap protein source.

beans and milk are fine, but you need large quantities of beans to get the same amount of protein as meat.

how much protein do you need? what are your goals?

Alf Veedersane

laoch na mona wrote: »

As a result of limited funds I'm struggle to get enough protein in my diet, as I can't really afford meat. I eat plenty of fruit and veg and all things considered my diet is pretty good. If anyone could recommend cheap proteins it would really help

Go to a Tesco or Dunnes. They'll have sections for stuff that is reduced to clear, i.e. the sell-by date is up in a day or two. Get some meat on the cheap that way.

Also, what thegreatiam said...your food budget probably needs looking at.

Alf Veedersane

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

Go to a Tesco or Dunnes. They'll have sections for stuff that is reduced to clear, i.e. the sell-by date is up in a day or two. Get some meat on the cheap that way.
.

and freeze it

Essien

I don't know what your goals are but if milk and beans are your main source of protein then you're more than likely not getting enough and it certainly doesn't make up a high enough proportion of your diet.

For every 1g of protein in milk you'll also get ~1.5g of sugar/carbs and just over 1g of fat. In beans you'll get ~3g of carbs per 1g of protein.

Now milk and beans are grand, I eat both myself, but you need more foods that are protein dense. You shouldn't completely rule out meat, maybe look to buy it in larger quantities, I'm sure a local butcher could put something together for you. For example, a place near me does 10 fillets, 500g mince, 5 pork chops, lb of bacon, 20 eggs plus a few other little bits for €20.

Meat is expensive alright, you just need to be smart about it.

JimsAlterEgo

cottage cheese
natural yogurt
greek yogurt (pricier)
(fat frees best)

runawaybishop

The Ayatolla wrote: »

the main issue I have with it is eating it without carbs. I find it hard to eat chicken breast without two slices of bread or potatoes or such.

Don't eat it without carbs so?

The Ayatolla

runawaybishop wrote: »

Don't eat it without carbs so?

Its hard!

Dry chicken! Haha

Alf Veedersane

The Ayatolla wrote: »

Its hard!

Dry chicken! Haha

I know!

You need that incredibly moist slice of bread either side.


Or just cook the chicken so it's not dry.

Paddywiggum

Tesco cottage cheese 85c for 30g. make it your last meal at night.

The Ayatolla

Paddywiggum wrote: »

Tesco cottage cheese 85c for 30g. make it your last meal at night.

Any good ways to flavour it up and make it edible?

thegreatiam

The Ayatolla wrote: »

Any good ways to flavour it up and make it edible?

put something tasty you like the flavour of into it and stir.

Paddywiggum

The Ayatolla wrote: »

Any good ways to flavour it up and make it edible?

im afraid not, ive trained myself to eat it plain, wasn't easy

The Ayatolla

The Ayatolla wrote: »

Any good ways to flavour it up and make it edible?

Sugar free jelly
stick it all into blender with hot and cold water, let it set

draiochtanois

This post has been deleted.

runawaybishop

draiochtanois wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

Not really cheap. You'd have to eat so much you'd be dumping a huge amount of calories into you.

Alf Veedersane

runawaybishop wrote: »

Not really cheap. You'd have to eat so much you'd be dumping a huge amount of calories into you.

That many lentils and you'd be doing all kinds of dumping.

Maybe_Memories

Sardines. You can get a tin for less than 60c and each one has 22g of protein.

JimsAlterEgo

bluewolf wrote: »

Sugar free jelly
stick it all into blender with hot and cold water, let it set

must try this, cant imagine what iw would taste like - a mousse texture I would guess

JimsAlterEgo

JimsAlterEgo wrote: »

must try this, cant imagine what iw would taste like - a mousse texture I would guess

Cheesecake!

JimsAlterEgo

bluewolf wrote: »

Cheesecake!

yum, plain or flavoured cottage cheese best?

I use plain since the flavour comes from the jelly anyhow