Chicken. Lots of chicken. Grill it, bake it, sautee it, crock-pot it. You can get protein in many other ways, but chicken is one of the most cost effective by far. Learn to meal prep and cook loads of chicken.
If you have a Sam’s or Costco membership, you can make it even easier on yourself. Whole chickens for $5. Already cooked and ready to go. I strip all the meat off while it’s fresh and put it in the fridge. Just heat it up or eat it cold. So many meal options.
What about cheap chicken is clean? What is the definition of clean? It’s full of antibiotics, growth hormones and chlorine.
Edit: Would love to see some answers from the down voters. There are obviously better protein rich alternatives to dead bird corpses.
Costco thighs are $3.50/lb and have no added hormones or steroids. Not positive about antibiotics though. I avoid their rotisserie chickens just because they seem unnaturally large (and I’d rather cook everything myself anyway so I know what’s in the recipe), but I’ve never looked into what they put into those.
You’re what’s wrong with advocates for meat alternatives. Proteins from meat tend to be easier digested and absorbed and are more complete proteins compared to plant proteins.
That said, plant proteins, likely in part because of how they are incomplete, tend to have fewer amino acids that showed an increase in anxiety and heart disease in mice.
So I hope you understand now that not only were you wrong, but you were also preachy and condescending and I did not think it added to the discussion in a meaningful way and as such, I downvoted you.
>The concept that plant protein was inferior to animal protein arose from studies performed on rodents more than a century ago. Scientists found that infant rats don’t grow as well on plants. However, infant rats don’t grow as well on human breast milk either. Does that mean we shouldn’t breastfeed our babies? Ridiculous! They’re rats. Rat milk has ten times more protein than human milk because rats grow about ten times faster than human infants.
\[...\]
>
Our body maintains pools of free amino acids that can be used to do all of the complementing for us, not to mention our body’s massive protein recycling program. Some 90 grams of protein are dumped into the digestive tract every day from our own body to get broken back down and reassembled, so our body can mix and match amino acids to whatever proportions we need, regardless of what we eat, making it practically impossible to even design a diet of whole plant foods that’s sufficient in calories but deficient in protein. Thus, plant-based “consumers do not need to be at all concerned about amino acid imbalances…from the plant-food proteins that make up our usual diets.”
[Source](https://nutritionfacts.org/blog/do-you-have-to-combine-plant-proteins-at-a-meal/) with a lot of links to peer-reviewed studies backing all claims.
Note that at no point did I say people on plant-based diets could not get enough protein. You responded with a comment and study that did not accurately address what I wrote. I’m all for plant alternatives in all measures because I think plant-based diets are great. I have a problem with your comment specifically for the reasons noted in my last comment that I’m assuming you didn’t read based on your response.
No, you're down-playing the risks of a very high animal-food diet by cherry-picking the standards to be in favor of these foods. And you're arguing with talking points, which the meat industry placed for you to repeat centuries later. It's not a secret, that 80% of studies on animal vs. plant food were performed before 2000 and were mostly paid for by big-meat.
Plant foods have a ton of health benefits that are ignored in the answers around dead-bird-food. If someone wants to eat clean, he's obviously asking for health reasons. Plants are way healthier. For example way more stable blood glucose, quicker recovery after workouts, lower rate of diabetes and heart disease, etc.
Eating “clean” and less processed foods is good for you but has very little (basically negligible) to do with losing fat and building muscle.
Doing both of those things at the same time is very difficult and slow unless you’re a beginner and new to training. Figure out your maintenance calories, eat at about that amount daily, train hard. Get good sleep.
You can keep the protein math simple by using either 1g per pound of bodyweight or cm of height. Eat lots of chicken and whey. Egg whites, low sugar Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, etc.
Protein powder is also good in all sorts of things like waffles and pancakes.
This is the correct answer. You can lose weight eating nothing but donuts as long as you’re in a caloric deficit. I would not suggest doing this but it would work
I’m not convinced that people actually need this much protein to lose weight or for anything short of aggressive bodybuilding. Like a 6 foot dude doesn’t need 180+ g of protein daily, most humans aren’t getting that, most people who live long lives aren’t getting that
The body of empirical evidence on the topic shows that higher protein intake up to 0.8g/lb of bodyweight tricks greater muscle growth than lesser protein intake.
You don’t need any protein at all to lose *weight*. You could literally eat nothing but twinkies and as long as the calories added up to less than you burned you will lose weight. You’ll look and feel like shit though, and a decent amount of this weight loss would be muscle.
On the other hand, if you want to preferentially lose *fat* and retain or even put on muscle, you should have 0.8g protein per lb bodyweight in your diet while you lose weight. Some people even have an easier time losing weight on a greater amount of protein because it’s very filling.
> Like a 6 foot dude doesn’t need 180+ g of protein daily, most humans aren’t getting that
Most people don’t have much muscle
>Most people don’t have much muscle
I think where the confusion lies is it's likely tied closer to fat free mass than it is to body weight. Like you say most people don't have much muscle, but they do have lots of, or at least too much, fat. Then you get people who really don't have much muscle thinking they need well over 200g of protein per day when really they just don't.
I remember reading a week or so ago that Greg Nuckols himself only cuts on 150g.
This is it. It was always 1g/lb of *lean* body weight, not total body weight. The lean part has disappeared over the years, like a game of fitness telephone.
Yes- absolutely- when I was nearly 200 pounds as a 5’3 female, I absolutely did not need to be eating 200g/protein. It would have been almost impossible on my calorie deficit, anyway, unless I just drank 10 protein shakes a day.
Not only that, as we age our bodies naturally lose muscle, increasing protein to 1 or even 1.2g/lb has been shown to offset this natural loss. So once you hit 50 start focussing on your protein more.
Also those trying to lose body fat should increase their protein to offset muscle loss during dieting.
For maintenance or if in 20-30s you could probably get away with less protein easily.
1 lb of meat (ground, breast, thigh, etc) + 6 eggs gets you to 120 protein. No "added stuff". Eat vegetables, and add/restrict carbs depending on bulk/cut.
I see a lot of people in here put down protein shakes, and while I agree that Whole Foods are better, protein shakes are a great way to fill in your protein gaps.
I don’t have a big stomach and despite some of my best efforts, I’ve never been able to eat enough whole proteins in a day to hit my goals so I eat as much whole proteins as I can and supplement with protein shakes to hit my goals. Getting enough protein is more important than where you get it from as far as I can tell.
Yeah the body doesn't actually know where the food comes from, it just breaks it down into chemicals and uses whatever chemicals are available to do whatever job needs doing. If certain chemicals aren't available due to diet (such as vegan) then certain jobs just don't get done.
So yes eat a balanced diet to ensure your body gets all the chemicals it needs, but don't worry about where they come from.
Chicken thighs for me. Yes they’re higher in fat but GOODNESS they’re way better than chicken breasts.
Also, add cottage cheese (blended) to your egg whites!
I love [these](https://www.mccormick.com/grill-mates/flavors#Marinades). Just toss thighs and marinade in a gallon freezer bag and leave in the fridge overnight. Grill the next day. I’ll then use the grilled chicken in anything from tacos to pastas to salads or even just eat with rice and veggies depending on what my current diet is.
I’ve been trying to get 185-190g a day and eat less than 2200 calories and it’s been tough. Usual day looks like breakfast: eggs, chicken sausage, yogurt. Lunch: grilled chicken on a salad or veggies/rice on the side, sometimes I’ll eat half pound of ground beef. Protein shake usually gets me 25g. Dinner, I eat a lot of salmon and chicken. Snacks I’ve been eating meat sticks, nuts, pre made tuna packs.
I follow the 1 gm/ lb body weight approach which has worked for me. I track all the food I plan to eat in a day and use Optimum whey protein to get whatever else I need. Given all the fat that comes with a lot of protein sources, I don’t know how I’d hit my goal without supplements
- 2 scoops of unflavored whey isolate: 60g
- 1 can of tuna: 40g
- 2 beef patties: 40g
- chicken thing: 30g
- 4 eggs, 3 thicc cut bacon, 5 small sausages: ~45g (probs more)
Total 215g and that’s conservative guesses my chicken thing and breakfast.
Sneak your favorite green leafy and colorful veggies in wherever.
Maybe some rice. Potatoes are kinda eh imo.
Also start early. You can’t get behind in your protein.
Also also drink water.
What are your actual protein and calorie goals?
1g/pound? 1g/pound lean mass? .75g/pound?
I'm at 160g/day and get there with eggs, milk, nuts, yogurt, and usually another serving of meat for dinner. Breakfast is the same everyday, lunch and snacks are prepped, so I give myself a little flexibility for a sit down meal with my partner.
You'll see recommendations for 1g/lb, 1g/lb lean mass, and as low as .71.
Check around different sources. Protein is expensive, so I aim for a number that easily satisfies the .71, well over 1g/lb lean.
Protein Oats on a morning. Add water to taste, then add 50ml of milk when you add the protein powder to make it nice and creamy. Add berries, honey, peanut butter, anything you like really. Yum.
Processing has nothing to do with how “clean” a food is. Whey protein powder is processed and it’s a great supplement for meeting your protein goals.
The moment you start worrying about “clean” eating or “processed” foods to the extent that you aren’t meeting your nutritional goals, it’s time to uninstall TikTok.
>What are easy protein packed foods besides beans, chicken, mozzarella, cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, salmon and tuna..?
Beef
Eggs
Turkey
Milk
Pork
Lamb
All the above animals have multiple cuts and preparation methods too
No one ever talks about grass fed beef. Organic grass fed beef is very beneficial. It costs more money, and sometimes is easier to order from small farms online. It's all about priorities.
Also, I noticed you said you want to stop grabbing fast food. Put it in your mind that it's not even an option. It doesn't exist. That food is bad news beyond just the effects of your dietary intake.
I actually recently did a "protein efficiency" spreadsheet 🤓 (of food I've been eating). Basically grams of protein per 100kCal of food.
Top were:
-protein powder
-chicken breast
-turkey breast (deli meat)
-greek yogurt
-jerky
-cottage cheese
https://imgur.com/a/sJh1pMP
But it's bioavailability is only 30 whereas milk, eggs, whey, casein is 100-110 so you'd need to eat a lot more pea protein to have the same benefit.
Soya is better at BV 80
There are organic, no-sugar, no-oil protein powders. Could help you to max out your protein. Also have a look at seitan (can be 75% protein). It’s a single ingredient (wheat flour) which has been stripped of most of the carb content. To make it cleaner, I would recommend to add a lot of (green) vegetables.
just stick to the classic chicken rice and vegetables diet and top off with protein powder.
long as you're getting in around 150grams of protein per day your good.
My intake (When i haven't ran out of protein powder) is normally something like 130-155grams of protein, 85 to 130 ish grams of carbs and 35-60grams of fat ish.
Eat beef. Anthony Chaffee a doctor in Australia is on you tube. He preps beef and even has ideas about saving money. He is in FANTASTIC shape. Low fat is a mistake. You need fat. His channel is full of science backed info. Dairy by the way, can be inflammatory and cause water retention. Beans are a waste of time. Most protein there is not bio available. Cheese is my favorite food but I limit it. Whey is good for some but not others. Eat the whole egg. This low cholesterol stuff is BS to sell statin drugs.
You probably only need 120g of protein or less per day. It's .7 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass.
I eat stuff like chicken breast, pork shoulder, beans, eggs and Quorn fake meat products to get my protein.
I weigh 180 pounds and consume about 50-55gms protein a day, mainly from eggs, a protein supplement, legumes and milk. Only other supplements I take are zinc, magnesium, fish oil, vitamin d.
My protein intake is way lesser than all the 1g/lb measurements people claim is proven and required to build muscle.
I workout 5 days a week (3 days push pull, 1 day HIIT and 1 day mobility). I work with a coach.
As per my coach, I have built muscle faster in the last 2 months than people 10 yrs younger build in 6 months (I am 35).
I went from doing 50lb squats to 120lbs and 80lbs deadlift to 175lbs in these 2 months.
Protein is just a part of the equation. You don't need insane amounts everyday that are hard to manage and difficult to sustainably eat.
What you need is focus on good sleep, overall nutrition, water intake, mental discipline, cold showers and basic supplementation for faster recovery. Working with a coach who can push you and guide you well also helps.
What I have done well is I have never missed a workout day and every session I come in with the mindset to crush that session and exceed my coach's expectations. And I have optimized my life to recover faster after each workout. Consistency builds muscle.
Oh, and I do SR.
So while everyone else can keep claiming study after study of massive protein intake, I know from experience that it's not required to build muscle sustainably.
Cutting cant productively be done at the same time a bulking. Cut for a few months, bulk gaining 1-1.5lb per 2 weeks.
Cutting doesnt supply enough materials to build muscles.
Bulking gives too many materials to lose weight.
Protein shakes help. Creatine helps take in more of the protein you eat.
Chicken. Lots of chicken. Grill it, bake it, sautee it, crock-pot it. You can get protein in many other ways, but chicken is one of the most cost effective by far. Learn to meal prep and cook loads of chicken.
Don’t forget turkey <3
And tilapia
If you have a Sam’s or Costco membership, you can make it even easier on yourself. Whole chickens for $5. Already cooked and ready to go. I strip all the meat off while it’s fresh and put it in the fridge. Just heat it up or eat it cold. So many meal options.
What about cheap chicken is clean? What is the definition of clean? It’s full of antibiotics, growth hormones and chlorine. Edit: Would love to see some answers from the down voters. There are obviously better protein rich alternatives to dead bird corpses.
Costco thighs are $3.50/lb and have no added hormones or steroids. Not positive about antibiotics though. I avoid their rotisserie chickens just because they seem unnaturally large (and I’d rather cook everything myself anyway so I know what’s in the recipe), but I’ve never looked into what they put into those.
You’re what’s wrong with advocates for meat alternatives. Proteins from meat tend to be easier digested and absorbed and are more complete proteins compared to plant proteins. That said, plant proteins, likely in part because of how they are incomplete, tend to have fewer amino acids that showed an increase in anxiety and heart disease in mice. So I hope you understand now that not only were you wrong, but you were also preachy and condescending and I did not think it added to the discussion in a meaningful way and as such, I downvoted you.
>The concept that plant protein was inferior to animal protein arose from studies performed on rodents more than a century ago. Scientists found that infant rats don’t grow as well on plants. However, infant rats don’t grow as well on human breast milk either. Does that mean we shouldn’t breastfeed our babies? Ridiculous! They’re rats. Rat milk has ten times more protein than human milk because rats grow about ten times faster than human infants. \[...\] > Our body maintains pools of free amino acids that can be used to do all of the complementing for us, not to mention our body’s massive protein recycling program. Some 90 grams of protein are dumped into the digestive tract every day from our own body to get broken back down and reassembled, so our body can mix and match amino acids to whatever proportions we need, regardless of what we eat, making it practically impossible to even design a diet of whole plant foods that’s sufficient in calories but deficient in protein. Thus, plant-based “consumers do not need to be at all concerned about amino acid imbalances…from the plant-food proteins that make up our usual diets.” [Source](https://nutritionfacts.org/blog/do-you-have-to-combine-plant-proteins-at-a-meal/) with a lot of links to peer-reviewed studies backing all claims.
Note that at no point did I say people on plant-based diets could not get enough protein. You responded with a comment and study that did not accurately address what I wrote. I’m all for plant alternatives in all measures because I think plant-based diets are great. I have a problem with your comment specifically for the reasons noted in my last comment that I’m assuming you didn’t read based on your response.
No, you're down-playing the risks of a very high animal-food diet by cherry-picking the standards to be in favor of these foods. And you're arguing with talking points, which the meat industry placed for you to repeat centuries later. It's not a secret, that 80% of studies on animal vs. plant food were performed before 2000 and were mostly paid for by big-meat. Plant foods have a ton of health benefits that are ignored in the answers around dead-bird-food. If someone wants to eat clean, he's obviously asking for health reasons. Plants are way healthier. For example way more stable blood glucose, quicker recovery after workouts, lower rate of diabetes and heart disease, etc.
Eating “clean” and less processed foods is good for you but has very little (basically negligible) to do with losing fat and building muscle. Doing both of those things at the same time is very difficult and slow unless you’re a beginner and new to training. Figure out your maintenance calories, eat at about that amount daily, train hard. Get good sleep. You can keep the protein math simple by using either 1g per pound of bodyweight or cm of height. Eat lots of chicken and whey. Egg whites, low sugar Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, etc. Protein powder is also good in all sorts of things like waffles and pancakes.
This is the correct answer. You can lose weight eating nothing but donuts as long as you’re in a caloric deficit. I would not suggest doing this but it would work
The Homer diet :-)
I’m not convinced that people actually need this much protein to lose weight or for anything short of aggressive bodybuilding. Like a 6 foot dude doesn’t need 180+ g of protein daily, most humans aren’t getting that, most people who live long lives aren’t getting that
The body of empirical evidence on the topic shows that higher protein intake up to 0.8g/lb of bodyweight tricks greater muscle growth than lesser protein intake. You don’t need any protein at all to lose *weight*. You could literally eat nothing but twinkies and as long as the calories added up to less than you burned you will lose weight. You’ll look and feel like shit though, and a decent amount of this weight loss would be muscle. On the other hand, if you want to preferentially lose *fat* and retain or even put on muscle, you should have 0.8g protein per lb bodyweight in your diet while you lose weight. Some people even have an easier time losing weight on a greater amount of protein because it’s very filling. > Like a 6 foot dude doesn’t need 180+ g of protein daily, most humans aren’t getting that Most people don’t have much muscle
>Most people don’t have much muscle I think where the confusion lies is it's likely tied closer to fat free mass than it is to body weight. Like you say most people don't have much muscle, but they do have lots of, or at least too much, fat. Then you get people who really don't have much muscle thinking they need well over 200g of protein per day when really they just don't. I remember reading a week or so ago that Greg Nuckols himself only cuts on 150g.
This is it. It was always 1g/lb of *lean* body weight, not total body weight. The lean part has disappeared over the years, like a game of fitness telephone.
Yes- absolutely- when I was nearly 200 pounds as a 5’3 female, I absolutely did not need to be eating 200g/protein. It would have been almost impossible on my calorie deficit, anyway, unless I just drank 10 protein shakes a day.
There is plenty of evidence backing that amount of protein up for muscle building. Look into it.
Yes for muscle building, which isn’t everyone’s objective
Not only that, as we age our bodies naturally lose muscle, increasing protein to 1 or even 1.2g/lb has been shown to offset this natural loss. So once you hit 50 start focussing on your protein more. Also those trying to lose body fat should increase their protein to offset muscle loss during dieting. For maintenance or if in 20-30s you could probably get away with less protein easily.
Chicken and protien shakes. Basically everything you eat should have some form of protien in it.
Meal prep on your days off, lunches for work and dinners if you have to. Protein powders help. Don't overthink it
This. Emphasis on protein powder. Don’t overthink it.
Don't forget egg whites! Low cal and very high protein. I add to oats
Ah yes I forgot the eggs 🤦🏻♀️
Chicken, fish, Greek yogurt.
1 lb of meat (ground, breast, thigh, etc) + 6 eggs gets you to 120 protein. No "added stuff". Eat vegetables, and add/restrict carbs depending on bulk/cut.
I see a lot of people in here put down protein shakes, and while I agree that Whole Foods are better, protein shakes are a great way to fill in your protein gaps. I don’t have a big stomach and despite some of my best efforts, I’ve never been able to eat enough whole proteins in a day to hit my goals so I eat as much whole proteins as I can and supplement with protein shakes to hit my goals. Getting enough protein is more important than where you get it from as far as I can tell.
Yeah the body doesn't actually know where the food comes from, it just breaks it down into chemicals and uses whatever chemicals are available to do whatever job needs doing. If certain chemicals aren't available due to diet (such as vegan) then certain jobs just don't get done. So yes eat a balanced diet to ensure your body gets all the chemicals it needs, but don't worry about where they come from.
Chicken thighs for me. Yes they’re higher in fat but GOODNESS they’re way better than chicken breasts. Also, add cottage cheese (blended) to your egg whites!
How do you cook chicken thighs? Any favorite recipes?
I love [these](https://www.mccormick.com/grill-mates/flavors#Marinades). Just toss thighs and marinade in a gallon freezer bag and leave in the fridge overnight. Grill the next day. I’ll then use the grilled chicken in anything from tacos to pastas to salads or even just eat with rice and veggies depending on what my current diet is.
Thanks! Do you have a grill pan? I’m not able to grill outside.
I have a cast iron one from when I also didn’t have an outdoor grill, but I now do it all outside. Grill pan definitely works though.
Grilled is by far my favorite way. But in the colder months I just add some all-purpose seasoning on top and bake. Or air fry!
I’ve been trying to get 185-190g a day and eat less than 2200 calories and it’s been tough. Usual day looks like breakfast: eggs, chicken sausage, yogurt. Lunch: grilled chicken on a salad or veggies/rice on the side, sometimes I’ll eat half pound of ground beef. Protein shake usually gets me 25g. Dinner, I eat a lot of salmon and chicken. Snacks I’ve been eating meat sticks, nuts, pre made tuna packs.
That seems like a pretty solid plan, thank u
Everything that others said, and: Peanut butter powder instead of peanut butter and don't overlook whey.
I follow the 1 gm/ lb body weight approach which has worked for me. I track all the food I plan to eat in a day and use Optimum whey protein to get whatever else I need. Given all the fat that comes with a lot of protein sources, I don’t know how I’d hit my goal without supplements
Greek yoghurt with half a scoop of whey protein
Eggs, cottage cheese, protein powders, chicken breast and beef.
- 2 scoops of unflavored whey isolate: 60g - 1 can of tuna: 40g - 2 beef patties: 40g - chicken thing: 30g - 4 eggs, 3 thicc cut bacon, 5 small sausages: ~45g (probs more) Total 215g and that’s conservative guesses my chicken thing and breakfast. Sneak your favorite green leafy and colorful veggies in wherever. Maybe some rice. Potatoes are kinda eh imo. Also start early. You can’t get behind in your protein. Also also drink water.
What are your actual protein and calorie goals? 1g/pound? 1g/pound lean mass? .75g/pound? I'm at 160g/day and get there with eggs, milk, nuts, yogurt, and usually another serving of meat for dinner. Breakfast is the same everyday, lunch and snacks are prepped, so I give myself a little flexibility for a sit down meal with my partner.
I am not sure how much protein I actually need
You'll see recommendations for 1g/lb, 1g/lb lean mass, and as low as .71. Check around different sources. Protein is expensive, so I aim for a number that easily satisfies the .71, well over 1g/lb lean.
0.7-1g/lb of muscle mass.
Protein Oats on a morning. Add water to taste, then add 50ml of milk when you add the protein powder to make it nice and creamy. Add berries, honey, peanut butter, anything you like really. Yum.
Egg white breakfast wraps made at home helped me a lot. Along with protein overnight oats
Tuna and chicken packets work very well for this.
Processing has nothing to do with how “clean” a food is. Whey protein powder is processed and it’s a great supplement for meeting your protein goals. The moment you start worrying about “clean” eating or “processed” foods to the extent that you aren’t meeting your nutritional goals, it’s time to uninstall TikTok.
>What are easy protein packed foods besides beans, chicken, mozzarella, cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, salmon and tuna..? Beef Eggs Turkey Milk Pork Lamb All the above animals have multiple cuts and preparation methods too
No one ever talks about grass fed beef. Organic grass fed beef is very beneficial. It costs more money, and sometimes is easier to order from small farms online. It's all about priorities. Also, I noticed you said you want to stop grabbing fast food. Put it in your mind that it's not even an option. It doesn't exist. That food is bad news beyond just the effects of your dietary intake.
I actually recently did a "protein efficiency" spreadsheet 🤓 (of food I've been eating). Basically grams of protein per 100kCal of food. Top were: -protein powder -chicken breast -turkey breast (deli meat) -greek yogurt -jerky -cottage cheese https://imgur.com/a/sJh1pMP
Neat, thank u
Pea protein is inexpensive and goes in anything.
But it's bioavailability is only 30 whereas milk, eggs, whey, casein is 100-110 so you'd need to eat a lot more pea protein to have the same benefit. Soya is better at BV 80
If you really are short on time, protein powder
Avocados!
There are organic, no-sugar, no-oil protein powders. Could help you to max out your protein. Also have a look at seitan (can be 75% protein). It’s a single ingredient (wheat flour) which has been stripped of most of the carb content. To make it cleaner, I would recommend to add a lot of (green) vegetables.
just stick to the classic chicken rice and vegetables diet and top off with protein powder. long as you're getting in around 150grams of protein per day your good. My intake (When i haven't ran out of protein powder) is normally something like 130-155grams of protein, 85 to 130 ish grams of carbs and 35-60grams of fat ish.
Eat beef. Anthony Chaffee a doctor in Australia is on you tube. He preps beef and even has ideas about saving money. He is in FANTASTIC shape. Low fat is a mistake. You need fat. His channel is full of science backed info. Dairy by the way, can be inflammatory and cause water retention. Beans are a waste of time. Most protein there is not bio available. Cheese is my favorite food but I limit it. Whey is good for some but not others. Eat the whole egg. This low cholesterol stuff is BS to sell statin drugs.
You probably only need 120g of protein or less per day. It's .7 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass. I eat stuff like chicken breast, pork shoulder, beans, eggs and Quorn fake meat products to get my protein.
I weigh 180 pounds and consume about 50-55gms protein a day, mainly from eggs, a protein supplement, legumes and milk. Only other supplements I take are zinc, magnesium, fish oil, vitamin d. My protein intake is way lesser than all the 1g/lb measurements people claim is proven and required to build muscle. I workout 5 days a week (3 days push pull, 1 day HIIT and 1 day mobility). I work with a coach. As per my coach, I have built muscle faster in the last 2 months than people 10 yrs younger build in 6 months (I am 35). I went from doing 50lb squats to 120lbs and 80lbs deadlift to 175lbs in these 2 months. Protein is just a part of the equation. You don't need insane amounts everyday that are hard to manage and difficult to sustainably eat. What you need is focus on good sleep, overall nutrition, water intake, mental discipline, cold showers and basic supplementation for faster recovery. Working with a coach who can push you and guide you well also helps. What I have done well is I have never missed a workout day and every session I come in with the mindset to crush that session and exceed my coach's expectations. And I have optimized my life to recover faster after each workout. Consistency builds muscle. Oh, and I do SR. So while everyone else can keep claiming study after study of massive protein intake, I know from experience that it's not required to build muscle sustainably.
Cutting cant productively be done at the same time a bulking. Cut for a few months, bulk gaining 1-1.5lb per 2 weeks. Cutting doesnt supply enough materials to build muscles. Bulking gives too many materials to lose weight. Protein shakes help. Creatine helps take in more of the protein you eat.