So I discovered that seitan is a thing and the protein density is insane. I bought a bag of Bob's Red Mill VWG but have messed it up the couple times I tried. It ends up gooey. I don't have a steamer basket.
So what's the most basic/easiest way to make seitan? I plan on using it in stir fries or as the protein for Fettuccine Alfredo.
I'm in my mid 20s and trying to build muscle. Even with my main job being sedentary, my daily energy needs are high. My weekend job burns a lot of calories (retail), I strength train 3x a week, swim once a week, and walk or ebike to all my destinations (about 40-50 miles a week).
Right now my goal is 3,000 calories a day; the scale stays stable at 2,700-2,800 and I weigh 145lb.
I am a pescetarian but only eat canned fish 3ish times a week (averages $4-$6 a week); the rest of my diet is lacto-ovo vegetarian. And I spend around $350-$400 a month combining groceries (including nonfood household items) and the occasional takeout.
I say all this because I see so many posts about feeding families for the same amount or less. It makes me wonder if I'm doing frugal shopping wrong despite cutting out almost all of the most expensive food groups.
I don't see myself going vegetarian, but I've been thinking about taking algae oil (fish oil is pointless IMO since I like fatty fish) and reducing fish intake to special occasions or when I'm in the mood for it.
Pros and cons?
Really this question is for anyone who tracks macros I guess.
I understand protein is key for building muscle (though 1g per lb isn't necessary like advertised), carbs for energy and fuel, and fat for hormones.
But I seem to go over on fats by as much as 20g and under on carbs by 50-100g. Maybe it's because a lot of pescetarian protein sources are also fat sources? (Like fish, eggs, cheese, etc)
Single servings of canned tuna are my staple for fast food at home. Only downside is it's light calorically so I'll need a snack before bed. Still cheaper than fast food.
Coming out of a deficit and wanting to focus on building muscle without getting fat. I asked ChatGPT to make a physique pic of me if I ate in a 200-300 calorie surplus and maintained my current levels of strength training and cardio. Its projection is a 10-15 pound increase of my current weight but 3-4% lower in body fat.
It's inspiring, but is it too good to be true?
It's never made sense to me. You can get 6-7 servings of dry pasta for the price of 1 hamburger helper. HH doesn't include the protein, and ground beef prices are outrageous.
I ask because it's always been associated as a poor man's food, but mathematically it works out to be a D-tier luxury.
No, I'm not talking like paying $0.10 more for a box of pasta or price changes years from now. I'm talking $8lb for chicken breast, 2x prices for rice, price increases across the board like we've seen for beef and coffee and within the next few months.
I'm a bus driver and planned on using my small bonus to stock up on staples as summer comes around. But I'm wondering if I need to stock up even more as food becomes even more expensive – if it can even reach the store.
Thought about this because I keep reading about the war in Iran and farmers on the brink of economic collapse – as in they're so broke they can't even afford to transport crops or livestock.