Starting vegetarian - help!

tobeafool

About a week ago I started to cut meat out of my diet. I have officially succeeded but am noticing a massive jump in my carbs and drop in my protein. I know cheese can be a good source of protein but don't want to rely on it too much as I'd like to cut it out eventually as well and I don't eat eggs due to a mild allergy to them. Any protein suggestions or good vegetarian/vegan recipe sites, etc. anyone could help out with? Thanks!

RuNaRoUnDaFiEld

Yoghurt
Cottage cheese
Tofu
Tempeh
Seitan
Chick peas
Lentils
Mushrooms
Broccoli
Peas

Old_Cat_Lady

I'm starting slow. No red meat at first. I can't imagine giving up salmon.
Healthier stores have something TVP. Textured Vegetable Protein. http://www.bobsredmill.com/tvp-textured-veg-protein.html
Eggs. Cheap 99cent eggs make me ill for a good hour (laying on a bed holding stomach). Then I tried Egglands Best. No problems! I tried switching back and forth many times and same thing.
I also can handle the Kirkland cage free eggs very well. So, maybe try a new brand? Makes me wonder what they are feeding chickens.

susanofarrell

I like this cookbook. It's mostly Vegan, but clearly has some egg and cheese recipes (which I avoid). It's big. Maybe see if the library has it to give it a try.

Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone
Author: Deborah Madison

Cat3141

Good sources of plant protein include
beans/legumes of all sorts
peas (technically a legume)
tofu
tempeh
seitan
nuts
texturized vegetable protein (TVP)
soy curls
soy milk (but not other plant milks)
many mock meat products
Whole grains

Some grains are generally higher in protein, pasta, millet, and quinoa are all fairly high in protein. If you want to add dairy, yogurt, cottage cheese, and milk are all reasonable choices. Vegetables, even those with a high percentage of calories from protein are not generally good sources of protein because they are low in calories--for example, broccoli gets about a third of its calories from protein, but a 100 gram serving of broccoli has less than 3 grams of protein. I don't mention this to discourage you from eating vegetables, just don't count on them for protein.

This is intended for vegans, but it may be helpful for you as well, it's called the plant plate:

http://www.theveganrd.com/vegan-nutrition-101/food-guide-for-vegans/

Another guide, again intended for vegans but also relevant for lacto vegetarians is

http://www.theveganrd.com/2017/01/7-tips-for-sticking-with-your-new-vegan-diet/

I'm vegan, if you'd like to poke around my diary you can send me a friend request.

MissContortifid

Vegetarian with an open diary to friends. I'd connect with other vegetarians and vegans and just see if there's anything that jumps out at you. Swap recipes and ideas. Rely on the community for a little bit of support. And it's okay if you decide that a meatless diet doesn't work for you. Everyone is different and that's okay.

AnnPT77

Take a look at this thread (link below). It links to a spreadsheet that lists many foods by protein efficiency: Highest protein for fewest calories. Scroll through it, find foods you like, eat more of them. As a veg, you'll have to scroll past the meaty/fishy parts, but the veg options are there.

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10247171/carbs-and-fats-are-cheap-heres-a-guide-to-getting-your-proteins-worth-fiber-also

(I've been ovo-lacto veg for 43 years, and now, in maintenance, easily get 100g+ protein daily, for my 120-something-pound body weight. True, quite a bit is from dairy, which I like and see as very suitable given my Northern European ancestry, and pretty much none of it is from fake meat (yuck, IMO) or protein supplements (real food is tastier, IMO).)

One tip would be to review your MFP diary, looking for relatively higher calorie items that have little/no protein. Reduce or eliminate those, replacing them with something else you enjoy - from that spreadsheet, say. Rinse'n'repeat until you're hitting your protein goal.

There are foods in every category - veggies, fruits, grains, snacks, beverages, etc. - that have protein. You'll be surprised how a bit here and a bit there will add up. Because so many foods we veggies eat are incomplete in terms of essential amino acids, its good to get some extra grams, and to mix up the sources over time, rather than getting in a rut and eating the same things over & over.

DanyellMcGinnis

I don't track macros. (Been a vegetarian for 24 years come next month.) But I would guess I eat like 60% carbs and much less protein and fat. I have good bloodwork numbers (e.g., total cholesterol is about 165, fasting glucose in normal range, etc.). I did switch to almost all whole grains some years ago, which fixed a triglyceride problem I was having. But I seem to be doing fine on a high carb diet. Lost 45 pounds last year and have maintained for 7 months.

(Diary is open to friends. Don't go by the last week or so as I had oral surgery and had a trip to the ER and am on soft foods so exercise levels, calories, food choices, etc. are not representative.)

jilleebee77

This site has helped me a lot. I am not vegetarian or vegan. It has helped me get ideas for "meatless Mondays" and what not...

https://www.eatthismuch.com/

It will also help (I believe the page will come up) build a meal plan within a calorie range and if you have certain food preferences. You can also mess with Macros on there too to get specific amounts as well.

KaleidoscopeEyes8

I am vegetarian (about 20 years in the making) and try to limit my dairy, so I understand the struggle. Check out nomeatathlete.com. You can sign up for his free course (http://www.nomeatathlete.com/get-started) and he will send you a "best plant-based sources of protein" PDF that's very handy. I can't seem to find a version of it online, or I'd send a link to that instead.

ansmit4642014

I have been a vegetarian for 3 years and have gained 45 pounds. Now I'm trying to lose weight by eating more protien and less carbs. I eat cottage cheese, protien powder, fake meats, Greek yogurt, and tofu. This is not my ideal diet but it's what is working to get the weight off.