Help from Vegans or Vegeterians

sondrawolfe

After watching Forks Over Knives and Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead, I decided to try eating plant based for 1 month. Eating only fruits, vegetables, some grains and some nuts. Also trying to avoid added fats, sugar, and salt. (I did finish off the ranch dressing I had, but using alternates now.)

My question is: How many grams of protein is normal, acceptable, required? I'm getting about half my MFP allowance. I'm 100+ lbs over goal. I walk 4-5 days a week, but am not doing any strength training right now. Do I need to up my protein or am I ok? I've been eating beans, some nuts, almond milk as well as getting protein from just the veggies,

Any suggestions would be very much appreciated. I'm feeling good and may continue beyond the month. Good news is I have not had any chest pain since starting this and am starting to lose a few pounds.

scs143

I shoot for half my body weight in protein and then never get there. So anything over 80 g is an achievement for me!

jennadelane

Direct from exercise.about.com:

How to Calculate Your Protein Needs:

1. Weight in pounds divided by 2.2 = weight in kg
2. Weight in kg x 0.8-1.8 gm/kg (see below) = protein gm.

Use a lower number if you are in good health and are sedentary (i.e., 0.8). Use a higher number (between 1 and 1.8) if you are under stress, are pregnant, are recovering from an illness, or if you are involved in consistent and intense weight or endurance training.

Example: 154 lb male who is a regular exerciser and lifts weights
154 lbs/2.2 = 70kg
70kg x 1.5 = 105 gm protein/day

sondrawolfe

Thank you both for your responses.

So, I'm very low by those calculations. MFP has me at about 60, that calculation has me at 92. I'm getting about 30.

So I'll try focusing more on adding protein.

Could you tell me what a typical day for you would be? I've been eating beans quite a bit and adding raw, unsalted nuts to salads, but trying not to over do those because of the fat. Also, I have issues with salty, crunchy food and portion control.

SgtMindy

Any suggestions would be very much appreciated. I'm feeling good and may continue beyond the month. Good news is I have not had any chest pain since starting this and am starting to lose a few pounds.

Sorry I don't know the answer to your question, but AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME job!!!!!!! :bigsmile:

Have you thought about switching from almond to soy milk? or adding edamame (soy beans) to your diet? They contain a lot of protein!!

carld256

30g is too little protein. I don't agree though that MFP's recommendations are low. I think they're right in line with recognized nutrition guidelines. In your situation you might consider adding a daily protein supplement. I make a smoothie with brown rice powder, PB2 and soy milk that comes in at 26g of protein for 215 calories.

bobemmer

You can go to the Happy Herbivore group to learn more about us vegans and vegitarians. I read any and all vegan books from the library to braoden my knowledge base. Every body I ask has a different opinion so I try learn as much as i can fromas many resources i can fine. Good luck with the veggie thing. I have been doing the vegan food plan for 3 plus years. I feel great- I am overwieght due to snickers and ben and jerry not milk or meat. I work my food log seriouslly daily and i am losing weight- Best wishes- bob

sondrawolfe

Bob, Thank you for the tip. I've been searching some, but having trouble finding specifics. Just that Americans eat too much protein. Just found this place too. www.vrg.org I'll do some more research tonight.

Carl, Thanks, I'll look into something like that.

Sgt Mindy Thanks for the support. I have hypothyroidism so have been avoiding soy and I like almond milk better. And thank you for your service. I have a son who is a Marine.

each_day_stronger

Eating lots of protein can help repair muscle. Muscle is awesome because it burns calories even after a work out. Eating protein also helps curb hunger for me and helps me make better food decisions in the long run.

As a vegetarian I try to have some protein in every meal. Try quinoa, beans of all kinds, peanut butter, whole wheat products and more!

I strive to get 30% protein but never actually get there.

MichelleRenee13

Lentils and beans are great protein resources. Tofurky products are high in protein as well being vegan and yummy.

I try to make 70 grams per day. There are days I don't make it and there are days I hit 80-90 grams.

I don't necessarily agree/believe that 30% is needed.

carriempls

All good suggestions above.

And there's always tofu. If you've never prepared it before, I'd look up some tutorials on how to do it. Tofu tastes like what you want it to, it's pretty flavorless on it's own. I always use extra firm, drain it well (in paper towels and place heavy plates on top to press it down and get as much moisture out as you can) and then cut it up and let some Bragg's (soy sauce) soak in. Then you can dry fry in a non-stick pan or use some healthy oil (imparts nice flavor and hey - you need SOME fat) for frying it up crisp and golden brown. Season like you would for a stir fry or however you like. I've even thrown on garlic powder, basil and Parmesan cheese and had it with spaghetti.

Seitan is a nice protein as well. It's pressed wheat gluten and has a nice flavor and meaty texture on it's own. If you're watching sodium you'll want to track carefully, but it's a good option especially for those new to a veggie diet.

littlebecc

If you give us a rough idea of what you're eating each day we'd be able to see if you're getting enough protein, but these days people consume wayyy too much protein which you don't actually need. 50 or so grams a day is plenty IMO

v70t5m

Of course, I cannot find the passage now, but I've been reading some shod/barefoot running books and several of them discuss diet. The comment that I remember is many of the East African running champions have earned their medals with only 10% protein intake in their typical diet.

Depending on what your goals and typical workouts are, as long as you are getting more than 10% daily, most websites say you are doing fine ... even the CDC, which recommends between 10 and 35% daily protein intake.

http://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/everyone/basics/protein.html

scs143

I eat tofu, nuts, peanut butter in small quantities, greek yogurt, cottage cheese, reduced fat cheese, and I supplement with whey.

closeyone

If you're happy to adopt a vegetarian rather than vegan lifestyle then add eggs into your diet. They are very high in protein. Also Quorn products are an excellent source of protein and very low in fat.

GenFo

There are also protein powder supplements made from hemp or pea protein - both are great in smoothies. Most whole plant foods do contain protein and might not be entered correctly in the database.

SuffolkSally

I'm not vegan or vegetarian - but I am a sympathiser if that's any help! I was vegetarian for about a decade and I did find it very difficult to get enough protein. Over time I have worked out that my target is 100g (googling around, I've seen the figure 0.6g per lb bodyweight which seems about right). Lentils are a great low fat source. Cheese can be good, especially the drier sorts like gruyere but it's not always easy to get vegetarian versions.