Protein Sources?

Kristie,

I too did a lot of protein when I was pregnant. I would have a protein shake in the a.m. with my breakfast. I tried lots of different brands and types. I would check the health food store or the health food sections of the grocery store. I eventually settled on Goatein which is a goat milk based powder. I ate lots of peanut butter - at least 2 or 3 sandwiches per day - and sometimes one in the middle of the night. I ate raw almonds. I found that Fig Newman’s (Paul Newman's brand) have 2 grams of protein per cookie. I ate a lot of those. Oh and how could I forget hard boiled eggs? I bought breakfast cereals with added protein or higher levels of protein. I also put milled flax seed on my cereal and I believe it has some protein in it. I would try to get the bulk of my protein earlier in the day, but I don't know if this is recommended. I also worked with someone on-line who had twins - who helped me with my diet. One thing I wish I had known earlier in my pregnancy is to avoid soy. I ate a lot of soy through most of my pregnancy.

Again let me know if you have any other questions.

Hi K.,
Congratulations on expecting twins! How exciting! Your older children must be so excited to each have a baby to help out with.

As far as your question, there are many different sources of protein outside of animal meat. Soy (found in so many forms now most widely as tofu), bean, quinoa (can be found as a rice type substance to mix with veggies or flour to bake with), and nuts. Adding nuts to many meals without meat or with very little meat can increase the protein content significantly. You will also find a lot of recipes using these ingredients if you look on the internet. Many vegetarian or vegan recipes have great taste with high protein. I hope this helps.

Best to you and your family. Stay well.

Have you ever heard of quark? It is a yogurt style cheese from Germany that is packed full of protein. And tastes pretty bland so you can mix it with anything and put it in smoothies. We can get it at our local grocery stores in the natural dairy section by the cottage cheese or at the local food co-op. Also cottage cheese has a lot of protein.

Check out Marlene's in Tacoma, it's on 38th, by the Tacoma Mall. I am so happy to hear other mothers talking about health foods!!!! My mom is a twin and my grandma didn't even know she had twins until they were born, all healthy that was 1949. You'll do fine I'm very excited for you.. J. Fann

K.-

Well you have a lot of advice, but just in case you haven't found anything you like so far I have a protein powder that I add to my smoothies that I like and is high in protein. It is called EAS Premium Protein, and we buy it at Costco. Here are the supplement facts.

Serving size 2 scoops (75 servings per container) $29.99
Calories 150
Calories from fat 20
Total Fat 2.5 grams
Sat. Fat 1 g
Trans fat 0 g
Cholesterol 80mg
Total Carb 3 g
Sugars 2 g
Protein 27 g
Potassium 200mg

Ingredients: Protein blend (Whey protein concentrate, soy protein isolate, milk protein concentrate, whey protein isolate, Hydrolyzed Whey protein concentrate, L-Glutamine, L-Isoleucine, L-leucine, L-Valine) Cocoa powder, natural and artificial flavors, sucralose and acesulfame potassium, Contains milk and Soy ingredients.

This is the information for the chocolate flavored, they also have a vanilla flavor (I use both and they both taste good, I usually just mix them with some skim milk and some fruit.)

Hope that helps, it looks like you have quite a few options to choose from.

If you don't have a costco near you here is a website for them and also a phone number so you can find out different stores that carry it. www.EAS.com or 800-297-9776

Best of Luck and Congratulations!
B.

Soy is a great way to get the protein you need, but if you are going to be eatting a lot of soy you also need to take Flax seed powder during the day too. New studies have shown that soy can cause a build up of prusuedo hormones that act like estrogen, and they keep your body from producing the correct amount of hormones needed. The flax seed grabs on the the fake hormones and flushes them out of your body. And due to the fact that a lot of soy beans are not grown in the US you may way to consider ony getting Organic soy products.

Hope you get the advice you are looking for.

Hey~!
Wow! bless you for having twins! I know for sure that tofu contains protein. It might not be your favorite, but it has so many ways of cooking it that you can alter it any way you want. Seek out authentic asian receipes.

good luck!

N. B.

Hi K.,

I see you have received alot of good advice already, but I thought I would put in my two cents as well! :) I see quiet a few people recommended soy, and I think soy is great, but I would keep soy intake very moderate during pregnancy due to the estrogen mimicking. I think some is ok, but I would keep it to one serving a day. Also, I've never heard of the balance between flaxseed oil and soy and I think that is great. I also take flaxseed oil every day in a capsule form, but I also read there is some controversy over whether flaxseed oil(very high in omega fatty acids) is good or bad during pregnancy, so I only take one pill a day (1300mg) with food in the morning. So I wouldn't take any more than that. I suggest doing some of your own research on soy and flaxseed to find your own comfort level too.
Some foods that are really high in protein are:
soybeans, cheese, nuts (peanuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and almonds are the highest...just remember to keep the salt intake down though) and nut butters,eggs, cottage cheese (really good at 14g/half cup!), beans, lentils, and quinoa is good!
Also, you can make combinations of foods that form complete proteins without having to eat alot of meat. For example:
1. 2 parts grains + 1 part beans, peas or other legumes: 2 C brown rice + 1 C beans or 1 slice whole wheat bread + 1 T peanut butter
2. Peanuts + milk: 1/2 C milk + 5 T peanut butter or 1/4 C yogurt + 2 1/2 T peanut butter
3. Seeds + milk: 1/2 C yogurt + 5 T tahini or 1 T yogurt + 1/2 C sunflower seed sprouts
4. Grains + milk: 1/4 C brown rice + 1/3 C milk or yogurt or 1 slice whole wheat bread + 1 t cheese
5. Miscellaneous: 1/2 lb potatoes + 1/4 C grated cheese or brocolli with cheese sauce or eggplant parmesan
There is a great book out there with lots of nutritional information for babies and adults alike, "Super Baby Food" by Ruth Yaron. This has been an invaluable book for me and has so much to offer. I got most of my information from there. It has wonderful information on what to feed babies and toddlers, it contains many recipes, and many great ideas and tips for crafts, birthday parties etc.

I hope this helps!
M.

Hi K.. That Special K water bottle is full of protein..

K.,
It's always great to hear mother's who are aware of their health especially pregnant with twins.I have an excellent Protein Shake that is highly recommended for pregnant and nursing women.You're body needs so much extra nutrients,proteins,etc... during this time and this shake is full of Pure Undenatured Whey(meaning no antibiotics & hormones are given to the cattle and they are fed a whole grain organic diet),the whey comes from a small owned farm in New Zealand and it is full of live active enzymes & amino acids.On the website I'm listing below you can take a look at the ingredients in the IsaLean Shake under products.The company that carries this product is called Isagenix and they have a whole line of products that benefit from babies up to elderly.I am a mother as well and have been using the whole line of products for my family for 5 years and I wouldn't go a day without having them, not to mention my daughter hasn't been sick in 3 yrs along with myself(so you see it has helped in completly boosting our immune systems).I have had many pregnant women using the Protein Shakes and they are Doctor recommended!Please feel free to contact me and I'd be happy to give you more information and how to order the product.Also I'd be aware of the articles that have been published about the dangers of soy, this certain whey protein is the easiest protein for the body to assimulate and get carried into the cells of your body.
To Your Families Health,
T.
____@____.com
www.tarynitup.isagenix.com(website)
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Hi K.,
Cheese and eggs are both good sources of protein, so I like to make cheesey scrambled eggs. I scramble the eggs, then shred a bunch of cheese and mix it with the raw scrambled eggs, then cook, constantly stirring. It's pretty much a scrambled omelet, and it's really delicious! As for a protein powder, I would check with a supplement or natural foods store and ask if they have anything that's not for body building and w/o any artificial sweeteners. My parents get a big jug of some at Coscto, but I can't remember what it's called. They mix some with their smoothies every morning and they're definitely not body builders :) I'll find out the brand and let you know.

look for odwalla natuaral drinks they dont taste that great but have excellent ingredients.

Hi K. -

DO NOT EAT SOY WHILE YOU ARE PREGNANT.

Particularly if you're carrying a boy/boys. Over the last ten years we are now finding that the plant estrogens in soy are damaging the reproductive organs of boys whose mothers consume them during pregnancy.

Don't get me wrong - I still indulged in a few Chai lattes when I was pregnant, but do NOT under any circumstances ADD more soy to your diet to increase your protein intake.

(Also - the figure you mentioned of 150 grams per day seems pretty excessive; I would ask for a few more recommendations before I tried to reach that goal, even carrying twins. Ask a couple of doctors, perhaps consult with a nutritionist. Women have been delivering healthy twins for thousands of years without trying to consume 150 grams of protein a day. Stick to a healthy diet - just tweak it. A few extra cuts of lean meat, different kinds of nuts and nut butters - these are the kinds of things I would try adding to your diet. There's probably no risk to your babies if you're consuming excessive protein, but remember that it can be extremely taxing on your kidneys, and your body is going to be under enough stress already over the next several months!)

Good luck!

I love this protein: http://www.shaklee.net/build/product/CinchShakes and drank it during my pregnancy. It is a complete meal too. It is only a weight management tool if you are restricting calories. If you select one of them, you can view the label, so you can show it to your midwife to make sure she's happy with the ingredients. Are you sensitive to soy? They have another one called Instant Soy Protein that you can add to everything. Here is the link if that is something that you want to look at too: http://www.shaklee.net/build/product/20661
Hope this helps. You are welcome to call or email me if you have any questions about it. good luck! K. :) ###-###-####