Protein Tracking

[KendyLou 15]

Where or how is a good way to keep track of how much Protein I'm getting in?

It was easy when it was just shakes, it says it on the package but now that I'm starting to add in smooshy foods I wonder if anyone has suggestions.

[JamieLogical 8,727]

Your best friend in the whole world is a digital food scale. I don't know how anyone survives post-op without one.

[KendyLou 15]

Does that tell you the Protein amount as well? I thought it just measured the amount/weight.

[_Kate_ 2,224]

If you use the bar code tracker on my fitness pal it's easy!

[JamieLogical 8,727]

Does that tell you the Protein amount as well? I thought it just measured the amount/weight.

Well sure, but if you know how MUCH you are eating of whatever you're eating, then it's easy to extrapolate the Protein from that. If 8 oz. of chicken breast has 23 grams of protein and you eat 2 oz, you know you are getting roughly 6 grams of protein, for example. Or if math isn't your forte, most food tracking apps will let you enter the food you eat, how MUCH you eat, and then do the math for you.

[KendyLou 15]

Thanks. I guess what I'm wondering is where you find the Protein amounts of food, is there somewhere that you use that seems accurate and easy to use?

Right now I'm still eating things that are pretty easy to find the amounts of but I'm just curious.

[Inner Surfer Girl 12,015]

I use an app on my phone called MyFitnessPal. There is no way I could keep up with my Protein without it.

[JamieLogical 8,727]

I used to use the SparkPeople app and web site. It has the nutritional values for TONS of foods already loaded into it, so basically you just search for the food you are eating, enter how much of it you ate, and it does the rest. It also has an awesome recipe calculator, so you can enter all your ingredients and what amounts you use in your recipe, and it does all the math for you. Another nice feature was that you could create food "groups" so say you ate the same thing for lunch a lot, like greek yogurt with granola. Instead of having to enter the greek yogurt and granola separately every time, you could save them as a "group" and add them both at once.

[Inner Surfer Girl 12,015]

I use an app on my phone called MyFitnessPal. There is no way I could keep up with my Protein without it.

Like the Sparkpeople app, you can look up foods, create meals and recipes, as well as track other things like exercise.

Take a look at what is available and works for you, but ultimately the best one is the one you will use.

[BLERDgirl 6,417]

There are loads of apps out there. Sparkpeople and Myfitnesspal are 2 of the most popular. Both list foods, their nutritional values and also allow you to record exercise and Water intake. A lot of fitness trackers have apps that also let you log your food. Digital scales and good measuring cups are also invaluable tools.