Vegan Protein Intake?

maemahe3

Hello all!

I've been a vegan for almost 2.5 years and always got teased "how are you alive?" "where do you get your protein?". I laughed it off and continued eating my avo-sandwhiches and soups.

Now I've learned how to track my macros and my protein intake is SO low.

I have been tring to eat.. blocks of tofu? cans of beans? but I'm still so very low.

Any help or advice on this topic?

Thank you!

fuzzylop72

Peas, beans, meat substitutes, tofu, seitan and odds and ends here and there from veggies, nuts, and seeds. I also consume some protein powder to reach 0.8-1.0g/lb on relatively low calories (although my calories have come up a bit recently).

maemahe3

So would you recommend adding protein powder to my diet? Do you add it to foods or drink your protein? Thank you!

fuzzylop72

I'd go for food first, including things like tofu and seitan, and if you still need more, you can consider other measures. A lot of it depends on the calories you have to work with -- the lower the calories, the more calorie efficient the protein has to be.

mariekenji26

vega brand is my favorite. i get the french vanilla, make it with almond milk and frozen fruit.

maemahe3

Thanks you guys! I love tofu, seitan and tempeh.. but I also love fruits and rice which is difficult as I have a 1200 cal intake at the moment. I'll try vega.. I've been meaning to purchase some but its an investment!

fuzzylop72

maemahe3 wrote: »

Thanks you guys! I love tofu, seitan and tempeh.. but I also love fruits and rice which is difficult as I have a 1200 cal intake at the moment. I'll try vega.. I've been meaning to purchase some but its an investment!

How much protein are you aiming to get? Things like seitan really help a lot, since the amount of protein is quite high, although it is lacking in tryptophan (although not in lysine, as is commonly reported per RD Jack Norris - http://jacknorrisrd.com/seitan-a-high-lysine-food/). As long as it's not your only source of protein, it's fine.

vallary14

Quinoa is also a great protein source as it’s the only other plant protein that’s a complete protein. It isn’t low calorie but it sounds like you need to focus on foods that fill your nutrient needs first so I would definitely plan one meal with a decent serving of it. This is one thing that I like to meal prep because it goes well with a lot of other foods for an easy lunch, it’s very nutrient dense and even good cold. Just wondering though why you’re limiting yourself to 1200 calories per day? Unless a Dr is advising that low of an intake that sounds almost dangerous.

maemahe3

Fuzzylop72 - I usually put some in wraps or salads, 4-9oz's. I'll try to incorporate it more often maybe? I'm aiming for 116.. I usually only get 50-70 a day when I actually put effort in my protein intake!

Vallary14 - I looove quinoa! I usually have it with tofu and brocolli, but I never eat to much of it at a time. I'll try to have a larger serving sometime this week
I weigh 116 right now and my trainer advised 1200 to meet my weight goal of 110 by July 10th. I only regularly eat 1400 anyways.

Rocbola

Low by who's standards? People have been convinced that they need a lot more protein than they actually do. Just curious, by percentage of calories, how much you actually get?

vallary14

Rocbola has a good point and if OP only weighs 116 lb her RDA would be about 42g. Yes, that’s a minimum but 100+ isn’t necessary nor is it realistic on a 1200 cal plant based diet.

fuzzylop72

The RDA is not appropriate when you're on a calorie deficit, and will often result in lean mass loss. 0.7/lb is generally the minimum recommended on a deficit, with 0.8 - 1.0/lb if you'reon a strength program (on the higher side if you're older, or consuming mostly plant proteins due to the slightly lower bioavailability of plant based protein).

https://bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/protein-intake-while-dieting-qa.html/

nickssweetheart

fuzzylop72 wrote: »

The RDA is not appropriate when you're on a calorie deficit, and will often result in lean mass loss. 0.7/lb is generally the minimum recommended on a deficit, with 0.8 - 1.0/lb if you'reon a strength program (on the higher side if you're older, or consuming mostly plant proteins due to the slightly lower bioavailability of plant based protein).

https://bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/protein-intake-while-dieting-qa.html/

Still, .7 per lb would only be 81 g for this poster, so aiming for 116 on a 1200 cal diet...

honestly I eat almost twice that many calories, and I don't consistently hit that level of protein.

janejellyroll

maemahe3 wrote: »

Thanks you guys! I love tofu, seitan and tempeh.. but I also love fruits and rice which is difficult as I have a 1200 cal intake at the moment. I'll try vega.. I've been meaning to purchase some but its an investment!

I chose to cut down on the grains and fruit when I was losing because I found it too challenging to get sufficient protein and be at my calorie goal. It wasn't forever -- once I was no longer at a deficit, I was able to increase them again because I had more calories each day.

When I was losing, I found protein powder, tofu, seitan, and tempeh to be some of my favorite higher protein foods. They're all pretty reasonable for calories. I would often roast a big batch of vegetables and have it with tempeh sausage, grilled seitan, or baked tofu or have tofu scramble for breakfast for lunch, mixing it with a lot of vegetables (I found big portions of vegetables helped me feel fuller, your experience may vary).

geneticsteacher

How low is low?

"A high-protein diet during middle age was associated with higher mortality in a new study. In adults over 65, however, a high-protein diet was linked to lower mortality."

https://nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/protein-consumption-linked-longevity

fuzzylop72

geneticsteacher wrote: »

How low is low?

"A high-protein diet during middle age was associated with higher mortality in a new study. In adults over 65, however, a high-protein diet was linked to lower mortality."

https://nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/protein-consumption-linked-longevity

Unfortunately, it's a correlation study based on food diaries. That's not really a study that can determine a causal relationship -- you need metabolic ward studies for that. The fact that the correlation wasn't even identified when the protein wasn't animal derived sort of makes it seem out of place on a vegan protein thread whether you think a correlation study is good enough or not.

rhondamacleod1958

I add PB2 powder to Vega Protein and Greens

AmandaDanceMore

I found, when working with a trainer pushing me to keep my carbs low but my protein high (we compromised on around 100g a day for my calorie goal of 1320) that I was basically living on protein shakes and tofu scrambles. I had a few other tricks (chickpea pasta, protein bars, etc), and I could hit my protein goal, but I almost always went over the carbs because plants are carbs. For me, personally, it was a painful and and boring existence. I’m much happier more or less ignoring my macros (I pay a modicum of attention, but use MFP’s preset numbers), so I can eat a wider variety of food with less supplements. I can hit 50-60g without trying when I’m being good, and can hit 80 with just a little work. But I don’t worry about the carbs now, which is a big help. I missed fruit.

rj0150684

I’m not vegan, but lentils are a great source of protein, fiber and a bunch of micros. Plus, they’ll take on whatever flavor you put in them so they can taste like whatever you want.

ck2307

I’ve been vegan for about the same amount of time and have experienced the same comments about my protein intake from others. Fortunately, I eat a lot of the sources listed above and haven’t had a problem getting my protein. But when I’m working out and I want a little extra, I’m a big fan of Orgain’s vegan protein. It’s the only protein power I’ve found that has a really great flavor and it’s reasonably priced, especially if bought in bulk!

saintor1

Proteins intake is overrated. I stick to RDA requirements meaning for me generally 55-65g of proteins for a 160lbs frame, or about 0.4g/lbs. I am not vegan but eat only 1-2 small portions of meat per week.

Amy8Lyn

maemahe3 wrote: »

Fuzzylop72 - I usually put some in wraps or salads, 4-9oz's. I'll try to incorporate it more often maybe? I'm aiming for 116.. I usually only get 50-70 a day when I actually put effort in my protein intake!

Vallary14 - I looove quinoa! I usually have it with tofu and brocolli, but I never eat to much of it at a time. I'll try to have a larger serving sometime this week
I weigh 116 right now and my trainer advised 1200 to meet my weight goal of 110 by July 10th. I only regularly eat 1400 anyways.

I'm vegan and keto and I aim for 70g a day and I have no issue hitting this without shakes most days and without going over my carbs. I think many of the above comments are right, we are beat over the head that we need to eat these large amounts of protein to be healthy and its not always the case. If you really feel the need to get more than you have now you can try increasing your protein portions (tofu etc) a little bit each mean, or add in a vegan shake. I found trying to hit anything over 100 too difficult to do without a large calorie change. maybe try that and see how you feel?