Non-Meat Protein Ideas?

TheStephil

Hello,

I'm looking to increase my protein intake but I'm not a huge meat person. I will usually have meat during one meal but really, that's about it. I drink 1-2 protein shakes a day but would prefer to find more protein dense foods to add to my snacks/meals. I have tried the Special K Protein bars but they are expensive. I haven't tried many other protein bar brands because I can't convince myself 200+ calories for a snack is reasonable addition to my normal calorie intake.

Any ideas? All help is appreciated. My diary is open.

CoachReddy

nuts, seeds, tofu, other soy-based products, cheese.

all good protein sources.

most commercial protein bars are pretty crappy quality (and the biggest names like kellogs tend to have crap like HFCS or equivalents) - if you're gonna go for bars, look for ones with real food ingredients and not a bunch of unpronounceable chemicals.

TheStephil

nuts, seeds, tofu, other soy-based products, cheese.

all good protein sources.

most commercial protein bars are pretty crappy quality (and the biggest names like kellogs tend to have crap like HFCS or equivalents) - if you're gonna go for bars, look for ones with real food ingredients and not a bunch of unpronounceable chemicals.

Thank you for the ideas.

theskinnylist

My favorites are nonfat greek yogurt and string cheese.

TheStephil

My favorites are nonfat greek yogurt and string cheese.

Thank you. I love string cheese but don't have it often enough.

djames92

even tho i hate it cottage cheese has some good protein
eggs have a good amount of protein
and...ALMONDS!

alanlmarshall

lentils and other legumes

moustache_flavored_lube

Eggs are pretty much the perfect protein

Cottage cheese, non fat greek yogurt, whey or hemp protein powder, seeds, legumes all have good amounts of protein. With vegetable protein you need to consume from multiple sources to get the full amino acid profile

alanlmarshall

With vegetable protein you need to consume from multiple sources to get the full amino acid profile

Let's not have the debate here, but I suugest that you research and decide about this for yourself. Many disagree with this. If you are not a vegan, it's definitely not a concern because you still eat animal products, so it's a moot point.

You could eat only uncombined vegetabe protein for a few days and see if you get sick just to be sure. Spoiler alert: you won't.

happydispatcher

I too am trying to stay away from meat. My favorites are: lugumes(rice and beans or homemade hummus), tofu(I cube it soak it in Bragg's liquid aminos and sprinkle with nutritional yeast before I sautee it in olive oil) and nonfat plan greek yogurt(I get the chobani brand and put some in my bowl of oatmeal to make it creamy) and almonds.

alanlmarshall

I too am trying to stay away from meat. My favorites are: lugumes(rice and beans or homemade hummus), tofu(I cube it soak it in Bragg's liquid aminos and sprinkle with nutritional yeast before I sautee it in olive oil) and nonfat plan greek yogurt(I get the chobani brand and put some in my bowl of oatmeal to make it creamy) and almonds.

I forgot about hummus. I like homemade hummus made with just garbonzo beans, canola oil and salt. Great dip for veggies.

judydelo1

I eat a vegan diet and so I have to get my protein without dairy, eggs, red meat, chicken or fish. So for protein I eat:

RAW nuts (commercial roasted nuts don't pack the same nutrition as raw and are roasted with oils). Pistachios, walnuts, almonds, brazil nuts - they all are loaded with nutrients and good oils.

RAW seeds - I like to add chia seeds, flax seeds, sesame seeds and hemp seeds to my fruit shakes. They are all very good for you.

Legumes & Lentils - It's easy to throw organic, canned white beans or black beans, etc into a salad for a protein punch.

Quinoa - Even though quinoa cooks up like a grain, it is a good protein source because it has all of the amino acids.

FERMENTED soy products such as tempe and miso. FERMENTED soy products are very healthy for you.
However, any NON FERMENTED soy products are not healthy because they are filled with phytoestrogens and are implicated in cancer and throwing off the endocrine system. So pass on the soy milk, tofu, soy protein isolates, soy powder, etc.

Vegetables also have protein in them in smaller amounts.

fatnomore201220132014

Edemame and lentils are my go- to foods

haley255

there's another thread going about this..
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/912377-protein-sources

Bug207

I actually get almost all of my protein from vegetarian sources... I don't usually eat meat unless I'm going out to dinner and somebody prepares it for me. That being said, I usually get enough protein in with non fat Greek yogurts, Kashi Lean cereals, veggie burgers (Morningstar Farms makes a great spicy black bean patty), and pastas.

Karabobarra

Ostrim meat sticks, (ostrich and beef) low cal and high protein and not alot of meat.

Lentils

hbm616

cottage cheese is about 16g per 1/2 cup and only 90 cals for low fat. Watch out for the sodium though...

greek yogurt

hummus and veggies or whole wheat pita

bumblebums

Do you eat fish? That's a really good source.

Dairy sources vary in protein quantity... Farmer's cheese or Greek yogurt are great. I often mix them for breakfast--that's upwards of 30 grams of protein in one go.

As others said, beans, split peas, and lentils are going to have to be your friend if you want to avoid animal protein sources. Quinoa has a lot of protein for a "grain" (yes, yes, it's not strictly speaking a grain, whatevs).

If you are not grain-phobic and don't mind weirder stuff, whole rye bread is pretty high in protein, too. I eat this Finnish rye bread, which has 8 grams of protein and 170 cal per serving. (Bonus: huge fiber content.) Germans make a similar bread that you can buy in most grocery stores, but some people find it weird. Look for stuff that is shaped like bricks, especially the Mestermacher brand. And try the 100% whole rye variety.

carryingon

Dannon light and fit greek yogurt 10g for 80 cals
fat free cottage cheese 14g for 80 cals
egg beaters 20g for 100 cals

I'm vegetarian and those are my main non meat sources other than meat substitutes like soy burgers and such.

Good luck!

CoachReddy

With vegetable protein you need to consume from multiple sources to get the full amino acid profile

Let's not have the debate here, but I suugest that you research and decide about this for yourself. Many disagree with this. If you are not a vegan, it's definitely not a concern because you still eat animal products, so it's a moot point.

You could eat only uncombined vegetabe protein for a few days and see if you get sick just to be sure. Spoiler alert: you won't.

There's no need for debate because it's a FACT that if you're talking about veggie protein you need to get it from a combination of sources to get a full amino acid profile unless you use a lot of hemp protein.

Deanna_garnermommy

Quest bars! Ostrim! Egg whites! Whey protein or plant based protein and you can make protein muffins!

The1iceQueen

garbanzo beans
kidney beans
lentils
lima beans
navy beans
soybeans
brown rice
oatmeal
quinoa
broccoli
brussels sprouts
eggplant
mushrooms
potatoes
tomatoes
yams
zucchini
apple
banana
almonds
cashews
walnuts

littlelily613

With vegetable protein you need to consume from multiple sources to get the full amino acid profile

Let's not have the debate here, but I suugest that you research and decide about this for yourself. Many disagree with this. If you are not a vegan, it's definitely not a concern because you still eat animal products, so it's a moot point.

You could eat only uncombined vegetabe protein for a few days and see if you get sick just to be sure. Spoiler alert: you won't.

According to my biology professor, most plants are incomplete proteins, and mixing them is the only way to make the complete. Grains are missing certain amino acids that legumes have and vice versa, so they compliment each other. You don't have to mix them at the same meal, but just eat both during the same day. If one eats meat or other animal products, they don't have to worry about getting complete protein from plant sources, but if one is a vegetarian, they do need a variety for LONG-TERM. Of course, you aren't going to be sick in a few days by eating just rice and no beans. That's ridiculous. You could stop eating EVERYTHING for a few days and still be just fine.

happydispatcher

I use white beans instead of garbanzo beans for my hummus and also found a recipe for peanut butter hummus for a twist to it.

zrmac804

I like sandwiches with Silver Hills "Squirrelly" Sprouted Grain bread. Two slices have 12 grams of protein and 10 grams of fibre. You can fill the middle with your choice of hummus, cheese or sliced veggies.

ShrinkinMel

quinoa, kidney beans. Or quinoa and lentils with curry powder is good too.

ryry_

Muscle Milk LIght
Yoplait 100 greek yogurt flavors
Nuts/Seeds
Eggs
Edamame
Peanut Butter

judydelo1

Ezekiel Sprouted Grain Breads also have quite a bit of protein. Their sesame bread has 4 grams per slice.

Fittreelol

I just discovered nutritional yeast. Even though I'm an omnivore I add it to things that I would normally add cheese to, and then I add cheese anyway! It's decent protein per total calories. It's hard to use a lot of it, but it gives a nice little bump.