Vegie needing to increase protein

jaz050465

I am within my healthy weight and although I'm keeping to my calories, I'm not losing. A number if people have suggested upping my proteun.

Does it really work? I'm a veggie and unsure how to do this and still enjoy my calories. Given a choice of a snack between fruit or oat cake vs a lump if tofu!!! I know there's nuts but these are high in fat. Don't want to waste caliries on protein powders.

How do other veggies manage this?

Cobweb200

I find it hard too and do now eat some fish but my main lifestyle is vege and has been for 40+ years. Do you eat dairy products?

Lowfat cottage cheese etc is a handy protein snack which I spice up with sweet chilli sauce ( just a few drops) or worcestershire sauce)

Remember your pulses are great protein sources and are mushrooms. I love to coat Chick peas with some spices or Marmite (this will only mean anything to you if you are a BRIT) then dry roast them in the overn they make a great protein based nibble or addition to a winter salad (hot or cold). Spicey tomat and lentil soup is a great low cal high protein meal too.

Not knowing if you are vegan or other it is be difficult to make recomendations.

Good luck

lizblizz28

Greek yogurt is also fantastic! Lots of protein and yummy fruit flavors.

Also, are you a full veggie? I'm a pescaterian and being able to eat fish helps a lot in the protein department, but I completely understand if that's not for you..

Humus, also delicious, has a decent amount of protein. I like to dip carrots, cucumbers, or celery in it.

jaz050465

Great ideas. Thankyou. I AM a Brit and live marmite. Ill definitely try that.
I'm a lacto ovo vegetarian ( eat milk and eggs but not fish)

drgndancer

If you're lacto-ovo, there's two of your answers right there.

Cheese, milk, yogurt, eggs, ice cream: all great protein sources.

For much leaner protein, legumes are a good bet. Check out Mexican, Cajun, or Southwestern US cuisine for lots of tasty bean dishes. Most bean dishes are traditionally prepared with a sausage or ham base, but you can usually skip those and increase the spices a bit without hurting flavor (perhaps use some cornstarch or a rue to thicken if necessary).

Quinoa is a high protein grain source.

Nuts are a little high fat, but they're almost entirely "good" fat.

Asian food with tofu as you already mentioned. Lots of soy products actually, not just tofu. Also most protein powders are made with soy or other vegetable based proteins.

Pound for pound fish and poultry are the best sources of lean proteins, but there are tons of good veggie options.

ketchup38

Since you drink milk.

Greek Yoghurt and Cottage cheese are excellent sources of protein.
The latter is also very wallet friendly.

jemjemsh

I have protein shakes to easily increase my protein. Mine is made from pea protein

DGK12

I LOVE greek yogurt, which is great for protein, and I drink a protein shake almost daily. I don't know how far on the 'veggie' slide you are, but if you can, the yogurt would be a good option.

brits111383

I am also trying to increase protein, but also branch chain amino acids (BCAAs) to help with muscle repair after workouts, specifically weight training, to increase my metabolism. With the exception of nutritional yeast, the best vegetarian sources of BCAAs are from eggs and dairy.

I am now eating a ton of fat free cottage cheese, eggs, egg whites, greek yogurt, and light string cheese sticks. Nutritional yeast is also pretty good. However, I do find that in order to get over 100 grams of protein a day, I will usually have to supplement with a whey protein powder.

jaz050465

Are protein powders high in calories?

cbrrabbit25

Are protein powders high in calories?

mine is 100calories for a scoop but thats only when mixed with water :-)

blackmantis

I use 100% liquid egg whites with my protein powder.

iAMsmiling

Are protein powders high in calories?

Isopure whey protein. About 110 calories, 25 grams of protein. Should be able to fit that.

AmyElls

I've been a vegetarian for about 4 years now and have been able to meet my protein needs quite easily. You'd be surprised at the amount of protein that exists in almost everything we eat - including our vegetables.

I think it's so funny when people find out your a vegetarian. The first question they ask is always, "How do you get your protein?" I always respond with, "Quite easily. I don't have to eat a dead animal to meet my daily needs, nor do I have to eat nuts. Protein exists in almost everything. Check it out sometime. Google it. You'd be very, very surprised at what you will find out."

So, take heart. Your body is getting more than you think it is. Do a google search and find out how much protein exists in some of the foods you are already consuming. You might be surprised as what you find.

Best of luck and hang in there with your vegetarianism. Your body will thank you.

drgndancer

I've been a vegetarian for about 4 years now and have been able to meet my protein needs quite easily. You'd be surprised at the amount of protein that exists in almost everything we eat - including our vegetables.

I think it's so funny when people find out your a vegetarian. The first question they ask is always, "How do you get your protein?" I always respond with, "Quite easily. I don't have to eat a dead animal to meet my daily needs, nor do I have to eat nuts. Protein exists in almost everything. Check it out sometime. Google it. You'd be very, very surprised at what you will find out."

So, take heart. Your body is getting more than you think it is. Do a google search and find out how much protein exists in some of the foods you are already consuming. You might be surprised as what you find.

Best of luck and hang in there with your vegetarianism. Your body will thank you.

This is not entirely accurate. I say this as the friend of numerous vegetarians, some of whom are athletes. While you can get enough proteins from fruits and veggies to survive, you have to make an effort to get enough protein for any but the most mild workout program to be fully effective. This is true even for non-vegetarians, but particularly for veggies. Any workout program that involves more than 20-30 minutes of walking a few times a week causes damage to muscles, and your body needs protein to repair that damage. How much extra you need depends on a lot of factors from how hard you work out to what your goals are, but it's highly likely that the OP should be supplementing day to day protein intake with either extra eggs, extra dairy, or particularly protein dense veggie sources like legumes. No one is suggesting she can't get enough protein (there are vegan ultra-marathoners), merely suggesting effective ways to do so.

jaz050465

I've been a vegetarian for about 4 years now and have been able to meet my protein needs quite easily. You'd be surprised at the amount of protein that exists in almost everything we eat - including our vegetables.

I think it's so funny when people find out your a vegetarian. The first question they ask is always, "How do you get your protein?" I always respond with, "Quite easily. I don't have to eat a dead animal to meet my daily needs, nor do I have to eat nuts. Protein exists in almost everything. Check it out sometime. Google it. You'd be very, very surprised at what you will find out."

So, take heart. Your body is getting more than you think it is. Do a google search and find out how much protein exists in some of the foods you are already consuming. You might be surprised as what you find.

Best of luck and hang in there with your vegetarianism. Your body will thank you.

Thanks. I do it because I don't want to eat animals. I get my protein levels from MFP. Lots of people are saying I should go to 30 or 35% so I'm looking to try and do that without too much fat from cheese and nuts.