From propoganda I used to read from PETA, they used to say the typical meat eater gets more protien than they need. Anyone have any insight?
I would say to drop the "typical meat eater" or "typical American" from your head entirely. Most of us here are not typical. A lot of people ride 10 hours a week or more and can tell you how many grams of saturated fat were in their dinner last night. You can get yourself reversed quickly if you assume anything.
I eat meat, but not a lot. I always assumed that I got plenty of protein. About 4 months ago I was talking to someone on the team about how flat I was feeling and they suggested my protein intake was too low. So I started tracking my food again and it was absurdly low. By the time I would get home for dinner some days I would have taken in 20 grams.
Estimates for what you should eat are .5 to 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. I'm in the mid 180s now and shoot for a minimum of 100. If I ride in the 1.5+ hour range, I try to shoot for 150g. If I'm off the charts (4+ hours) I'll be in the 200g realm. I find that I sleep better if I make sure I get enough.
I added an egg (or 2) to breakfast, as well as whey protein at night. Whey is much more bioavailable than soy. That just means your body can use it more efficiently to repair your muscles. There are mixed opinions on soy, and when it comes to the powders, I would say you should go for whey. I use
this. They probably have it at your local Shop Rite.
Do not buy chocolate flavor, it sucks.
Whole grain breads often have a good 5g a slice, a bagel will have 10g. Accelerade and many sports drinks have 5g a serving. Clif bars have 10g. Dairy of course has some but be careful on your cheeses as many have only trace amounts. I think provolone is one of the higher ones. I snack on almonds/cashews at work, which adds a little. Note that peanut butter is slightly lower on the protein (and nutrition) scale than almond/cashew butter. Combine that with beans and the amount you get in your normal diet, and you should be good.
Take that all in, put it in a blender, and maybe something useful applies to you. Nothing works for everyone, and that's my experience/approach.