New Vegan Struggling with Consuming Adequate Protein w/out Consuming too Many Carbs

CattOfTheGarage

I red lentils.

kshama2001

daydreamingveg wrote: »

Hello. As the title states; I'm new to veganism and am trying to ensure I am hitting my MFP numbers, specifically protein. I always wind up being 15-25 grams short on protein. I regularly consume Daiya greek yogurts, spirulina, beans, ezekiel bread, nuts and oats, and of course veggies. I find that if I were to hit my protein goals then I'd most likely exceed my carb goals and potentially my fat goals, I'm usually slightly under my calorie goals as well, but only by a couple hundred on average. I would prefer not to rely heavily on soy products, but I am considering switching my almond milk in my morning smoothie for soy milk and could definitely add some edamame as well. I suppose my real question is: Do the MFP goals accurately reflect realistic goals for vegans? And, is exceeding my carb and fat goals acceptable in order to hit my protein goals?

Any supportive advice would be appreciated.

The MFP default macros are just a starting place. There are a few vegans here who have mentioned shooting for 60 C 20 F 20 Protein. When I lived in yoga communities, my vegan friends certainly ate a lot more carbs than I did, and were happy, healthy, and fit.

Does soy milk have enough protein to make a difference? What about a pea protein powder in your morning smoothie?

Here are some vegan recipes featuring beans or lentils: http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipe/search/ ?f[0]=field_special_diet:158786&f[1]=field_recipe_main_ingredient:789

harrietbradley18

I swear by soya protein chunks from Holland and Barrett. They're 50g of protein per 100g which is practically unheard of - vegan or otherwise! You hydrate them yourself at home which can seem intimidating but I promise you if I can do it then anyone can. I do mine in stock, nutritional yeast and soy sauce and then fry them, but my dad prefers to stick them in a sauce or curry and do it that way, either is fine. There's also a mince made of the same stuff with the same protein content.

It's such a good way to boost your protein intake for the day because you have to eat hardly any of it to make a massive difference. Also it's super filling so depending on whether you're trying to lose or gain weight, this may also be a pro for you.

HeliumIsNoble

daydreamingveg wrote: »

Do the MFP goals accurately reflect realistic goals for vegans? And, is exceeding my carb and fat goals acceptable in order to hit my protein goals?

Any supportive advice would be appreciated.

I totally and utterly ignore the carb goals. After a week, I decided that trying to keep under the carb threshold while also hitting the protein threshold (which is important to me for sport-related goals) would have meant food-planning would have taken over my life for the next fortnight, before I just gave up on mfp and dieting in disgust.

My high-carb, high-fat, on-target protein diet seems to be working out for me so far, so long as I pay attention to portion size.

pinksparklefairy

Spinach and broccoli are low-calorie but provide a decent amount of protein.

You could also add some protein powder to your smoothies.

If they sell it where you live, Quorn is a great diet food. Not great for you, but an easy low-calorie food and high in protein. They have some vegan products nowadays.

Lounmoun

"And, is exceeding my carb and fat goals acceptable in order to hit my protein goals? "

They are just recommendations. If you are vegan I'd say you are going to eat more carbs and don't worry about it.
I am not vegan but I look at my calorie goal first then my protein goal and don't really worry about the rest.

chunky_pinup

I would suggest moving from your Almond Milk to a pea-based milk like Ripple. Soy-free, and has a lot more protein per serving than Almond milk is going to have. You can find it at most Target or Whole Foods, as well as other retailers.

Did you set your own macro goals? Or are you going off of the goals that MFP spit out for you? Is there a reason you're fearful of going over on Carbs? Do you have a dietary restriction from a MD or a medical condition? If not, there really isn't any reason to be fearful of carbs. So long as you're burning more calories than you're consuming, the weight will come off.

I've been vegan nearly my entire life. I've lowered my carbs, raised my protein, lowered my protein, raised my carbs, lowered and raised my fat....the only thing that helped me lose weight was to focus on the calories.

janejellyroll

You've already gotten a lot of great advice, but I'll chime in. I ignored my carbohydrate goal when I was losing weight, I just focused on getting enough protein and fat. I lost over 40 pounds this way and am still maintaining it.

I do think switching out your almond milk for soy milk (or a pea-based milk, like Ripple -- don't worry, it doesn't taste anything like peas!) would be an easy switch. Seitan has a *lot* of protein without a lot of carbohydrates. I personally reduced my fruit when I was losing weight because I was getting lots of vitamins and fiber elsewhere and it wasn't satisfying enough for the calories without much protein or fat -- this gave me more room for snacks with protein. It's optional, but worth considering if you aren't a big fan of fruit anyway. When I did have it, it was almost always in the form of a smoothie (now that I'm maintaining and have more calories each day, I have more fruit).

At the end of the day, your weight loss will come from consistently being in a deficit.

savithny

The only sources of *pure* protein are animal proteins. Every plant protein comes with at least SOME carbs and/or fat attached to it. You can buy it "mechanically separated" (in the form of soy protein powders, etc), but if you're eating whole foods, your protein and carbs are pretty tightly linked as a vegan.

cwolfman13

daydreamingveg wrote: »

Hello. As the title states; I'm new to veganism and am trying to ensure I am hitting my MFP numbers, specifically protein. I always wind up being 15-25 grams short on protein. I regularly consume Daiya greek yogurts, spirulina, beans, ezekiel bread, nuts and oats, and of course veggies. I find that if I were to hit my protein goals then I'd most likely exceed my carb goals and potentially my fat goals, I'm usually slightly under my calorie goals as well, but only by a couple hundred on average. I would prefer not to rely heavily on soy products, but I am considering switching my almond milk in my morning smoothie for soy milk and could definitely add some edamame as well. I suppose my real question is: Do the MFP goals accurately reflect realistic goals for vegans? And, is exceeding my carb and fat goals acceptable in order to hit my protein goals?

Any supportive advice would be appreciated.

MFP just has default macro settings for everyone...you can change them...macro breakdowns are a pretty individual thing.

Vegans and vegetarians typically eat higher carbohydrate diets...there are exceptions, but that's kind of how that all works out naturally.