My doctor told me to increase my protein intake. What I didn’t think of until after I left his office was that I don’t know what kind of protein I can eat for lunch that meets these requirements:
low fat
low sodium
does not require refrigeration
does not need cooking–no microwave
Are there any forms of readily available (at average supermarket) protein that fits those criteria? This has been stumping me. Every thing I come up with falls short in at least one area. I should add I don’t eat bugs (well, knowingly, anyway), so that’s out.
Well, the easy, obvious answer that jumps out at me is protein powders. There are myriad varieties available to suit your tastes. But I don’t know if that is what you’re looking for.
You could also find a protein bar that fits your criteria-although you’d have to do a little bit more looking; bars are typically higher in fat (and sodium) than powders. However their convenience factor is huge, as you can just put one in your pocket and have an on-the-go, high-protein meal whenever you need it.
Tuna fish? Some of the brands have little kits which include mayo and stuff. I don’t know if they have low-fat mayo. But a can of tuna fish is high in protein and low in fat.
Yes, canned fish. Tuna and salmon can be found in small cans, pouches, and now with a variety of seasonings. Shrimp and crabmeat can be found in cans too, but the shrimp will tend to have high salt content. Sardines and other fish and shellfish can be found in cans too. There’s canned chicken too. It’s usually packed in broth, now salt free. Hard boiled eggs in the shell are another choice. Oh, and don’t forget good old Jello.
Hard boiled eggs (although delicious) might not be a good answer in this case, because the yolks are chock-full of cholesterol. Dammnit.
But, nuts are another thing - almonds, for example, have fat but it’s good fat.
I could take hard-boiled eggs a couple of times a week, but do they not need refrigeration? I always thought they did. It’s about five hours from when I leave my house until lunch time. Is that too long for a hard-boiled egg to be at room temp? If not, that’s one good source of protein–just wouldn’t want to do it too often because of the cholesterol.
Canned fish contains fairly high levels of sodium. I like tuna a lot. Doesn’t anyone make low-sodium canned tuna? I did a web search and came up empty. Low-sodium canned chicken? That would be GREAT! Who makes it?
I checked into protein bars. I actually tried a couple–most of them have LOADS of fat and tasted pretty awful. Are there any low-fat (not just lower fat) brands? I’ve never tried protein powder. Is it filling? Years ago, I tried one of those diet “shakes,” and I was hungry almost immediately. I may just need solid food.
I eat nuts on my oatmeal in the morning. They’re not as high in protein as I thought, and of course, they’re high in good fat. I wish my waistline could tell the difference between “good fat” and “bad fat.”
I never refrigerate my lunch, which comes out of the fridge at about 8 and usually gets eaten between 12.30 and 4 (depending on my day). It almost always includes some form of meat, cheese or fish. Unless you’re in danger from germs more than most people, I wouldn’t worry too much.
Eggs are sounding better and better. I decided I’d take hard-boiled egg whites. Then I looked into the whole egg-cholesterol thing online, and some sources say egg yolks actually have high levels of HDL cholesterol, which would make them a good addition to my diet. The sources, however, were not highly reliable websites. Most websites like the Mayo clinic one just say eggs are high in cholesterol and should be limited to only a couple per week.
I hate to waste the yolks, especially if they’re actually good for me.
You can start another thread on cholesterol, or take this one down another path. But the simple fact is, you do not have any chicken cholesterol in your blood stream, and there is no human cholesterol in eggs.
Eat eggs for a while and then get your cholesterol checked.
I eat an enormous numbers of eggs, and I’ve had borderline high cholesterol in my past (it runs in my family - my mother who is frail, tiny, eats like a bird and despises most fat and meat, has high cholesterol). I get bloodwork done twice a year, and since changing my diet to avoid carbs and eat a lot of eggs, fat, and meat, my cholesterol has gone down. Go figure. Between Mr. Athena and I, we eat somewhere between 18 and 36 eggs a week.
I’m not saying everyone can do this, but heck, it’s worth a try. The only way you’ll know for sure if it’ll work for you is to try it and check.
I’d second canned beans, as long as you buy the low-sodium variety. (The regular sorts have an absurd amount of salt added.) Add a little olive oil, a splash of vinegar, the seasonings of your choice, and some chopped vegetables and/or herbs, and you have a lovely, protein-y lunch.
