Cheap Source of Protein – Chicken Gizzards

Posted on January 26, 2012 by admin

Chicken gizzards may be one of those things that not everyone thinks of other than pulling them out of the chicken carcass before cooking something. If you enjoy them though, take a look at these nutrient breakdowns.

Calories for 1 full pound – 426

Protein for a full pound – 80g

Carbs for a full pound – 0g

Total Fat for a full pound – 9.5g

That is pretty awesome for such a cheap food. A package of gizzards usually goes for around 1.50 here, and I have seen them even cheaper at some Hispanic and Asian stores in my area. At 1.50 a lb it drops the price per gram of protein down to .018. You really can’t beat that!

Although most people fry these. I have found a much healthier way. I like to boil my chicken gizzards for about 30 minutes to make it tender. I then put a little olive oil in a skillet with some well diced garlic and some sriracha (or other hot sauce to your liking), and let it pan fry for a few minutes longer. Delicious!

Some people are put off by the chewy texture of these pieces of meat. You can take the time to remove as much silver skin as possible before you cook it, and that helps quite a bit.

If you aren’t so adventurous, it may be a better idea to stick with boneless-skinless chicken breasts and thighs, lol.

Once again, thanks for continuing support of the protein diet plan, and I hope that all of you guys reach all of your fitness goals this coming year!

 

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Protein Needs For Muscle Gain

Posted on May 19, 2011 by admin

The protein diet plan website is, of course, all about getting in tons of protein. Well, sometimes we focus our needs on the average dieter that is looking to lose weight. Protein needs increase even more when trying to increase muscle mass.

At minimum I would recommend one gram of protein per lb of weight per day. 1.5g per lb is even better. Try taking in between 30 and 40 grams per meal and spread these meals out between 5 to 6 different meals a day.

Although I usually like to recommend getting all of your protein from whole food sources, when getting in this high amount of protein it can often be difficult to stomach it all. When you are looking to hit your protein needs for muscle gain then you can add in some high quality protein shakes.

I suggest three of them per day. One before you workout which should contain around twenty to thirty grams of protein. When is best at this time since it is a super fast digesting protein powder. Post workout it’s a good idea to try to get in forty grams of protein. Some recent studies show that some casein at this time can be a good idea. I like to take in twenty grams of whey and twenty grams of casein at this time. You can also pick up milk protein isolate which contains eighty percent casein and twenty percent whey if you want to keep things easy. An alternative is a multi whey blend like syntha-6 or similar powders. It can help you keep things easy.

No matter what you do when on a protein diet plan consistency is the key to fat loss or muscle gain. Make sure you try to hit up the gym every day that you have it scheduled. Quit making excuses and get it done. If getting an amazing body was easy then everyone would have one. Be exceptional!

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High Protein Chicken Salad Recipe

Posted on April 13, 2011 by admin

Today I’m going to share with you one of my go to recipes. It’s a killer Chicken Salad that can be had on whole wheat bread, atop a large salad of greens, or just eaten on it’s own with a fork. The below recipe is for a single serving size.

5 oz (raw weight) chicken breast. Boiled. Shredded, diced, or pulsed in food processor.
1 tbsp Kraft olive oil mayo
1 tbsp sweet pickle relish
1/4 red onion diced
1/2 rib celery diced
1 baby carrot shredded
salt and pepper to taste
sprinkle of paprika

The total thing has over 33g of protein, and weighs in under 250 total calories. It also tastes really delicious!

I tend to boil up multiple chicken breasts at least twice a week, so the above (and many more) high protein low carb recipes are easily at my disposal throughout the week. It’s a good technique to add into your weekly routine to save some time when you are on a high protein diet plan. That way you don’t try to stray and get yourself some fast food when in a time crunch!

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Digestive Enzymes

Posted on April 6, 2011 by admin

I’ve had digestive problems for a lot of my life (this has been helped to a certain degree since I went on a high protein diet plan).

Years ago I discovered digestive enzymes as a dietary supplement. I started out with a papaya based supplement, but have since moved one that is a bit more robust.

When you are ingesting a lot of protein, there is going to be some of it that does not get digested. As we all know, protein is a more expensive macronutrient as opposed to fat and carbohydrate, so it’s a good idea to add in something that will help you digest more of the protein that you eat.

Lately I’ve been using Champion Nutritions digestive enzymes. Looking at the bottle it contains the following.

Protein Enzymes

  • Protease Blend – which aids the digestion and utilization of dietary proteins.
  • Peptidase – enzyme that helps the splitting of proteins into smaller peptide fractions and amino acids.
  • Papain – which helps breaks down the protein found in meat fibers.
  • Bromelain – which also helps digest protein

Invertase
Helps to break down sugars

Alpha-Galactosidase
helps break up hard to digest carbohydrates

Amylase
Digests starches.

Lipase
Helps to digest fats in your diet.

Lactase
Breaks down lactose in milk (which some of you may have a problem with)

It’s a pretty well rounded digestive enzyme blend, and really cheap. At minimum, you should pick up some papain pills, as they are dirt cheap, and really do help you out when you are on a protein diet plan.

Taking this (or a few other brands that I have tried) as well as getting some good bacteria from my daily low fat greek yogurt, and my digestive problems have been 95% better than ever. A total bargain.

Read your protein powder bottles (if you take them) as they may already contain some digestive enzymes. Numerous ones that I have in my cabinet does, so usually if I’m just having a protein powder and fruit smoothie, I’ll skip taking my enzyme tablets. Save a little cash that way :)

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Cholesterol Worries on a Protein Diet

Posted on April 2, 2011 by admin

I’ve heard some people get worried about the amount of cholesterol that they consume while on a high protein diet plan.

For me, dropping the carbohydrates has actually lowered my overall cholesterol numbers (even my hdl (the good type) of cholesterol has gone up).

There is increasing evidence that heredity and a diet high in saturated and trans fats has more of an effect on your cholesterol level than cholesterol in your diet.

Don’t listen to me, or anyone else though, make sure you discuss this with your doctor and see what his take is on things, also keep track of your numbers over the course of time.

Weight loss is going to make you healthier across the board, and for me, a high protein diet plan has really helped me get rid of a lot of excess weight. My doctor couldn’t be happier with my progress, and so I’m sticking to things. Again, as with anything you should always seek out the advice of your family doctor, and at least let him/her know what you are doing with your body so that you can find the best course of action for your individual situation.

Also, I don’t advise going crazy eating bacon all day, high fat meats, etc, like some of the low carb fanatics do. I still try to keep my high protein meals healthy. I eat a lot of skinless chicken breast and thighs, greek yogurt, lean cuts of pork loin, and top round beef. I also eat a few eggs a day (which didn’t make my dr happy at first, lol), but I feel much better when I get the good fats from the eggs.

Always, always, do your own research and make sure that you are comfortable with any plan that you look into. Don’t just take the advice of whoever is giving it without doing your own research.

Have a good one guys! Time to check on my pot of chicken breasts boiled in chipotle in adobo sauce broth ;)

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How Many Grams of Protein Per Meal?

Posted on March 29, 2011 by admin

I’ve been asked this question quite a bit. This isn’t a easy to answer question, as there are many factors, as well, as being totally different for each persons.

The best advice is to take the amount that you are trying to get in your system per day, and split it up between 5-8 meals.

If you are a 200lb male, and you are trying to go on a protein diet plan in order to gain lean muscle, then your requirements are going to be a bit higher than a 120lb female trying to lose that last 5lbs.

Using the 200lb male example above. I would recommend taking in 1.5 grams of protein per lb of bodyweight.

That would be 300grams. Split out between 7 meals, that would be just under 43grams per meal.

There are those that claim you can only absorb 30 grams per meal, and in my opinion, this is totally false. It is using older data, and a super quick absorbing protein like whey. I wouldn’t recommend taking in 40g of when all at once (unless it’s post workout, when your body can absorb a higher number of nutrients). Take in too much, and some of your hard earned money is going to get converted to fuel, instead of rebuilding muscle.

The theoretical 30 gram limit does not apply to whole food though. The reason being is that if you eat a chicken breast, or a piece of skirt steak, or whatever, it doesn’t digest all at once. It takes a few hours in your stomach, and as it digests, you get a slow and steady stream of amino acids into your system from the broken down protein.

Hopefully this has helped you out. Here is a note tough that almost NOBODY talks about. If you are trying to lose weight, use the number of your ideal bodyweight to base your protein intake from.

For example. If you are a 300lb female who should weigh 130, you would shoot for a minimum of 130 grams of protein a day, not 300, unless you have aspirations of becoming a world class weight lifter of course, lol.

Thanks for stopping by the protein diet plan blog, and hopefully this has given a bit of insight into how I feel about daily protein needs.

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How To Beat The Chicken Breast Blues

Posted on March 13, 2011 by admin

chicken breastChicken breast, that go to protein choice for a few nights of the week. Sometimes when on a high protein diet plan you are killing some breast multiple times a week. It can quickly get boring though. Here are a few of my favorite ideas for keeping things exciting!

1. Boil instead of grilling or baking

A quick boiling of chicken breast can give you enough to last a few days in the fridge, and can keep the chicken a bit more moist than some other cooking methods. I boil up 8 or so in some water that I have put pepper, season salt, and about 3-5 chipotle peppers (in adobo sauce, I usually put in a couple tsp of the adobo from the can in the water as well). Then I keep these in the fridge and I have a quick protein source when I need a snack, so I don’t have to cook anything.

2. Season. Season. SEASON!

Try out all kinds of new seasonings from your store. Don’t just stick with the tried and true. Explore, have fun! Some of my favorites is slathering the chicken with some spicy sriracha sauce, or curry powder from the Indian store. Even some run of the mill taco seasoning can excite your palate.

3. Try it ground

Beef, and turkey, isn’t the only thing that comes ground. At some stores you can get ground chicken breast. If you can’t find it, then you can stick raw breast in your food processor and pulse it a few times to the desired consistency. Don’t just let it go though, or you will have chicken paste, and that doesn’t sound very good ;)

Make meatballs, burgers, etc. Sometimes just a different format is enough to wake up your taste buds. A high protein diet plan can be just as tasty as any other diet plan, you just have to switch things up once in a while! Experiment.

 

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Protein Powder Supplementation

Posted on March 3, 2011 by admin

Ok, I have the same opinion as most fitness folks. I believe that you should get most of your protein (and carbs, and fats, for that matter) from good whole foods.

Now, having said that, even the best of us run out of time on some days, or hit the end of the evening and find out that we haven’t hit our protein diet plan needs for the day. When that happens, it can usually be fixed with a quick protein powder drink.

What kind of powder is best for our protein diet plan?

Well, that depends. Whey protein is great for first thing in the morning, and before, and after your workouts. It is a very quick digesting protein powder, so it’s good to stick to 20-30 grams at a time for good digestion.

Casein, a slow digesting protein, is another option. This is excellent to take right before bed so that your body has a slow digesting protein to keep your muscles energized throughout the night. I know there are those that say don’t eat at night, but as long as you stay within your daily calorie needs, it’s perfectly fine, and even beneficial as a part of your protein diet plan.

Soy protein, although considered controversial to some, is another great option. It’s not going to mess with your estrogen, or give you man boobs, like some fear, lol.

Other great options include hemp protein, pea protein, and rice protein. These aren’t as complete on a amino acid level as some of the above, but especially if you are a vegetarian/vegan, they can fill in gaps of your daily protein needs.

There are lots of great brands, and I’ll be updating the site with some of my reviews. Right now I am really digging Syntha 6 strawberry though. Strawberry use to be one of the hardest protein powders to get right, so I would shy away from them for the more safe Chocolate flavor. Well, not anymore. Syntha 6 has made a great product (it also contains some fiber, which is nice). If you like nestle strawberry, this tastes almost EXACTLY like that. Awesome!

Until next time…. Thanks for stopping by the high protein diet plan blog.

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Greek Yogurt Protein Content

Posted on January 31, 2011 by admin

Today I want to tell you guys about Greek yogurt. It has been exploding in popularity, and for good reason. Yogurt is already a great snack, and great for you, but imagine a yogurt that has less than half the carbs of regular yogurt, and around DOUBLE the protein content? We are talking 22 grams per 8oz serving!

Got your attention yet?

My favorite brand is Trader Joes 0% fat greek yogurt. It has a similar nutrition profile to Fage total greek (one of the most popular), but is quite a bit cheaper.

It may take a bit of getting use to for some of you, it’s a bit more tart than regular yogurt, and quite a bit thicker (they double drain it through cheesecloth to get rid of the excess whey protein, as well as carbohydrates), but for some of you, it’s going to taste better right off the bat!

My favorite way to enjoy it is for breakfast, here is my mini recipe.

1 8oz serving of zero fat greek yogurt
a splash of pomegranate juice to desired consistancy
1/2 cut of fiber one, or other high fiber cereal
a small handful of walnuts.

all mixed together.

You get probiotics and high protein from the yogurt, a nice dose of anti oxidants from the pomegranate juice, a great start to your daily fiber intake from the cereal, and a helpful dose of omega 3 fatty acids from the walnuts, all in one delicious meal. Try it out, it’s great, and keeps you full until lunch, easily!

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Protein Packed Thanksgiving!

Posted on November 25, 2010 by admin

It’s Turkey time again!

protein diet planIt’s one of my favorite times of year. Not only do I get to get together with friends and family, but I get to maximize my protein diet plan. What other time of the year can you get such a lean protein source for .30 – .50 a pound? There are some crazy sales out there. Sometimes I even get my turkey for free when I spend a certain amount at the store.

I tend to stock up. I usually will pick up 6 or 7 turkeys during this time of year and keep them in my dedicated freezer (a must have, if you ask me!).

I like to break down a few of them so that I don’t have to roast an entire bird every time. I’ll separate the wings and legs, and the breasts, then I usually shrink wrap them with my machine so that they don’t get freezer burn. I’ll eat them for the next 7 or 8 months. When you are on a high protein diet plan, it’s nice to have options. Something a little different than the usual pork, chicken, and beef.

After Thanksgiving I usually have a good 10 lbs of leftover meat. Over the next few days I’ll use it not only to make sandwiches, but tacos, turkey salads, soup, and I’ve even used some curry powder and coconut milk to create the most delicious turkey curry. Awesome!

Stock up now, and save some serious cash people. It’s a dirt cheap source of lean protein, and you don’t find those around very often. Also, make sure to keep the carcass to make some turkey stock! Don’t waste a thing. My mom taught me that, lol.

Till next time folks. Keep your protein intake high, and your family close.

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