Eating a high protein diet is expensive!

Zippidy

I'm on a high protein diet which I would like to make a permanent feature of my life. I'm eating a lot more meat than I used to, which suits me because I love meat anyway.

But it's very expensive. Just bought 15 chicken breast fillets, 1.2kg sirloin steak and 8 cans of tuna, and it's set me back about €40, and I'll only get 5 days out of it.

Any advice about what to buy and where to shop for cheaper, tasty, high protein foods?

Catari Jaguar

You could start by not eating 3 breasts of chicken a day! That's a tad excessive. Eat eggs - they're cheap and a perfect protein. Make most of each meal be vegetables. Cheap meat in Lidl I believe.

Zippidy

I don't like eggs though and according to fitday they aren't as high in protein as chicken. Vegetables don't seem to have much protein either.

maxxie

supplement

Zippidy

maxxie wrote: »

supplement

I'm keen to consider this option. Two or three questions though:

1) Can someone recommend a brand of protein powder for a shake?
2) Can I treat a protein shake as one normal meal, or, like multivitamins, are they just a supplement?
3) Where would be a good place to buy some protein powders for a shake?

Sorry if the answers to these questions are really obvious, I am really new to all this. Up to October my diet consisted of chips, goodfellas pizza and a whole lotta junk. Just trying to get my nutrition in order.

dominiquecruz

What about filling yourself with more nuts/seeds etc? Would you be averse to getting some of your protein from complex carbs such as pulses, beans/chickpeas/lentils etc? Eggs, as aforementioned, are a great protein source - do you dislike them in all of their cooked forms?

Also, are you making sure your high-protein diet is nutrient dense? Its all well and good to be eating lots of lean meat/fish etc, but just make sure you're packing in the veg too.

Zippidy

dominiquecruz wrote: »

What about filling yourself with more nuts/seeds etc? Would you be averse to getting some of your protein from complex carbs such as pulses, beans/chickpeas/lentils etc? Eggs, as aforementioned, are a great protein source - do you dislike them in all of their cooked forms?

Also, are you making sure your high-protein diet is nutrient dense? Its all well and good to be eating lots of lean meat/fish etc, but just make sure you're packing in the veg too.

Well, I ate this today



and I had orange juice and will have two apples later. I also take centrum. I dislike eggs unless they are part of the ingredients of a cake unfortunately. I do have beans and lentils occasionally, but again, is the grammage not very small compared to the carbs? Plus meat is tastier. But I am interested in protein shakes if someone would be kind enough to answer my questions above when they get a chance.

dominiquecruz

Yeah I think a supplement/shake would be your best option on a cheaper budget. Dont use them myself, so cant advise sorry.

Jarren

Zippidy wrote: »

I'm keen to consider this option. Two or three questions though:

1) Can someone recommend a brand of protein powder for a shake?
2) Can I treat a protein shake as one normal meal, or, like multivitamins, are they just a supplement?
3) Where would be a good place to buy some protein powders for a shake?

Sorry if the answers to these questions are really obvious, I am really new to all this. Up to October my diet consisted of chips, goodfellas pizza and a whole lotta junk. Just trying to get my nutrition in order.

1 - This would be my choice

http://www.myprotein.com/ie/products/impact-whey-protein

you can add flavour to the unflavoured protein if you wish

http://www.myprotein.com/ie/cats/categories/flavouringsystems/flavouring_systems

2- read stickies

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=56408275&postcount=1

3- http://www.bulkpowders.co.uk/section.php/18/1/protein is good

alternative to MP


what is your goal OP?

losing weight,maintaining or gaining?

Zippidy

jarecki1976 wrote: »

what is your goal OP?

losing weight,maintaining or gaining?

Many thanks for the links. I didn't see the post about protein supplements before.

My goal is to lose excess bodyfat (about 7 or 8kg) and get to approximately 69kg, but also to build my muscles and get some definition. I don't want to be a bodybuilder or anything, but I would like a good phisique. My main aim at the moment is to lose fat. To do that I am running a calorie deficit, doing cardio, and doing weights everyday (shoulder press, ab machine, leg press, arm curl, chest press). Emphasis is cardio though. My diet is pretty good and has lots of protein (average about 180g of protein a day) from meat.

So I'm interested in protein supplements as I simply can't afford to keep buying so much meat and I'd like to maintain my protein intake.

rocky

Zippidy wrote: »

Many thanks for the links. I didn't see the post about protein supplements before.

My goal is to lose excess bodyfat (about 7 or 8kg) and get to approximately 69kg, but also to build my muscles and get some definition. I don't want to be a bodybuilder or anything, but I would like a good phisique. My main aim at the moment is to lose fat. To do that I am running a calorie deficit, doing cardio, and doing weights everyday (shoulder press, ab machine, leg press, arm curl, chest press). Emphasis is cardio though. My diet is pretty good and has lots of protein (average about 180g of protein a day) from meat.

To each his own, but you'd get no lesser results if you focused on weights for a while. Cardio is only for increasing the caloric deficit, which is fine, but is easily obtained through diet. Sure, if you enjoy it, nothing wrong with it, I just think you'd get more benefit out of focusing on weights primarily. If you're still a newb in gym terms, you may even see increased muscle retention or even slight muscle gain if you do the weights properly.

So I'm interested in protein supplements as I simply can't afford to keep buying so much meat and I'd like to maintain my protein intake.

The whey impact protein on the myprotein site is pretty good value (I haven't ordered since they created the Irish specific site and I heard they got a bit more expensive, still good value from what I gather. I'm going to get a big order in the new year, including creatine and other bits and pieces.

For choc flavored protein, I normally go for the Hazelnut choc, it's got a pretty awesome taste in my view, plus the normal Milk choc protein that I can use for a base ingredient in protein smoothies, especially with frozen berries - they are great!

As a third option I also have some unflavored protein that I can add to anything else that does not need a flavor on its own, for example home made protein bars, chocolate fudge (recipe in a different thread), oat pancakes and so on.

Zippidy

Thank you rocky, I was wondering when you would show up! Thing is, cardio has more benefits than just weight loss, and I started this healthy lifestyle when I was a total slob. I was so unfit. Cardio makes me feel good. Plus, I get some tips from www.scoobysworkshop.com and he has a great article on cardio here.

I am doing the weights now too, and am noticing strength gains. Still quite a bit of fat to lose though - about 7kg. But with the high protein diet plus cardio plus weights, I am losing about .5kg per week. Your nutritional advice has been excellent rocky, and what's more, it is enjoyable!

It's funny, I can actually feel where I am losing the fat from one end of the week to the next. Just this week, I seem to have lost it from my sternum area, below my chest right where my abs begin. Before it was flabby, now it's getting very hard and tight. I think the moobs and belly will be the last to go, but I am well on the way.

Thanks for protein whey advice too btw

Magic Eight Ball

Cottage cheese anyone?

PeakOutput

Zippidy wrote: »

But it's very expensive. Just bought 15 chicken breast fillets, 1.2kg sirloin steak and 8 cans of tuna, and it's set me back about €40

first of all 5 days meals for 40 quid isnt bad but for what your buying it still sounds expensive, were are you getting your meat?unless its from a butchers your getting ripped off

i can get 30 chicken fillets for 30euro and i can get 7/8 days worth of meat(varied meat, duck breast, mince, pork, bacon) for 40euro in my local butcher.

your diet sounds very very limited though.