High protein meal

[Foolhardy]

Hi, does anyone have any tips for easy wasy to prioritise getting sufficient protien?
I am currently not actually training but am taking tirzepatide (Mounjaro) and I've read its important to get enough protien in your diet to avoid muscle loss. I am not massively well trained/big at all - but did make small newbie gains in the last year, but stopped training n November and then gained some weight.
My Plan is to lose weight on the tirz and then get back in the gym lifting. I'm 172 lb (78kg), 170cm.
I'm told I should get 0.7g protien per lb so that's about 120g per day. Have a lot of fatigue on the tirz currently.

I'm trying to think of every meal from a 'protien first' perspective but also do it cheaply, and also have more than just chicken. Also I need quick ideas.

Does anyone eat lentils? How do you make them taste nice?
Also any ideas of what do do with mince? I really dont like spag bol etc., is there anything quick/easy way as its relatively cheap protien?
Any tips/easy things?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Sparta12]

I am not great with diet part, but I would say you should definitely still being doing SOME weight training.

But if I am wanting a quick meal, I get 2 cans of tuna in olive oil, 1 steambag of veggies and a cup of rice, that ends up being like 36+ grams of protein (make sure you look at the tunas, some have more protein than others depends on brand and oil/sauce)

 

[Smont]

Cook your food so you can control what you put in your mouth. Restruants use lots of fat to cook and boxed foods are often low protein low quality crap. When you eat, make the majority of your plate a protein, choose lean cuts of chicken, beef and fish. If you don't like those options you can look into things like egg whites, eggs, cottage cheese, Greek yogurt or whole protein vegan sources (last resort). Just make sure your protein sources are mostly protein. For example, a chicken breast or low fat cottage cheese is mostly protein and its high quality. Peanut butter has a little protein with a little carbs and a bunch of fat, so that's not really a great protein source. I guess you can make a argument for pb2 but 30-40+gms of protein is a LOT of peanut butter lol.

So make your plate half protein, 1/4 vegetables and the remaining 1/4 can be more vegetables or a fruit, small amount of rice or whatever to fit your diet needs. At the stage your at I'd imagine that 125-150gm of protein is more then enough, but eating more calories from protein will serve you better then eating more fat or carbs when it comes to weight loss and improving body composition.

In a pinch, rotisserie chickens, canned tuna or canned chicken, a protein shake, Greek yogurt ect. Are all fast easy protein

 

[Smont]

1.5 scoops of whey, 12oz fairlife skim milk and a banana is a little over 50gm of protein and about 500 calories

8oz of most lean meats is about 50gm of protein, throw that on a salad with a low cal dressing or put it in a low cal wrap.

That same 8oz portion of meat with dinner and your over 150gm of protein and well under 2000 calories.

Then you can start creating a bigger deficit through exercise as the need progresses

 

[Smont]

Also, get off the drug, you don't need it. Just start eating like that and exercise little by little till you work up to a moderately intense maintainable schedule

 

[Resolve10]

I’d still try to train. Training will have a strong effect on muscle retention as you lose weight and make that more effective even as you work to get protein intake higher.

“Cheap” options will depend on where you are located, but honestly it may take a bit of trial and error to find what you like and what you find “easy”.

Things like adding protein shakes (based on your preferences of type), Greek yogurts, and various beans/legumes can be easy options to add to meals initially for a boost to existing options you may have.

Aiming to center meals around certain choices may be necessary depending on how many or how big your meals are. Poultry, fish, lean beefs, etc. depending on preferences, budget, and whatever prices near you may be.

If you want convenient and don’t care about taste as much (although I tend not to think they are too bad) canned chicken and tuna can be easy. If you want a little more work, but still pretty easy finding crockpot or slow cooker recipes can make a decent amount that taste quite good for minimal work.

 

[Mx1x1]

Rice with lentils comhined to have a complete protein. Both are cheap and can be seasoned with pretty much anything. I like to use paprika and black pepper spice for this combo

Eggs can be added to many meals. May not be as cheap if you want good quality and depending on where you live but they're worth it

I used to make my own quark recipe which may sound disgusting to some but it actually tastes good, has many calories and a huge amount of protein:
• 500g-1kg / 1.1-2.2lb low-fat-quark (magerquark)
• 5 big bananas smashed and mixed with the quark
• 3 raw whole eggs (may not be an option depending on where you live)
• Mix well
• Add 250g / 0.55lb oats
• Mix again
• Done
Pretty cheap for the calories and protein you get and you don't really taste the eggs. Tastes like banana-quark
-- This alone has 103g Protein if 500g quark and 153g Protein if 1kg quark