So each of our needs are a little different. For Sheena and Nina, they are supposed to be consuming about 110-120g of protein a day, to promote muscle growth and strength building. For Dipti, she is meant to consume about 75-90g (that is her realistic goal) for her growing baby. So here is how we are each doing it:
Sheena:
As of late, Sheena has a pretty consistent routine for her protein consumption. Granted it is probably not enough, she consumes as much as she can between what she can bare the taste of. She has tried a LOT of protein shakes and they don’t all sit well with her, but she narrowed it down to two that she can take with a lot of extra punches. Post workout she consumes a protein shake, usually Isopure Chocolate protein or Shakeology – Chocolate mixed with almonds, cashews, walnuts, frozen fruits, and some water/coconut water and or almond milk. She loves her blender bottle to keep the consistency delicious! In one serving – she is getting about 30g of protein. She relies on protein bars – 20g; greek yogurt – 22g; salads with Wegmans Vegetarian Chicken Strips – 23g; organic tofu meals – 9g and Indian lentils and beans with brown rice for the rest. She is not as strict about getting the exact amount anymore, as she is pretty consistent in her workouts and consumption that she stopped calculating her protein intake every day.
Nina:
Nina, on the other hand, feels like she just got over consuming protein for pregnancy and is now consuming protein for herself! Her trainer has recommended that she aim for 112g of protein at this time. BOY has that proven difficult for her. As she mentioned in her workout post she started a protein powder – something she has never done before. But the one she had samples of from that post she could not tolerate – it was gross! BUT, she found a new, plant based protein that she LOVES – Vega – French Vanilla! All she does is mix it with a 12 oz of milk and bam there is 34g of protein right there! For the rest of her protein, she has her morning sandwich (1 whole egg, 2 egg whites, slice of cheese and 1 bread thin) – 27g; Chobani Vanilla Greek Yogurt (1 cup a day) – 22g; 1/2 cup cottage cheese – 13g; Wegmans Vegetarian Chicken Strips in fajitas with sauteed green peppers and onions – 23g; and then Indian lentils and beans/ tofu for dinner with quinoa – around 20g. So all in all, she has a pretty random assortment of where the protein is coming from.
Dipti:
For Dipti, this time around she has been slacking on counting how much protein she is consuming. With Diav, she calculated every meal. This time she barely has time to shower, so protein counting is way more lax. She is trying to stick to her routine of what she ate with her first pregnancy, hoping that it is equaling her recommended amount. So what does she rely on? Her daily must haves are: 2 eggs in the morning with toast and tea – 15g; two glasses of milk – 16g; string cheese 8g; Veggie Burger (& fries of course) – 9+g; Wegmans Vegetarian Chicken Strips in a wrap with hummus- 25g; Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches – 15g, a bowl of Alpen muesli cereal with milk – 21g; and then Indian lentils and beans / a Mexican meal (burrito with black beans, enchiladas with kidney beans, quesadillas, etc) – 15+g. She struggles sometimes as her cravings change on the daily, but overall she tries to hit her goals of eating these things everyday!
Coming up with protein shake ideas is always a challenge, since none of us like the actual taste of the powder. We have a tried a bunch of the ones on these charts and are huge fans, so we just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to share them (source is below).
The protein research is endless for us, so any tips, info or suggestions we get from anyone is always helpful. We are sharing some awesome charts and tips we have gotten from our trainers, coaches and friends to try and keep the protein intake enough for us. We would love to see any that have helped you as well. Please do share with us at info@runwaysandrattles.com.
