I'm interested to know if everyone hits their daily protein "requirement" on fitness pal

JalynRose1

If so, what veg products do you eat that are high in protein? Are they processed veg "meats" or whole foods? My requirement is 60 and I'm having trouble making it over 50!

I eat beans, lentils, quinoa, chickpeas, almond butter, nut trail mix, etc every day and I'm still not making it! I'm considering vegan protein shakes, but I'm looking for other whole food suggestions.

I have seen other posters in the forums mention chia seeds. I have them, but the only way I have made them is as an overnight pudding and the texture kind of grossed me out. Any other ideas of how to add these guys in?

tlharin

I work hard to hit my goal, which is like yours on rest days and gets bumped to 70 or so g on running/hiking days. I do eat dairy, which helps a lot: often my most protein-filled meal is my breakfast of Greek yogurt and granola, coming in at a whopping 30 g. The granola I eat *is* protein-boosted ("Bear Naked Original Cinnamon 10 g Protein") and I love it because I'm not a fan of shakes/smoothies (dislike drinking my calories, ya know?). Other small gains can be made by consciously choosing whole wheat breads, which tend to be higher in protein, and even being choosy about *which* beans you're eating the most--chickpeas have about 3 g less per cup than white beans or lentils.

JalynRose1

Thanks for the tips! I'm trying to be vegan for the moment, but when I was vegetarian (last week, lol) I also did the greek yogurt every morning and it really helped to boost my protein for the day. I was getting close, but still not quite hitting the mark. I think I use up to many calories with fruits for snacks in between meals. Maybe a good plan for tomorrow would be to substitute one of the fruits with edamame or something.

Merkavar

I'm not vegetarian, sort of considering it.

I would reach my goal of 96 grams. Assuming my logging is accurate etc

What I plan to eat today would get me to 129g but includes some meat. So if I subtract the meat products I'm down to 88 grams, add in a Greek yogurt with blueberries and I'm back up to 102 ish.

I think the main source for me is lentils eggs milk yogurt

JoeyFrappuccino

My goal is around 90 and I'm usually about 10 or so grams short. I eat half a block of tofu most days which is a big help. I eat legumes every day as well, they're really the best source of protein vegans have barring fake meat products. I do eat those a few times a year though, usually in the summer during barbecues.

My breakfast is usually oats with some kind of nut butter, which I eat specifically for the fat which I have more trouble getting than protein, though it usually has around 16g of protein too (510 calories/24g fat).

Chia seeds are great too but they're not a very good source of protein. I mix them with a banana, berries, flaxseed meal and almond milk for a smoothie. You don't have to soak them overnight, just add them before you blend and they won't get the weird texture.

rainbowbow

The only way I can reach my protein goal is to include dairy into my diet. Here's what i do...

Breakfast:
Fage 0% Fat individual cup
100 cals and 18g protein
Teaspoon of local honey and a small handful of berries (50 cals)

Lunch:
Lentil soup, Vegetarian black bean chili, Felafel pita sandwich, or Amy's frozen meal
300-ish calories and 15g protein
I usually include some version of sliced carrots, cucumbers, or apples as a crunchy and cold addition (around 100 cals)

Snack:
Quest Bar or 1 Scoop of whey protein with ice cold water
120-170 cals and 20-25g protein

Then i work out and Sip on BCAAS.

This leaves me with 700 cals or so for dinner where i can eat whatever i want and not have to worry about hitting my protein goal.

In the past i decided to drink two scoops of protein before work (250 cals and 50g protein) that way i could just eat whatever it is i wanted throughout the day without purposely trying to hit my protein goal.

rainbowbow

vinegar_husbands wrote: »

Also, are you tracking iron and/or B12? Since it's your first week being vegan, I would suggest doing that.

Keep in mind that stuff like nuts and seeds are mainly a source of fat. And !!PLEASE!! use a food scale. You could be eating so much more than you think.

I also suggest you track this. I have iron deficiency anemia which causes some anxiety problems, heavy painful periods, super paleness/fatigue if i dont consistently take my iron supplement.

Same with B12 deficiency, i start having nail problems, low energy, angular cheilitis, canker soars, etc.

This is seriously no joke. I also have to take a vitamin D supplement. Vitamin D and B you can buy anywhere, but for the Iron i suggest you take Spatone as it's the only iron i can take without having cramping/constipation/GI Issues. It's a naturally occuring water that is rich in Iron and you just add it to juice (oj is the best since vitamin c helps the absorption of iron).


Lastly, i agree wholeheartedly that nuts/seeds/etc. are SOOOO much higher in calories than they're generally worth. Seriously i ate 6-700 calories in peanuts within 5 minutes. You'll also see a bunch of dumb "clean eating" "totally raw vegan" recipes which are usually 1,500 cals PLUS and use things like cashews, avocados, sesame, dates, figs, etc. Be weary of these items you may see on social media, 9/10 they are significantly worse than their "original" counterpart.

atynk

I was worried about protein and losing muscles while vegan, as i am very athletic. I have no problem getting in my protein a day looks like this

breakfast- protein pancakes ( banana, flax, sun warrior protein powder, chia seeds, maca powder)
after workout - protein shake

lunch- chickpea/avacado sandwich on ezikeil, veggies

snack- apple with almond butter

dinner- lentil sloppy joes with salad

snack- roasted chickpeas

hope this helps

rh091

My current protein goal is 97 g on a 1550 daily calories. I think I have the macro set at either 25% or 30% for protein. Most days I get a minimum of 80 but usually hit between 85 and 95 g. I am vegetarian and do rely quite a bit on dairy to help get my protein requirements.

Protein rich staples in my diet are: 0% greek yogurt, 1% cottage cheese, goat cheese, eggs, spinach, peanut butter, lentils, chickpeas (and hummus), quinoa, almonds, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, hemp seeds, whole grain bread, broccoli, edamame beans, black beans.

I eat tofu and add soy milk to my tea sometimes- I try to limit my intake of soy products, and don't eat any processed fake meat products.

I also have vega one all-in-one nutritional shake powder that I use occasionally in smoothies which adds 15g of protein. I also occasionally eat protein bars before going to the gym as an afternoon snack.

rh091

I agree on watching your vitamin levels. I take a vegan multivitamin and a B12 supplement. I've been fine on iron as a vegetarian for the past six years, but without meat you can't get enough B12.

amyjeanw84

atynk,

Could you give me your lentil Sloppy Joes recipe?? Thank you!

amyjeanw84

rainbowbow wrote: »

vinegar_husbands wrote: »

Also, are you tracking iron and/or B12? Since it's your first week being vegan, I would suggest doing that.


Lastly, i agree wholeheartedly that nuts/seeds/etc. are SOOOO much higher in calories than they're generally worth. Seriously i ate 6-700 calories in peanuts within 5 minutes. You'll also see a bunch of dumb "clean eating" "totally raw vegan" recipes which are usually 1,500 cals PLUS and use things like cashews, avocados, sesame, dates, figs, etc. Be weary of these items you may see on social media, 9/10 they are significantly worse than their "original" counterpart.

I was recently trying to eat more "raw vegan" but ended up gaining weight because a lot of the recipes have a lot of nuts, avocados etc. I agree with being careful with this. They are healthy but lots of calories and fats if your trying to lose weight.

LeilaTurk

I always go over with protein. I try to only eat veg things high in protein, low in calories and sodium. My go to is lentils! Sometimes I buy them pre cooked at trader joes, other times I will make a big batch and munch of them for days. I will add a little bit of trader joes yellow curry sauce, about 1/4 cup for every 4 cups lentils. Also! I've been eating think thin bars when I'm in a hurry in the morning. Low sugar and 20 grams of protein! Smooth peanut butter is my favorite. If I have the time, I eat 2-3 eggs on a half or whole English muffin.

For snacks I'll do edamame. A cup of lentil soup is wonderful too. I found an awesome recipe and so far I've made two batches.

Best of luck!!

LeilaTurk

P.S. Here is that great lentil kale carrot soup recipe! I make a huge batch and freeze half of it. I only use half the salsa it calls for and 8 cups of veg stock instead of 6. No need to add any salt, the sodium in the salsa takes care of it.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/220173/amazing-lentils-and-kale/

jamiesharp88

I rarely meet my protein goal and rarely worry about it! Check out the work by Garth Davis MD, new book coming out, "proteinaholic"

jamiesharp88

And I usually add chia seeds to my oatmeal or a smoothie!

SarafromOrleans

I definitely don't . I think the protein numbers are way too high on this site.

jillebean86

I usually make it to about 70-80% of my protein goal. Protein-rich foods tend also to be calorie-rich foods that take time to prepare; eating low-calorie foods on the go works better with my lifestyle. I think it's more important to focus on getting complete protein - all the essential amino acids - than to worry about how much.

selrold

Isle my own Seitan, low sodium, and absolutely easy and delicious. I ground it, sauté it, slice it and stir fry it. I am Vegan and no more protein issues. Oh o make my wraps with it too.
I make eggless "egg salad." Live love love it!

HappyAnna2014

Tofu is really high in protein and iron. I tofu. Also, I have soy powder that I mix in drinks. Most days I get between 80 and 100 g protein.