Vegan macro advice!

marianwgibson

I’m new to being vegan and counting macros for a fitness plan. It’s not easy getting in my protein carbs and fats right where I want them. Soy hasn’t been so great on my body so I’m looking for some other options. Also is it different for vegans to count macros?

AmandaDanceMore

I find you have to allow for more carbs because fruits and veggies have lots of carbs (it’s not like you’re eating a loaf of bread, though. Way different). I am working with a personal trainer who uses macros right now and I’m his first full on vegan and we’re struggling to find macros that I can come even close to hitting. I ate two cups of broccoli today at lunch and sailed way past my intended carb goal! And the first protein goal he gave me was impossible to get (especially since I am in weight loss mode). It’s still a work in progress.

Do you have numbers in mind?

kimny72

Macros are personal preference, though the general rec is to aim for 0.8g of protein and 0.3g of fat per lb of body weight.

If you search "vegan protein" I'm sure there have been previous threads discussing vegan sources of protein. I'm not vegan so can't help you there!

mutantspicy

Lentils, Peas, Chick Peas, Black Beans, Are my staples. Add in nuts, spinach, kale, etc. Plenty of protein. The hard one is getting enough iron. I'm not purely vegan, I do some low fat dairy. But I eat mostly vegan meals, have no problem getting enough protein. I'm almost always over my fiber and protein numbers, but not on my overall carbs. I'm usually pretty even split 33% on my macros, and I don't eat tofu. Not because I'm in tolerant, I just only like it for certain things. Not really a fan, and Its not really necessary as staple, it comes in handy when trying make meat or cheese replacements. IMO High FIber Carbs are fine for weightloss, which is what you get from legumes, and vegetables. The carbs / sugars you get from fruit are useful for workout energy. You don't need to cut carbs to lose weight. If you get past that just monitor your calories, and how you actually feel.

mutantspicy

Just as long you are not way out of balance. I don't think macros are too critical for weight loss. OTOH Macros are critical when trying to make gains, building lean muscle mass. .

RodaRose

Fruit has very little protein. Eat beans, chickpeas, lentils, nutritional yeast, hempseed, green peas, chia seeds.

gem_t_86

I'm having issues with macros too. I'm always way under my iron and mostly under my protein goals but over on the carbs. I am eating the right things though, had chickpeas, chia seeds, nuts and lentils today but still under the protein goal.

janejellyroll

vegangem86 wrote: »

I'm having issues with macros too. I'm always way under my iron and mostly under my protein goals but over on the carbs. I am eating the right things though, had chickpeas, chia seeds, nuts and lentils today but still under the protein goal.

Is your protein goal the MFP default or something you custom set?

When you review your diary, are you seeing any high carbohydrate/lower protein foods that may be keeping you from meeting your goal (common things might be things like fruit, grains, sweeteners like sugar, agave, or maple syrup, etc)? It's hard to use nuts to meet your protein goal while also hitting a calorie goal just because they are so calorie-dense. I typically look at them as a good source of fat. Have you tried adding additional protein-rich foods like tofu, tempeh, soy milk, seitan, or protein powders (rice/hemp/soy/pea) to your diet?