vegetarians-protein?

vegan_shandi

how do you other vegetarians work protein into your diet? i tend to struggle, would love ideas.

samhelen

beans with rice, boca and morningstar products, eggs, cheeses, greek yogurt, and of course tofu, hummus...

samhelen

oh yea, and tree nuts

Kassieisproud

Try a protein powder Or look up things like protein muffins and pancakes

alaw1119

protein shakes, boca burgers, tempeh, seitan, edamamme, greek yogurt, kashi go lean cereal

OceansForever

Legumes and lots of them

plus I snack on nuts

vbgal95

Protein shakes! yummy..



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NuttyBrewnette

truth is there is some protein in almost everything...including greens.

I use nuts and seeds (walnuts, almonds, cashews, sunflower, flax and chia seeds, primarily) and nut butters.
I also use beans and lentils and avocados, quinoa


I hit my protein target most days. I am currently researching protein powders and have narrowed my options down to hemp and brown rice. I'm leaning toward hemp, to use occassionally. I prefer whole foods, so the powders are not my first choice, but reality makes them necessary sometimes.

Hope that helps some. I've picked up a ton of vegan and vegetarian cookbooks for ideas. I like www.LivingRawByGrace.com for recipe ideas. and the book "part time vegan" lots of great ideas. I also look to vegan atheletes and see if they share what they're eating/doing...google it. There's a lot of them, it seems to me.

julieban1

Lots of beans & legumes. Watch out for boca bugers. Loaded with sodium & artificial everything. Look for garden burgers - good eats. Cheese, yogurt, eggs.

sallycosstick

remember quinoa - it's much higher protein than other grains.. instead of rice with just veg, you get enough protein in the meal..

rachelelizabeth88

beans, tempeh, tofu, protein powders (I use sunwarrior)... peanut butter, almonds... I don't eat eggs but some vegetarians do so that's another source

redlabel71

Hi Shaandi,
I've been a vegetarian my whole life and I also find it hard to get adequate amounts in my diet. That being said, being Indian, I use a ton of different types of lentils and beans (also known as daal or dals in Indian stores, if you are inclined to seek them out). Most of them are really small in size and you don't have to soak and all. I do use a pressure cooker most of the time, although you could cook on the stovetop for around 20 min or so while you're preparing the rest of your meal. I usually eat daal over brown rice or whole wheat rotis or naan. Let me know if you need any quickie recipes for it.

One last thing, I eat a ton of Greek yogurt. There is a side dish in India called raita, it is very similar to Greek tzatiki. You just take a small container of Greek yogurt, add a little chopped tomato, onion, cucumbers, cilantro or mint if you have it around, salt & pepper and eat it on the side of your meal. It's really healthy and delicious!

I try not to eat too much tofu as it is very highly processed, but that's always an option, and so is peanut butter. Thanks for your question, I'm really interested in this as well!

HealthyHappyVegan

A HUGE part of my diet is beans. Beans. Beans. Beans.

There are so many types too, garbanzo beans (chick peas), kidney, pinto, black, red, etc! I love them are they're stock full of protein.

When I was a vegetarian (not vegan) I also got a lot of protein from yogurts like Chobani and eggs. I hate those two things every day at least once, haha.

Also, you can find a lot of foods that are high in protein like certain organic breakfast cereals (I love Kashi cereals) and things like hummus and even vegan protein hot dog things. I buy LightLife Jumbo Protein Links (I'm pretty sure that's they're full name) and they have a lot of protein but are vegetarian (and vegan) friendly

ARDuBaie

Quinoa, beans and lentils, popcorn has protein, many breads have protein, and I like Luna Peanut Butter Protein bars. 12 grams of protein per bar. I am eating meat from time to time as I have issues with iron and B12. Intrinsic Factor issues suck. I do have Soy Protein Powder as well, but am afraid to try (taste) it. LOL

almc170

Mostly Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, nuts, beans, whey protein, limited soy. Finally added fish back into my diet a few years ago.

shovav91

Feel free to look at my diary for some ideas! I tend to average over 100 grams every day.

beverlywu

tofu, bean curd sticks, yogurt, are my go-tos.

a few recipes for you. Don't know why people shy away from tofu. So quick and delicious, beats making meat based dishes.

1.) medium firm or "traditional" tofu. cube. dump in pan. toss with soy sauce and some kind of hot sauce (franks, sriracha, etc), and a bit of water. Steam for a couple minutes. Can add green leafy veg on top to steam as well.

2.) tofu puffs (deep fried...watch those calories!). Slice in half. mix up a tbsp of miso with a cup or so of hot water. dump in pan. make sure the puffs absorb the miso water. Again, steam for a couple mins with veg on top, then remove lid and stir around until most of the liquid has evaporated.

3.) bean curd sticks: soak dry bean curd sticks in warm water until reconstituted (a couple hours?). cut up into 2-3 inch chunks. Add to pot with just enough water to cover. Add oyster sauce to taste, boil to reduce liquid for 20 minutes until bean curd is soft.

4.) dried flavoured tofu: remove from packaging. eat. (for a quick snack...of course there are tons of fun things you can do with this type of tofu in a stir fry etc)

5.) tofu dessert: open package, eat with spoon.

these recipes are so easy and delicious I could eat them just about forever and not get tired of them. I guess I'm spoiled because Sunrise Tofu is based in my city :P but here are their products and maybe you can find equivalent ones in your area: http://www.sunrise-soya.com/soy-products/sunrise-tofu.php (also check out the ethnic tab)

NOM!

Leesseebee

Soo, I can totally relate to this pursuit-although I do eat fish occasionally...how to find protein that is protein dense and carb light...
Egg whites and whole eggs
Aaand best recent personal discovery: Hemp Hearts: one of the few vegan proteins with a higher protein than carb content AND it has amazing essential fatty acids.
Kale has protein...so does quinoa (but it is still a grain and has plenty o carbs), lentils and legumes (protein + carbs) and their derivatives (hummus, bean dip....and there is fat here too-sometimes good, sometimes not so good).
As for soy products, there is a lot of misinfo around this, but here are some things to consider: It is a phyto (plant-based) estrogen, which should be considered if you have a history of breast cancer in your family. Many forms are highly overprocessed and contain the same nasty stuff as over-processed anything. If you have an issue with constipation, tofu might not be your best bet either (this info is from an MD). I have also been told that it can effect your thyroid function, but to be fair, I have not looked into that exentsively, so take that with a grain of salt.
I have been told that fermented soy products, such as tempeh are better for you-as are many fermented products. Soy yogurt is fermented, but for only about 8 hours, whereas tempeh is closer to a few months.
I don't eat dairy, but I understand that cottage cheese has decent protein, although surprisingly, crappy calcium content.
ok, ramble over-good luck!

Geminieve24

how do you other vegetarians work protein into your diet? i tend to struggle, would love ideas.

I just found this and going to start using it:

http://www.hihealth.com/Garden-of-Life-RAW-Meal-26-lbs-P7873.aspx