What is the most cost effective way to increase protein in diet?

[borrofburi]

Lately I've been exercising more and harder than I have in the past. This means my muscles need more protein (since it's the building block for muscle mass). Unfortunately I am not terribly wealthy, and therefore can not afford purchasing large amounts of lean meat. So I was curious as to whether or not anyone happened to have any insight into cost effective methods in which to increase protein intake, especially complete proteins or any proteins not naturally synthesized in the human body.

[S.A.M.]

To find out how much protein you need [in gms] multiply your weight in lbs with one of the following:


o Sedentary adult 0.4
o Active adult 0.4-0.6
o Growing athlete 0.6-0.9
o Adult building muscle mass 0.6-0.9

You'll discover you don't need as much protein as you think you do

Meats contain about 7 gms an ounce. Lentils and beans about 14 gms a cup, cooked

Bread, cereal about 4 gms per 50 gms. Eggs, about 7 gms each. Milk 8 gms a cup [8 ounces]

[kmguru]

Best way to add protein without eating a lot of food is to buy protein powder. That is what my kids did when they were in weight lifting team in college.

[Enmos]

Eat insects :D

[Doreen]

Enmos' answer is rather good, though I would do some research on which insects to eat. You might get neurotoxins with your protein.

My more conservative, less creative answer, would be

BEANS!

Soy and Mung have pretty high protein levels and they can be bought pretty cheap.

[francois]

Soy is a good source of protein but it's also been implicated with increasing one's estrogen levels, which can have unsatisfactory effects for someone who wants to be strong, powerful and not to mention, strong.

One cheap method I used to ingest more protein for the purposes of building mass is making protein shakes. I'd take a 1.5 cups of milk (around 15g), a cup of oats (26g), scoop of whey (25g) and tablespoon of peanut butter (7g) a teaspoon of creatine (none), and whatever else I could think to throw in there.

They're cheap, have a ton of Calories and protein and you can slide them down the hatch quickly. Also, monounsaturated fats, like those found in peanut butter help the body create testosterone, which is good for building muscle.

[Idle Mind]

You might get neurotoxins with your protein.
A lot of neurotoxins are proteins! ;)

[Doreen]

A lot of neurotoxins are proteins! ;)

Well, then following the thread question to the letter, insects are probably very cost effective. And touche.

[Orleander]

peanutbutter sandwich??? Seems cost effective to me.

[francois]

not much protein, cheap though, and how many can you really eat?

[thinking]

not much protein, cheap though, and how many can you really eat?

but many amino acids

does peanut butter have

[thinking]

Lately I've been exercising more and harder than I have in the past. This means my muscles need more protein (since it's the building block for muscle mass). Unfortunately I am not terribly wealthy, and therefore can not afford purchasing large amounts of lean meat. So I was curious as to whether or not anyone happened to have any insight into cost effective methods in which to increase protein intake, especially complete proteins or any proteins not naturally synthesized in the human body.

actually its surprising how little protein intake it takes to get results

when I was working out I was consuming about a third of the protein that others were

but I was after strength rather than size of the muscle

[baftan]

If we could answer the OP, that would help solving the malnutrition problem around the world.

[Absane]

If we could answer the OP, that would help solving the malnutrition problem around the world.

Eh?

Anyway, whey protein. Usually no more than $1 for 30 grams when you buy enough in bulk.

[baftan]

Eh?

Anyway, whey protein. Usually no more than $1 for 30 grams when you buy enough in bulk.

Tell this to people who can not make £1 a day...

[Absane]

Tell this to people who can not make £1 a day...

Just because someone can't afford it doesn't mean it isn't the most cost effective source.

[S.A.M.]

If we're talking additives then SMP [skim milk powder] or protein powder [as kmguru said] is easiest

[wynn]

But it also has to be the right combination of proteins in the right proportions.

How is this to be ensured?

[Idle Mind]

But it also has to be the right combination of proteins in the right proportions.

How is this to be ensured?
Why does it have to be the right combination of proteins?

[Slysoon]

In the process of converting milk into cheese (called "curdling"), there is a liquid byproduct called whey. From this whey, proteins are extracted and become what is known as whey protein, which is popularly used as a protein supplement amongst body builders and athletes. Whey protein is, by far, the most cost effective way to increase protein in the diet. However, there exist a few issues you should take note of:

Because whey protein is isolated from whey, it contains lactose - the natural sugar found in dairy products. As such, you may wish to avoid whey protein if you are lactose intolerant, as your body will be unable to metabolize the lactose and will show signs of allergies. A close friend of mine has been using whey protein daily for two months, and because of his ancestrally inherited lactose intolerance (half Native American), he has shown strong signs of allergies the entire time.

Although there are no studies as of yet, prolonged use of whey protein may weaken kidney and liver functioning, especially in people whose kidneys and liver were not originally at optimum performance.



You may have an odd reaction or two to whey protein after you begin taking it. Many teenagers complain of acne whilst taking whey protein, for example.

[wynn]

Why does it have to be the right combination of proteins?

As far as I know, the cells in the body won't renew/grow unless all eight essential amino acids (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Essential_amino_acids) are available.

There is a dispute on whether a vegetarian diet can provide all those amino acids or not.

[S.A.M.]

Why does it have to be the right combination of proteins?

Its called amino acid imbalance. If all the required amino acids are not present at the same time in the desired proportion, they will be discarded since the body has no mechanism to store proteins in process

http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/reprint/6/5/487.pdf

Some amino acids, e.g. tryptophan are the limiting amino acids for protein synthesis in organs like the liver and giving tryptophan alone can stimulate protein synthesis through possible effects on informosomal mRNA

http://img115.imageshack.us/img115/7034/tryptophanbiochemicalan.png

Source (http://books.google.co.in/books?id=qEJ0SXKTZC4C&pg=PA33&lpg=PA33&dq=amino+acid+imbalance+tryptophan&source=bl&ots=kESNZuPRKi&sig=msEQjslV-8vIee0azNzKfpMjrZg&hl=en&ei=4yaWSrjeDpD26gPG0cS3CQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2#v=onepage&q=&f=false)

[wynn]

Its called amino acid imbalance. If all the required amino acids are not present at the same time in the desired proportion, they will be discarded since the body has no mechanism to store proteins in process

These things seem very complex to me ...

I just wish there would be a simple and right way to eat without damaging the body unnecessarily!

[thinking]

These things seem very complex to me ...

I just wish there would be a simple and right way to eat without damaging the body unnecessarily!

canned or packaged salmon ( wild ) and tuna ( at the most once a week ) and Natural peanut butter ( has many amino acids necessary for muscle growth )

and you don't need much of any of the above ( genetics plays a part though ) just see what the results are through experience

[quadraphonics]

So I was curious as to whether or not anyone happened to have any insight into cost effective methods in which to increase protein intake, especially complete proteins or any proteins not naturally synthesized in the human body.

Road kill.

[K Ryan]

I did this research myself. Going throughout the whole grocery store comparing different products prices and protein content. I found in the end whey protein was the all around best choice. Beans are particularly difficult to digest and are not a complete protein. And DO NOT use peanut butter or other nuts to meet your protein requirements. Nuts are good for you but not in the amounts you would have to eat to keep your protein up by them. I wouldn't use peanut butter at all. It contains anti-nutrients like protease inhibitors which block the action of enzymes needed to digest protein. The phytic acid in them will block to uptake of zinc. Eat a lot of peanut butter and you will soon feel out of your head, high, lightheaded, unable to fully concentrate from the lack of zinc in the brain. Stick to whey. It's cost effective, complete, and proven to work.

It is true that you probably do not need as much protein as you think. Much of the information in bodybuilding comes from the professional realm where massive guys on steroids need insane amounts of protein and calories as well as highly specialized workout routines to get even bigger. This information has little use for the average joe wanting to put on muscle, or even bodybuilders who are not at that high stage. You should read this article

bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/protein-requirements-for-strength-and-power-athletes.html

and this one

bodyrecomposition.com/muscle-gain/meal-frequency-and-mass-gains.html

[Syzygys]

eggs is the cheapest I bet....

http://www.weightlossforall.com/protein-egg.htm

"The protein in eggs has a biological quality greater than any other natural food. In fact many manufacturers of protein powders often base their products on egg protein such as albumin because of its protein quality. Egg protein contains all the essential amino acids in the exact proportions required by the body for optimum growth and maintenance of lean, metabolically active tissue."

[Syzygys]

Man, this thread died a quick death. Anyway, here is the protein quotes of different foods, one needs to do a little math as of how much of it can you eat and what the cost is.

http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/whattoeat/a/highproteinfood.htm

For a quick comparison, a 4 oz hamburger has 28 g protein, that equals 5 eggs' protein. The eggs are obviously cheaper (50-60cents) but it is easier to eat 2 hamburgers than 10 eggs. 7 tablespoons of peanutbutter has also the same protein quote.

[superstring01]

eggs is the cheapest I bet....

http://www.weightlossforall.com/protein-egg.htm

"The protein in eggs has a biological quality greater than any other natural food. In fact many manufacturers of protein powders often base their products on egg protein such as albumin because of its protein quality. Egg protein contains all the essential amino acids in the exact proportions required by the body for optimum growth and maintenance of lean, metabolically active tissue."

Thanks Syz.

Guess it's a good thing that I have an omelet of: 1 whole egg added to [the equivalent of] 3-4 egg whites (I just buy the whites in a container) every morning with goat cheese on it.

I always knew it was good, and mostly good for me, but this info supports that thought now.

~String

[draqon]

I cook lentils, they got low calories and provide lots of protein. yummy.

[draqon]

eggs have lots of fat and cholesterol...so yeah the protein is there along with negatives.

[Lori_7]

you can buy dried beans and brown rice for dirt cheap and combined they are a complete protein. lentils are also cheap. and all are low fat and yummy.

[Ganymede]

In weight lifting we follow a simple rule. 1 gram of protein per one pound of body weight(daily). The the most cost effective way to accomplish this is buying skinless chicken breast, protein supplement shakes, egg whites, and canned tuna. Last but not least, nothing builds muscle faster then red meat, however red meat is a lot more expensive.

[Fraggle Rocker]

Egg protein contains all the essential amino acids in the exact proportions required by the body for optimum growth and maintenance of lean, metabolically active tissue.The protein in any animal tissue comes so close to that ideal that it isn't worth fussing over. I mean after all, meat is what you're trying to build, and by definition meat has all the same protein proportions you're looking for. The same is true of milk. The differences between species are too minor to care about.

Furthermore, your body has the ability to take a molecule of an amino acid apart and rebuild it into a molecule of a different amino acid, if what you gave it isn't in the right proportion. So you don't even need for the protein you ingest to be perfectly balanced.

But wait, there are indeed something like twelve amino acids that your body can't synthesize, and which you therefore have to be careful to eat enough of. But the reason your body was never programmed to synthesize them is that it needs them in such small quantities that any carnivorous diet (or even ovo-lacto-veggie) is guaranteed to provide you an overdose of every one of them. Nutritionists call these essential amino acids because you can't survive without ingesting them. But they're more properly called minor amino acids because you need them in such small amounts that they're pretty easy to get without even trying.

The problem is when you try to get by on a pure vegetarian diet with no animal tissue. Grains are completely devoid of about half of those minor amino acids. But fortunately nuts and seeds have plenty of them and are devoid of the other half. So if you balance a vegetarian diet with good proportions of both grain protein and the protein in nuts or seeds, you'll be fine.

So don't feel compelled to eat eggs in order to get "perfect" protein. You'll do just fine with hamburgers, hot dogs, Spam, squab, catfish, shrimp, snails, or baked Brie. And if you're careful and love to analyze your diet, you'll do just as well with a meticulous balance of rice and walnuts.

[quadraphonics]

Whey protein has got to be the cheapest option for mass protein intake for body-building. But I don't trust the stuff, and it seems pretty hard on the old digestive tract after a few days of regular consumption. Doesn't taste great, either.

Failing that, I'd say eggs. If you don't want the fat and cholesterol, then separate out the whites and don't eat the yolks.

Cans of tuns are another very common feature of weight lifter diets, since they're decently cheap, have lots of protein and little fat, and actually taste pretty good (if you don't over-do them).

Good old milk works pretty well too, if you aren't lactose intolerant.

[Skeptical]

Out of 34 responses to this question, the only one so far that is close to reality is the first response by SAM.

If you are exercising hard, your protein intake hardly has to increase at all. What you are increasing is the burning of calories. You are burning energy, and you need to increase your intake of energy foods, much more than protein. Since energy foods are a hell of a lot cheaper than protein foods, the dollar cost will not rise as much as you think.

There is a lot of bullsh!t published on this topic, for the simple reason that selling special high protein foods is a good way for people to make $$$$.

Eat what you need to deal with your increased appetite. If you are already eating a decent amount of healthy protein, you will not really need to change that aspect of your diet.

[Pinwheel]

But this thread wasnt about how to lose weight. He/she just wanted a cheaper alternative to lean meat as a source of protein.

[Skeptical]

Neither was my last post about losing weight. However, the OP question was based on a misconception, which I was correcting. When you exercise a lot, what you need to increase is intake of calories rather than protein. Of course, if your protein consumption is already too low, that is different. Assuming a good protein intake at the beginning, there is little or no need to increase it due to exercise.

[SnowsportsSid]

I think you're right that the Protein supplement manufacturers exaggerate the necessity of their products for athletes, to increase their sales. I think there's a place for protein shakes and such like though.

I do a bit of weight lifting and also running and in my experience, taking a protein shake before or after a work-out will reduce my recovery times. In my opinion, when looking at sports science nutrition, not only the quality of food you eat is important, but also the timing. The thing with whey protein powders that are mixed with water is that they are very easily digested and as such if they are consumed straight before or after a work-out, the protein can be carried to muscles through the pumped blood vessels more or less straight away. I concur that it's also important to take on some complex carbohydrate after a work-out to replenish the depleted energy stores in your muscles.

Natural sources of protein I eat: chicken breast, tuna, salmon, eggs, beans, the occasional steak, brown bread, brown pasta.

[Giambattista]

Don't forget nutritional yeast. A few teaspoons of it has 10-15 grams of protein.

[EmptyForceOfChi]

In weight lifting we follow a simple rule. 1 gram of protein per one pound of body weight(daily). The the most cost effective way to accomplish this is buying skinless chicken breast, protein supplement shakes, egg whites, and canned tuna. Last but not least, nothing builds muscle faster then red meat, however red meat is a lot more expensive.


peace,