vegetarian friendly protein tips?

kristabitt

I have been vegetarian (ovo-lacto), and since trying to become pregnant added some fish (salmon, sardines) to my diet. I eat eggs and cheese and greek yogurt and tofu and beans and nuts and nut butters and the like, but on many days I struggle to reach my 70-75 grams of protein goal.

Any other veggies (or mostly veggies) out there? How is your nutrition going? Anyone decide they were going to add more animal protein?

For all - any suggestions on yummy high-protein snacks and meal additions (in addition to those mentioned above)?

My diary is open to constructive criticism or suggestions for improvement. I've taken several nutrition courses, so I have a good fundamental knowledge of nutrition basics, so please don't point out that the occasional "junk" food isn't a great choice. BUT I normally only aim for 50-60 grams of protein, so getting the extra recommended for pregnancy is proving to be challenging, and I would welcome tips from other ladies in a similar situation.

Oh, and I am only 6 weeks, so I am on maintenance calories right now. So far I've gained about 1 pound, I just haven't logged it yet, because I am trying to keep this quiet until 12 weeks, but I have very clever friends.

katebrog

Hi! I've been mainly pescatarian for the last 11 years or so. Being pregnant (38w/1day - yipeee!), I had to cut out fish that is likely to contain mercury. So now I eat canned light tuna (made from skipjack, not high in mercury), tilapia, salmon, mahi mahi (in moderation). But they even say to watch your consumption on fish that is supposed to be low in mercury. Since becoming pregnant I've incorporated chicken a little bit here and there. Not a fan of the texture (or the chicken industry) but found that I can tolerate it if its disguised. I made a really good chicken tortilla soup a while back, the chicken wasn't overpowering since there were a lot of other yummy things in the soup (black beans, corn, tomoatoes, cream cheese, salsa, etc.). I also made a chicken tortilla bake not too long ago with shredded chicken layered with cheese, salsa, and corn tortillas, which was okay - hubby loved it, but I tasted the chicken a little too much. I really don't think you necessarily need to add more meat-based protein into your diet while pregnant, if you consume adequate amounts of non-meat protein sources throughout the day, you should be fine. I love Boca Burgers & Morningstar Meal Starter Chick N' Strips - I like to chop the burger up and sautee with fresh veggies, or eat like a normal burger. The Chick N' strips are really good diced, and sautéed with veggies. I'm a big fan of quinoa, also - great non-meat protein source and there are so many yummy recipes you could try with quinoa (look on Pinterest for good ideas). Morningstar also makes a good ground beef substitute you can use to make spaghetti. Cottage cheese is a good snack that's high in protein, would be tasty if you added fruit to it, like pineapple or peaches. I love pistachios, they are my favorite nut and they have a good amount of protein. There's also good protein powders out there that are pretty tasty. You could make protein shakes or even add a little to your yogurt. I struggle meeting the recommended amount of protein as well...I just try to get it in during each meal (greek yogurt for breakfast, egg/chick peas/canned salmon/tuna on salad at lunch, fish or Morningstar meat substitute at dinner) when possible! And I love nut butters, been eating peanut butter like crazy throughout this pregnancy! Feel free to add me!