Help Vegitarian Friends

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Kimberly0829
Kimberly0829 Posts: 43
in Food and Nutrition
I have become a fairly new vegitarian since Jan. I have been really trying to get my protetin in, but I have noticed that I have starting to have some bad signs of anenima. ( Which I have always been a little bit). Besides iron pills and vitamins, are they any natural remedies, other other vitamin supplments I should add. What other food do I need to be downing to bring my levels up?

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  • daddyzgurl
    daddyzgurl Posts: 58
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    I just converted to being a meat eater after being a vegetarian for 10 years. I always ate cottage cheese- usually the Breakstone cottage cheese doubles. Protein bars after a workout are good as well. Another thing I love is black beans. I would put them in everything from salads to wraps. Lots of good foods have protien but you can also buy protien powder to mix into soy milk shakes if you need a bit extra.
  • suzinc
    suzinc Posts: 3
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    Isn't Anemia a deficiency in iron? If so, try green leafy vegetables, like kale and spinach to up your iron.

    Beans are a sure go to for a vegetarian protein! I've recently found spaghetti made out of black beans...found it at whole founds in the japanese section. Super yummy and high in protein, low carb!

    Good luck, stay healthy!:glasses:
  • kasmir8199
    kasmir8199 Posts: 507 Member
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    One tip that I just learned about dealing with anemia is to rid of any caffeinated drinks (sodas and teas especially) and wines around the time you plan to eat, because they can actually block the absorption of the minerals that your body needs. I used to think that I would be ok with diet sodas or unsweet tea...no bueno!

    Lentils, cooked beans, baked potatoes with skin...they all should help. I heard that spinach, sweet potatoes, whole grains, and soy (though they are good for you) can inhibit iron absorption for iron rich foods. Not sure how reliable that is, but it is something to look into.
  • shreyaj
    shreyaj Posts: 196
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    Chicks peas are a vegitarian's best friend :D
  • CookieCatCatcher
    CookieCatCatcher Posts: 324 Member
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    http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/protein.htm

    I'm veggie/vegan - and this is a great website. The large majority of my protein is from soy protein shakes, nut butters, Tofu, and whole grains. Also all types of beans, plus dark Green veggies and healthy starches. There is NO REASON why you should not be able to meet or exceed your daily level of protein on a plant based diet, and in fact- plant protein is better for you then animal, with fewer calories, fats, and other nasty stuff.
  • ReneeOfTheFae
    ReneeOfTheFae Posts: 117
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    Spinach, almonds and peanuts are biggies for natural iron.

    Also, I happened upon this website. Looks like it's for an iron med, but they have a list of iron-rich foods.
    I've been a veg for 13+ years. Even though I've only been eating the proper food for the past few years, you can feel free to add my as a friend for support! (FYI, those dreams where you're savoring a steak don't go away, but they get easier to deal with over time. Just thought you should know. *^_^*)

    http://www.ferralet90.com/Patient_Information/About_Iron/Dietary/Iron-Rich-Foods.aspx
  • CookieCatCatcher
    CookieCatCatcher Posts: 324 Member
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    Isn't Anemia a deficiency in iron? If so, try green leafy vegetables, like kale and spinach to up your iron.

    Beans are a sure go to for a vegetarian protein! I've recently found spaghetti made out of black beans...found it at whole founds in the japanese section. Super yummy and high in protein, low carb!

    Good luck, stay healthy!:glasses:

    Yeah, I was going to say that too- Anemia is an iron def, not protein. :/
  • OUKoala23
    OUKoala23 Posts: 17
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    I've been a vegetarian for about 10 years. Protein powder mix is a great way to get some extra protein in and are great to make smoothies with. GNC brand I buy has 20 grams per 8oz mix which is awesome and has only about 100 calories. Also any soy products is a good source...soy patties for example, soy beans, edamame.. etc. Have you ever tried Tofu? I buy a block from the super market and try to mix it in anything I eat to add that protein. It's great in salads, or sauteed with vegetables. Other than that, I take multi-vitamins and Iron supplements just in case ...
  • Janet39
    Janet39 Posts: 280 Member
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    Hiya,

    The foods you need to be eating to get your iron up include the following

    Brassica - Cabbage, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Spring Greens etc.

    Nuts - such as Almonds

    Wholegrain cereals, and fortified breakfast cereals, and wheatgerm added to recipes.

    I hope this helps.
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  • Kimberly0829
    Kimberly0829 Posts: 43
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    HAHA I meant IRON, not protein. I have been getting my protien, but have noticed that I have been having some signs of anemia, so I am wondering if I need to add something extra.
  • natskedat
    natskedat Posts: 570 Member
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    Hi! I've been vegetarian since 2006 and have battled anemia my whole life, even when I wasn't a veg. I've learned a lot. Anemia can be caused by a couple of things. First, your diet may simply be iron deficient. Including dark, leafy greens, beans, whole grains, baking with whole wheat flour, and cooking in a cast iron skillet will increase your iron intake. That may take care of it.

    However, in my case it didn't. You can check out my food diary (I track my iron) and see that my diet is not deficient at all. My problem is absorption. So, I make sure I get enough Vitamin C, which helps iron absorb, and I take a Vitamin B-12 supplement, which also helps the body absorb iron more efficiently.

    Vitamin B-12 is THE most important vitamin for vegetarians because it's the only vitamin found in animal products exclusively. It's water soluable, so you can have like 20x your daily recommended intake, and your body will use what it needs, and you'll pee out the rest (just like Vitamin C). You can't overdose on it.

    As far as protein intake, it's always a challenge. I eat a lot of low-fat cottage cheese, yogurt, eggs and egg whites, textured vegetable protein (it's exactly like chicken!), and whole grains (legumes + whole grains = a complete protein). I limit my almonds, walnuts, or peanut butter to one serving a day of any one of them because they are very fatty (it's a good fat, but fat none-the-less). If you eat fish, it's a little easier. I also include one serving of whey protein powder in my diet. It's tasty, and whey, casein (another dairy-derived protein), and eggs are the most efficiently absorbed proteins for our body.

    I hope this helps. Message me or friend me if you'd like! Have a great day!
  • dianejones62
    dianejones62 Posts: 7
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    One of the best ways to get iron and protein is through dark greens, such as spinach, kale , collard greens. Beans of all kinds are also good for protein. :bigsmile:

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