Need Protein options for vegetarian

jaimejesse
jaimejesse Posts: 6
in Food and Nutrition
I can see that I am lacking protein everyday. Is there somewhere on here that will offer me good choices to get good lean protein without eating meat, fish, eggs, or milk? Any advice, appreciated.

Replies

  • FFfitgirl
    FFfitgirl Posts: 369 Member
    Edamame has 10 protein per serving
  • followzyzz
    followzyzz Posts: 10
    Protein powder.
  • oneblackwing
    oneblackwing Posts: 9 Member
    So... here is what I do.

    Edamame for the win. I eat half a cup to a cup nearly every day.

    Beans in general, but Black beans, I only like them in soup.

    Any salads you have, switch to spinach and kale, yes it won't be drastic but it helps.

    Although I dislike it, Greek yogurt can really help. Stony field organic has a ridiculous amount in it.

    Nuts, nut butters, seeds, flaxseeds in moderation.

    Then we can Quinoa or tofu, tempeh, in a variety of ways.
  • jaimejesse
    jaimejesse Posts: 6
    Thank you! Those are all great ideas.
  • itsbasschick
    itsbasschick Posts: 1,584 Member
    so you're vegan, not vegetarian. how about soy milk or quinoa?
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    garbanzo and other beans
    lentils
    spinach and other greens
    hemp
    flax seed
    chia seeds
    quinoa
    nuts
    sunflower seeds
    pumpkin seeds
    broccoli -- (one cup has 4 grams)
  • Brownsbacker4evr
    Brownsbacker4evr Posts: 365 Member
    I saw someone already put it, but wanted to second Beans and Nuts.Idk the vegetarian stance on protein powder, when it comes to the ingredients in it, so look into that maybe too.
  • showmemary
    showmemary Posts: 14
    TOFU! I started a group about tofu. come join it!
  • nopeNOEP
    nopeNOEP Posts: 5
    i recommend edamame as well, but i eat mine dry roasted. the 'seapoint farms' brand has cheap and nicely-sized bags of it in several varieties; the lightly salted ones have 14g of protein per serving.

    i would also highly suggest lentils, which have 18g of protein per cup (have you ever tried making a shepherd's pie with them? so good), tempeh has a whole 30g per cup, etc etc. just google "vegan protein sources" for plenty of options.
  • Zombielicious
    Zombielicious Posts: 246 Member
    You will never get 100% health your body needs if you stay that way. Anyway nuts, and beans are great sources


    Please inform us. What exactly can you obtain from meat, dairy, and eggs that you can not obtain from plant based sources?

    Soy products: edamame, tofu, soy milk, etc, tempeh, seitan (which you can easily make), nuts, beans/lentils, seeds (chia, hemp, flax, pumpkin, etc), muesli...the list goes on and on. Even brussels sprouts have protein.
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
    See Sara's thread (vegetarian & protein options outlined by value)

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/926789-protein-sources
  • KarenJanine
    KarenJanine Posts: 3,497 Member
    Seitan, edamame, peas.

    There are several different vegan protein powders too, including pea, rice and soy.
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
    You will never get 100% health your body needs if you stay that way. Anyway nuts, and beans are great sources


    Please inform us. What exactly can you obtain from meat, dairy, and eggs that you can not obtain from plant based sources?

    Soy products: edamame, tofu, soy milk, etc, tempeh, seitan (which you can easily make), nuts, beans/lentils, seeds (chia, hemp, flax, pumpkin, etc), muesli...the list goes on and on. Even brussels sprouts have protein.

    He's basically incorrect, it is possible to be healthy on a vegetarian diet but B12 is not sufficiently available from plant sources without some sort of enrichment/supplementation. - make sure you figure out how to supplement.
    (I'm not the person criticizing vegetarianism, but it is possible to have several different nutrient deficiencies with any diet that cuts out food groups - one can work around these usually with some planning.)
  • touslesmemes
    touslesmemes Posts: 46
    I can see that I am lacking protein everyday. Is there somewhere on here that will offer me good choices to get good lean protein without eating meat, fish, eggs, or milk? Any advice, appreciated.

    i'm glad nobody is saying 'eat meat'. Chickpeas, some cereals, soymilk, oats, prunes, figs... anything that tastes nice (in my view lol..) and is unprocessed or 'only a little' processed. :)
  • touslesmemes
    touslesmemes Posts: 46
    You will never get 100% health your body needs if you stay that way. Anyway nuts, and beans are great sources


    Please inform us. What exactly can you obtain from meat, dairy, and eggs that you can not obtain from plant based sources?

    Soy products: edamame, tofu, soy milk, etc, tempeh, seitan (which you can easily make), nuts, beans/lentils, seeds (chia, hemp, flax, pumpkin, etc), muesli...the list goes on and on. Even brussels sprouts have protein.

    He's basically incorrect, it is possible to be healthy on a vegetarian diet but B12 is not sufficiently available from plant sources without some sort of enrichment/supplementation. - make sure you figure out how to supplement.
    (I'm not the person criticizing vegetarianism, but it is possible to have several different nutrient deficiencies with any diet that cuts out food groups - one can work around these usually with some planning.)

    well, vegetarians still eat yogurt and stuff so they may be fine in regards to B12 deficiencies. I take a multivitamin for my b12 because i am vegan.
  • Eastern_Echo23
    Eastern_Echo23 Posts: 198 Member
    I've read many reports that your body only needs 45g. I can't give you the reports i've read if you would like to read it. Anything more than that is by preference on how you feel. You can get protein from things like Nuts, Fruits and Veggies, Seeds, and so forth and so on! If your still eating dairy then of course Cheese and Eggs are an option as well. I've been doing a plant based diet for awhile now and check my blood quite often due to my kidney disorder. My numbers look fine...

    Good luck!
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
    You will never get 100% health your body needs if you stay that way. Anyway nuts, and beans are great sources


    Please inform us. What exactly can you obtain from meat, dairy, and eggs that you can not obtain from plant based sources?

    Soy products: edamame, tofu, soy milk, etc, tempeh, seitan (which you can easily make), nuts, beans/lentils, seeds (chia, hemp, flax, pumpkin, etc), muesli...the list goes on and on. Even brussels sprouts have protein.

    He's basically incorrect, it is possible to be healthy on a vegetarian diet but B12 is not sufficiently available from plant sources without some sort of enrichment/supplementation. - make sure you figure out how to supplement.
    (I'm not the person criticizing vegetarianism, but it is possible to have several different nutrient deficiencies with any diet that cuts out food groups - one can work around these usually with some planning.)

    well, vegetarians still eat yogurt and stuff so they may be fine in regards to B12 deficiencies. I take a multivitamin for my b12 because i am vegan.

    The question was about what can be obtained from animal sources vs. from plant sources hence my answer. Along with dairy some vegetarians eat eggs, which are probably one of the best B12 sources.
  • Zombielicious
    Zombielicious Posts: 246 Member
    You will never get 100% health your body needs if you stay that way. Anyway nuts, and beans are great sources

    Please inform us. What exactly can you obtain from meat, dairy, and eggs that you can not obtain from plant based sources?
    He's basically incorrect

    This is basically where I was going with that question. B12, or even calcium, doesn't have to come from an animal.

    You're right, it is easy to not get the proper nutrition without planning--especially when cutting out certain foods/food groups--but it is also possible to not get the proper nutrition even when you are eating animal products/by-products. With proper supplementation and planning, there is no reason one cannot thrive and "get 100% health" on a vegetarian/vegan diet.

    EDIT: I'm agreeing with you Evgenizyntx - so please don't take this as argument or disagreement.
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
    You will never get 100% health your body needs if you stay that way. Anyway nuts, and beans are great sources

    Please inform us. What exactly can you obtain from meat, dairy, and eggs that you can not obtain from plant based sources?
    He's basically incorrect

    This is where I was going with that question.

    Of course it is easy to not get the proper nutrition without planning--especially when cutting out certain foods/food groups--but it is also possible to not get the proper nutrition even when you are eating animal products/by-products. With the proper supplementation, there is no reason one cannot thrive on a vegetarian/vegan diet.

    (Edit - Not taking it as argument.)

    However, (back to the OP) someone who is asking questions about basic information on protein sources possibly hasn't fully considered micro-nutrient needs - for example, the results of B12 deficiency may go as far as irreversible neurological damage. Other deficiencies (or the supplements to treat them - careful with overdosing iron, for example) are just as bad.

    If you are going to follow a restrictive diet - please educate yourself on the major possible deficiencies and how to manage them. Vegetarian diets may have a lot of health pluses overall but can also be a catastrophic spiral of restriction, especially when cutting calories and thus further reducing dietary variety.

    I'm neither for or against them - I just push for educated eaters.
  • Diamond05
    Diamond05 Posts: 475 Member
    I've read many reports that your body only needs 45g. I can't give you the reports i've read if you would like to read it. Anything more than that is by preference on how you feel. You can get protein from things like Nuts, Fruits and Veggies, Seeds, and so forth and so on! If your still eating dairy then of course Cheese and Eggs are an option as well. I've been doing a plant based diet for awhile now and check my blood quite often due to my kidney disorder. My numbers look fine...

    Good luck!

    Your protein requirement depends on your weight and activity level. Most people not exercising needs 0.8 g of protein per kilogram of their body weight. Between 1,2g and 1,6 for people exercising heavy and wanting to lose weight, for example. There's a recommandation depending on how intense you workout.

    To answer the OP, I think you got some great suggestions already and anything mentionned above exept anything coming from the soy beans should be mix with a grain product or nuts to make sure you have complete proteins because by themself they are incomplete. If you don't have it in the same meal, you should at least try to have it in the same day.
  • gizmo_2014
    gizmo_2014 Posts: 37
    Eat nutritional yeast to get B 12 as it contains protein as well. I have some daily to ensure I get enough B12 in my diet.

    For protien, I love making seitan. It is good protein, super easy to make and can be made so many different ways. I make a "chicken" version, "bacon" version, and "sausage" version. All are so yummy and pack a decent amount of protein. Obviously this is not an optino for you if you are celiac or gluten intolerant.

    Beans, edamame, nuts, seeds, nut butters, etc are also great sources along with tofu and tempeh. Dark green veggies have some protein and you can also drink soy or almond milk (I find soy has more protein).

    I have been vegetarian for years and have never had an issue getting protein, but I do consume eggs.

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