Poor Student trying to get a good diet

[Anomander]

I started 5 x 5 and have been trying to get a good diet. I just give it a quick lookover and would like to see what you all think eg not enough calories protein etc.

Breakfast- Porridge with a banana and apple and protein shake ( fairly basic Whey concentrate style)
snack- Tin of mushy peas (someone on here said there a cheap source of protein and they are so i bought shit loads )
Gym- protein shake post workout
Dinner- Tuna/Chicken Breast with tomatoes, cucumber half a pepper and spinach and some cottage cheese
Snack- Peas again
Dinner- 400g of lean mince with carrots and peas
Pre bed- Cottage cheese and spinach sandwhich
This seems very pea orientated but thats because of the cost. i weigh around 82kg and my goal is to get a bit bigger and a bit more defined.

Anything that can be added/ taken away from this is fine. I do not like nuts or eggs but will eat them if I have to. Im still quite hungry on this diet but am not sure what to do

Thanks in advance and the help is much appreciated

[lovestolift]

...see what you all think eg not enough calories protein etc.

I have no idea how many calories or how much protein it contains. Get a Fitday account (it's free) and post the results here (calories/fat/carb/protein). It's up to you to do the legwork, then we can offer some opinions. I don't think anyone is going to want to calculate it for you (I know I don't).

[BobTheBuilder]

Gotta love the mushy peas. They taste like snot but an odd tin or two is a pretty good cheap protein boost to fill in the niches here and there IMHO.

Post workout I might have brown rice with a tin of pea if there's not much in the kitchen and some cheese to go with it and maybe add a protein drink if its been a heavy day.

[itsbruce]

On your budget, it's not so much that it's hard to get protein as that it's hard to get protein without a whole crapload of salt thrown in (check the ingredients on the mushy peas and tuna). Thankfully, chicken is cheap and doesn't have that problem.

[Anomander]

yeh i eat alot of chicken breast. Thye peas are a very good source of protein for cheap but Ill have to get the salt intake and make sure its not ridicluous. I wasnt expecting anyone to do the legwork for me btw just a general opinion on what you think of it atm. Im not overly concerned if its perfect, which i know its not , but if theres any glaring deficiencies or weaknesses i would greatly appreciate if people with more knowledge or experience could recommend anything

[itsbruce]

If you want more variety without breaking the budget, try pork chops; they are cheap and have a very respectable 23g protein per 4oz portion. You can trim the fat if that's a worry. The cheapest chops will have more fat and less protein but it's still a decent alternative.

My problem with tuna is that I find it one of the most boring foods on the planet. I find it very hard to make it an interesting food without reducing the nutritional value of the meal. I try to find any alternative I can but sometimes, if I've not gotten enough protein into my day, tuna is the best and quickest fallback. But it's boooooooring.

[NorthstarUK]

Agree with LTL.

At a glance I don't think you have enough calories, remember the RDA for an active male is 3000, so if your wanting to build strength/muscle you should be looking at 3500 minimum. Work this out with yr Fitday account.

I would add more full fat cheese, eggs, full fat milk, butter, nuts, flax seeds, greek yoghurt, olive oil, fish oil. Don't be frightened of carbs either, if your BF is not too bad and your generally active, don't stress about having pasta, rice, wholemeal bread with main meals, this will also up your calorie total.

Also frozen peas might be better than tinned mushy peas, less additives, sugar and salt. And still pretty cheap. Lentils and beans are good cheap options too.

[Anomander]

Yeh theres only so much tuna i can eat before wanting to die but my cupboard is still full of it

Thx for the help guys and im glad its looking a little low as im still hungry alot of the time . As for the peas i have frozen peas in the night with my mince and im preferring the chicken breast over the mince atm. I still choke down a tuna whenever time is tight as it is the best source at a cheap level. i think i need more carbs and even tho i dont like eggs i did have 4 eggs in a sandwhich today. Just going to have to get used to it. Also I have no idea what flax seeds are or what they do can someone fill me in please?

Again thanks for the help

[Soofy]

Peanut butter is a cheap and filling source of protein and fibre. I have it with eggs and it goes down a treat plus I don't feel the need to get up and stuff my face again. Also Incorporate the staples like yams, sweet potatoes for slow release energy plus they're stuffed with nutrtitious goodies plus they're inexpensive and fill you up as well, which is the main thing.

A fan of Steven Erikson Anomander?

[NorthstarUK]

Also I have no idea what flax seeds are or what they do can someone fill me in please?

Flax seeds are also called Linseed you can buy a big bag in a health food store for a couple of quid, they are a great source of protein, good fat, omega 3 and calories. Easy to throw a handful into a bowl of museli, porridge or yoghurt. Get ground ones if you can and chuck em in a shake too.

Ditto the peanut butter with Soofy

[Anomander]

Cheers guys though i have no idea where im gettin flax seeds or where to get natural peanut butter. My other question is how important is fish oil i have some in tablet form and there fairly standard Boots own brand but im not sure of the importance of these things. Someone on another thread mentioned buying a cheap non tableted form and having a tea spoon full before a meal and i dont mind the taste (in fact if something tastes horrible i prefer it as it feels like im doing something good for my body ). I also realised i was having very little potatoe which is a cheap source so im having a jacket potatoe with my salad and possibly the mince in the evening. this will mean i use less mince and salad per meal which can only be good.

And yes massive Erikson fan and this is the first forum ive EVER been on where the name Anomander hasnt been taken

[itsbruce]

Forget the fish oil; just eat some oily fish. Smoked mackerel fillets are good, easy to find in the supermarket and not expensive. Stick a couple of peppered mackerel fillets on a slice or two of wholemeal bread and you have a meal.