Any vegans?

suzan06

I am playing around with going vegan (it would be short term just to try to expand my palate, and try new things). I am going to try to do it for a month, then introduce eggs and cheese back in, but in lower quantities. I know that I can't sustain being vegan long term, but I want to challenge myself to try it short term. I am normally an ovo-lacto-vegetarian (have been for over 10 years, no chance of changing).
;

If any other vegans are willing to let me look at their food diaries, I would really appreciate it. I am having trouble getting enough protein (aiming for 50-60 grams a day, I am 5'8" and 160 lbs, with 5-10 more to lose).

My main protein sources are beans, quinoa, and nuts. But nuts have a lot of calories, and I can only eat so many beans, lol! Am I missing anything? I am wondering if I should be a vegan + 1 egg a day, lol.

ETA: I probably should have put this in food/nutrition- is there any way to move it?

RuthieCass

I'm not a vegan (or even fully vegetarian). However, I have been eating a mostly vegetarian diet for a few years now (I eat fish ~once a week, chicken ~once a week, and beef ~once a month). I recently developed a mild lactose intolerance, so I find that I am often eating vegan meals. I also realized that getting enough protein can be a challenge. One thing I've recently done is to substitute my usual cereal-and-soymilk breakfast with a smoothie with protein powder blended in. If you don't mind the "fake" meats, they are easy to add to a meal. Eat a veggie dog, chk'n patty, etc., with salad for lunch. For dinner, eat tofu or tempeh instead of legumes--these have more protein than beans. I plan to try seitan soon, which also has a lot of protein. I found this whole foods article helpful: http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/products/vegetarian-diet.php (I'm not a shill for them, but I thought this was quite clear and concise).

JackieMac979

I was vegan for over 10 years. I ate a few protein sources other than what you mentioned... I enjoyed tempeh a lot and would make fajitas out of it. It's a fermented soy product. I sautéed it with peppers and it was really tasty. I also made portabello mushroom sandwiches often (sliced w/ soy cheese for a philly 'steak') or as a burger substitute.

I am no longer vegan or vegetarian, so my diary won't help you out, but I wanted to share those ideas w/ you. Good luck!!

suzan06

I do have some tempeh in the freezer, that I need to pull out.

I guess part of my confusion is about how much protein I should eat. Research like The China Study suggests less. Many people (esp when exercising and trying to lose weight) seem to favor eating more.

RuthieCass

How much you should consume depends on your calorie needs. The recommendation is that 15-30% of your calories should come from protein (I think the mfp app defaults to 15%). However, I've read that plant sources of protein are harder to digest than meat sources (but with soy protein approaching that of meat sources).

I think 20% is a reasonable goal. There are 4 calories per gram of protein. So, for example, if your daily calories are 1600, then 320 of those calories should be from protein. Divide by 4 to get the number of grams of protein you should eat per day: 80 g protein/day. Keep in mind that this calculation is for the calories before exercise-- if you exercise you may need to consume more protein if exercise is not accounted for in your activity level. I have increased my protein intake by taking a protein meal replacement (34 g protein per serving) and making sure I eat more protein-rich foods. Tempeh has 13 g protein, firm tofu has 7 g protein, seitan has 21 g, black beans have 3 g (per 1/4 c), fake chk'n has 12 g, soy milk has 7 g, almonds have 6 g. So, if I have a protein shake with b-fast, cup and a half of soy milk for one snack, tempeh with lunch, almonds for another snack, and a fake chk'n patty and beans with dinner, then I will have 1.5 g of protein left to meet the goal (easily filled from other sources).

Mfp will calculate all the amounts you need if you change your nutrition goals with the custom option.

triinityz

I'm a lacto/ovum as well, doing the vegan thing while I lose this last 30. I miss eggs!!! LOL

Most people don't realize how much protien you can get in certain veggies. Low cal protien at that! I got this off of Three Fat Chicks but I wasn't sure if we were allowed to link off site so here's a paste:

(I'm guessing a serving is 1/2 cup. That's a lot of low cal protien if all you eat is veggies!)

Asparagus
Per serving, asparagus delivers over 3g of protein. This lanky, green vegetable is extremely versatile, as it can be boiled, grilled, steamed or fried.

Cauliflower
Excellent in curries and soups and equally appealing eaten mashed or as a steamed side dish; not only is cauliflower versatile and healthy but it contains 3g of protein per serving.

Broccoli and Brussels Sprouts
Tying for fourth place are two more examples of healthy, green vegetables: broccoli and brussels sprouts. Both of these vegetables are protein-rich, low in fat and easily prepared; making them ideal side-dishes.

Artichoke
Artichoke is another vegetable that is high on the list when it comes to protein content. Serving up just under 3g of protein per serving, artichokes are an excellent addition to pasta, salads and soups and provide an earthy, intense flavor.

Watercress
Tiny yet surprisingly rich in protein, watercress is next on the list. Per 100g serving, watercress delivers almost 3g of protein, which, for its size, renders it an excellent source of the nutrient. Perfect for salads, soups and sandwiches, watercress can easily find its way into your diet.

Sweetcorn
It might be slightly more calorific than the other vegetables listed here, but sweetcorn also has its benefits: Per serving, it contains almost 3g of protein and is a delicious addition to many popular recipes.

jennjay523

I eat alot of vegan foods from boca or morning star farms. All of the products are vegetarian but some are completely vegan. There are alot of good options out there for vegan cheese too.

teresasigler

I agree that your best bet is Tempeh. I use the lifelight organic brand- one serving is a half package and you get 22g of protein for only 230 cal and 16 g carbohydrates, along with 12 g of fiber. It also provides 15% calcium and 20% iron, which are important to monitor also if you are a vegan. It's very versatile and tasty- my favorite things to do with it are to marinate with something spicy and then mix with vegetables over quinoa; and tempeh "burgers"- grind it up in my food processor until it is kind of paste like, then mix with lots of spices and chopped up veggies and bake- an easy high protein, healthy meal! I also boil it for about 4 minutes before I use it to get rid of the bitter taste, but if the taste doesn't bother you then you can skip that step.

Also when using soy milk or any other "nut"/alternative milks look for the unsweetened kind to cut down on calories. Soy is probably going to be your best option for protein in milks, offering almost the same amount as dairy, but with half the calories.

daffodilsoup

Have you ever tried seitan? It's a vegan protein made from wheat gluten - the calorie-to-protein ratio is comparable to boneless, skinless chicken breast. It has a very chewy, meaty texture and is absolutely delicious!

Vegan_Chick

Have you ever tried seitan? It's a vegan protein made from wheat gluten - the calorie-to-protein ratio is comparable to boneless, skinless chicken breast. It has a very chewy, meaty texture and is absolutely delicious!

I am a seitan worshipper! YUM!!!

suzan06

Thank you so much for all the replies. Very helpful!

Right now I am eating 50-60 grams of protein, and I think I am going to stick with that goal. Even when I was eating dairy and eggs I never got to 80, that is just not achievable for me.

I should try seitan. I have had it at asian restaurants but I have never bought or cooked it myself. Where do you buy it?

I should try tempeh burgers too. I am "eh" about tempeh- I will eat it but it isn't exactly GOOD, lol. But the burgers with whatever spices I want sounds great.

Right now I really don't eat any soy. I prefer to avoid non-fermented soy, althoughw e will have tofu a few times a month. And I only eat Quorn brand fake meat, as it is not soy based, although it is still full of junk! We usually have Quorn fake chicken once a week if that as it is so expensive and the kids will eat loads of it. Anyway long story short, I think I need to work on some soy sauce based sauces, more tempeh, and seitan.

suzan06

Oh, and I had a cup of asparagus today, less than half the calories of my serving of beans, and 4 g protein compared to 6 for the beans. So I definitely appreciate the heads up about high protein veggies! Peas are pretty high protein too, iirc.

SuperVegan8

Hi there,

I am a very similar height and weight to you and most days im eating 60gms of protein with around 1300 calories (thats an ordinary day not including my protein shakes if i have one). I always plan to eat at least 15-20% protein, 20-25% fats (natural fats only) and the residual 55% in carbs. This does vary depending on what im doing though as im pretty active.

If youre interested, I've provided an example of my day today to show how protein can be sourced throughout the day:

Meal 1
1/3 cup rolled oats (4) and 1 cup soy milk (8) - 12 gms Protein

Meal 2
Raw juice (carrot, apple, cucumber, tomato) (5), 1 slice 100% rye bread (4) with 1/4 avocado ontop (1) - 10 gms protein

Meal 3
Minestrone soup (beans, tomato, celery, vegetable stock, onion, zucchini, pasta, herbs etc) - 12 gms protein

Meal 4 (snack)
1/2 cup blueberries and a few strawberries - 1 gm protein

Meal 5
Tofu veggie stirfry - 125gms Tofu (20),10 sugar snap peas (3), bunch bok choy (1), 1 baby eggplant (0), 100gms pumpkin (1) - 25 gms protein

TOTAL Protein - 60 gms protein
Total Calories - 1271

This is my planned day so far (i havent decided what sauce i'll make for my stirfry but i may just add garlic and a little peanut oil etc). I have a few big workouts today so i will add things like almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds throughout the day to make sure i have enough energy and protein.

If im peckish and if im having a high impact day i'll add brown rice to dinner or more oats in the morning etc. I use a nitrofusion protein powder for days when i dont feel like im getting enough protein or after tough games/events (i play soccer, AFL, rockclimb and run marathons for fun).

Personally i hate Tempeh but i do enjoy tofu and home made seitein (although i rarely bother to make it). I have learnt the hard way though that tofu really depends on how you prepare and cook it (it can turn out quite gross). If you need any more info let me know.

-Dani.

Also just FYI - Quorn isnt vegan - they use egg in its production in case any vegans didnt know.