Protein Question for Vegetarians

laurengaugler

I just read the book "Eat to Live" and the past few weeks I have been trying to follow the suggestions given. Staying away from animal products, including dairy and fish, and trying to eat mostly vegetables, fruits and beans. I was already eating clean, so protein powder and other "artificial" protein is not an option for me.

This is what I have found ... I feel AMAZING, but my protein levels are much lower and my carbohydrates are much higher than I like them to be. I do not consider myself a vegetarian or vegan because I do love my meat and eggs and still eat them, but very infrequently. I have been low in protein for days, but yesterday the only alteration in my diet was I added 4 oz of chicken breast to my dinner and my macros were perfect.

The book suggests that per calorie spinach and other leafy greens have more protein than meat, which is true, but the amount of spinach I have to eat for the calories to be equal to even 1 oz of chicken I would have spinach coming out of my ears!

I'm not really sure the solution to this problem, so I am very interested in your suggestions to getting more protein. I generally have a serving of beans for lunch and sometimes will have a serving at dinner and I eat a 2 oz of nuts (almonds or walnuts) for breakfast or a snack, but I don't want to add more nuts because of the fat content and I don't think I'd be happy eating more beans.

I am avoiding responses that include "Just eat meat everyday" and "Don't cut a food group out of your diet" because I am not cutting anything out entirely and I do not want to eat meat everyday. Once or twice per week is what I'm looking at.

Ok, I know that there are a lot of parameters to my situation, so hopefully someone can help! Thanks!

mili5726

Interested to hear the responses. I am limiting my meat intake as well.

BarackMeLikeAHurricane

I don't eat any meat or fish but I eat like a million egg whites a day. Yesterday I had 1.5 cups of egg whites. It's 100% protein.

stefa711

You can take a look at my journal if you'd like, I eat a 97% vegan plant based diet and my protien is fairly high. I have found that beans, tofu, and whole grains help!

SwimFan1981

I have been a vegetarian since 1991 and recently went vegan. I get my protein from tofu, bean curd and vegetables.

closeyone

I highly recommend Quorn products, They are high in protein and very low in fat. They have a large selection of ready made items, but I prefer using their mince and chicken style pieces, which can easy be cooked in the same way as fav meat based meals (spag bowl, chilli, fajitas etc).

I'm a vegetarian so have used their products for years. My boyfriend is a meat eater, but he now prefers quorn mince to meat as you don't get any of the nasty fatty bits, and it is much healthier.

Have a look at the Quorn website for lots of recipies and ideas.

bcattoes

Seapoint Farms dry roasted edamame is a great source of veg protein that contains all the amino acids (according to the pkg). 1/4 C has 14 g protein and 130 calories, so not exactly low cal. But it is tasty and a good source of protein.

shaff1rm

So many ways to get protein! I have a protein shake every morning- usually soy protein powder, soy milk and a banana. I mix TVP (textured vegetable protein) in to a lot of my sauces- it takes on a ground beef texture, but it's vegan and loaded with protein. It makes a great replacement for ground beef in anything. Hummus, and chickpeas in general, have a ton of protein. Tofu and tempeh as well, and I eat a lot of quinoa. Beans and nuts are also great. I've been a vegetarian for years, and I actually get a lot more protein than my non-veggie counterparts. It takes a little bit of getting used to, but it's easy once you catch on.

Erica262

I get most of my protein from lentils, beans and eggs. I do occasionally have tofu, tempeh and MorningStar Farms products, though I try to limit this because they're so processed. Quinoa is full of protein too. I wouldn't worry about your carb macro too much if your carb sources are complex carbs like quinoa, beans and lentils.

MissKitty9

Tofu?

KatrinaWilke

I just read the book "Eat to Live" and the past few weeks I have been trying to follow the suggestions given. Staying away from animal products, including dairy and fish, and trying to eat mostly vegetables, fruits and beans. I was already eating clean, so protein powder and other "artificial" protein is not an option for me.

This is what I have found ... I feel AMAZING, but my protein levels are much lower and my carbohydrates are much higher than I like them to be. I do not consider myself a vegetarian or vegan because I do love my meat and eggs and still eat them, but very infrequently. I have been low in protein for days, but yesterday the only alteration in my diet was I added 4 oz of chicken breast to my dinner and my macros were perfect.

The book suggests that per calorie spinach and other leafy greens have more protein than meat, which is true, but the amount of spinach I have to eat for the calories to be equal to even 1 oz of chicken I would have spinach coming out of my ears!

I'm not really sure the solution to this problem, so I am very interested in your suggestions to getting more protein. I generally have a serving of beans for lunch and sometimes will have a serving at dinner and I eat a 2 oz of nuts (almonds or walnuts) for breakfast or a snack, but I don't want to add more nuts because of the fat content and I don't think I'd be happy eating more beans.

I am avoiding responses that include "Just eat meat everyday" and "Don't cut a food group out of your diet" because I am not cutting anything out entirely and I do not want to eat meat everyday. Once or twice per week is what I'm looking at.

Ok, I know that there are a lot of parameters to my situation, so hopefully someone can help! Thanks!

Edamame or soybeans....I know you said you wouldn't be happy eating more beans. But edamame is so good! Also try asparagus and cauliflower!

SunshineT83

Would you be willing to open up your diary for more specific suggestions?
Even if you're not willing here are a few questions to help get you better answers:

1. Are you open to tofu?
I am not a fan of highly processed fake foods, but if you choose well made tofu it can be a very minimally processed food (kind of like how cheese is if that makes sense)

2. Why would you not be happy with more beans?
Is it because of your body's responses to beans, lack of recipe applications, etc?

3. What kinds of grains are you eating?

4. What does your consumption of dark leafy greens look like?

Eating a primarily plant-based diet takes a bit of food combination skills to keep things balanced. Try making sure that you have a solid serving of dark leafy greens with more meals than not. Don't' be afraid to mix foods. Example: A stir-fried Quinoa bowl with toasted walnuts, sauteed kale, scallions, garlic, chilies, and pineapple. Have you taken a look at any of the Veg/Vegan blogs and websites that are out there for ideas? Try http://happyherbivore.com/ and http://www.lunchboxbunch.com/Home.html
Good luck and have fun with it :flowerforyou:

Zekela

Yeah... vegetarian here and you can check out my diary. I cheat by eating protein bars (especially on longer runs). I also drink a lot of milk via cereal. I eat eggs occasionally (they make me sick if I consume too many). I also eat tofu and bean products such as veggie burgers.
I do understand, it is harder though... but doable.

loverleigh

I eat a plant based diet. I still eat meat, but not near as often as I used to. Beans, Quorn products (I love the meatballs), lentils, quinoa, spinach (I put it in smoothies), and nuts/seeds. Those are pretty much what I get my protein from. I eat lean chicken, fish, and eggs in small amounts during the week too. I eat meat/eggs bout 2-4 times a week. Hope this helps!

daffodilsoup

Tofu, lentils, black beans, tempeh, and seitan are my favorite vegan protein sources. I supplement with things like broccoli and peanut butter, but generally speaking, I don't rely on those types of food for my protein intake.

GoTeamMeaghan

I have been vegetarian for almost 3 years and eat between 130-170g of protein a day. Feel free to check out my diary for ideas.

JingleMuffin

im a veggie too. I'm usually at goal for my protien intake.

I dont know what i eat.. I do eat some morning star but seeing as Quorn is so much better im going to try to get on that.

Robin1109

Check out my diary. I feel like it constantly tells me I'm over in protein! I eat a mainly vegetarian diet with occasional fish permissions (very ,very rarely).

Reinventing_Me

Quinoa has a lot of protein and there are plenty of ways to prepare it.

HypersonicFitNess

A very great resource:

http://www.nomeatathlete.com/vegetarian-protein/

Bookmark it

gioisa75

I bought this book. Has some good info even if you are not a vegetarian

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition

Robin1109

Quinoa has a lot of protein and there are plenty of ways to prepare it.

Yes, definitely quinoa!

laurengaugler

1. Are you open to tofu?
I am not a fan of highly processed fake foods, but if you choose well made tofu it can be a very minimally processed food (kind of like how cheese is if that makes sense)


2. Why would you not be happy with more beans?
Is it because of your body's responses to beans, lack of recipe applications, etc?

3. What kinds of grains are you eating?

4. What does your consumption of dark leafy greens look like?

Eating a primarily plant-based diet takes a bit of food combination skills to keep things balanced. Try making sure that you have a solid serving of dark leafy greens with more meals than not. Don't' be afraid to mix foods. Example: A stir-fried Quinoa bowl with toasted walnuts, sauteed kale, scallions, garlic, chilies, and pineapple. Have you taken a look at any of the Veg/Vegan blogs and websites that are out there for ideas? Try http://happyherbivore.com/ and http://www.lunchboxbunch.com/Home.html
Good luck and have fun with it :flowerforyou:

1. I am open to tofu, and have made some which is delicious, but like you said, it's processed and I am trying to eat clean

2. I'm just not a huge fan of beans. I got bored easily with them, but maybe it's because I need more suggestions on how to prepare them?

3. I eat quinoa and chia seeds semi daily

4. I eat dark leafy greens every meal ... in my smoothies for breakfast, a salad for lunch and a salad for dinner.

Your meal suggestion sounds AMAZING! I am definitely going to check out that website!


Thanks so much for all the suggestions! I am excited to start altering my diet to incorporate some of these food items. This has been an extremely helpful post for me!

Warchortle

I'm not sure if you eat dairy, but that will be the best source if not egg whites.

All other vegetable drives proteins are incomplete like rice, pea, hemp proteins. Quinoa is a complete food.

laurengaugler

I bought this book. Has some good info even if you are not a vegetarian

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition

Awesome! Thanks!

zillah73

I am a big fan of seitan (aka "wheat meat"). If you have a gluten intolerance it wouldn't work but, if not, there are some great natural products out there. I particularly like Upton's Naturals and Field Roast. Both are all natural and contain no additives, preservatives or scary ingredients. Both are high in protein. Hope that helps.

daffodilsoup

I am a big fan of seitan (aka "wheat meat"). If you have a gluten intolerance it wouldn't work but, if not, there are some great natural products out there. I particularly like Upton's Naturals and Field Roast. Both are all natural and contain no additives, preservatives or scary ingredients. Both are high in protein. Hope that helps.

Truth! You can also take it one step further and make your own - it's stupid easy - so you control exactly what goes in it. A basic seitan recipe just uses vital wheat gluten, water and spices.

Super_Cee

So many useful suggestions and links: gotta bump this for when I'm not at work ;-P

zillah73

Truth! You can also take it one step further and make your own - it's stupid easy - so you control exactly what goes in it. A basic seitan recipe just uses vital wheat gluten, water and spices.

Yup! I make an awesome puff-pastry wrapped seitan roast for Thanksgiving every year. Even my non-veg friend comes over for dinner every year that night.

SunshineT83

I'm not sure if you eat dairy, but that will be the best source if not egg whites.

All other vegetable drives proteins are incomplete like rice, pea, hemp proteins. Quinoa is a complete food.

This is why mixing and matching foods can be important, yes most plant proteins are incomplete. But each plant has a different set of amino acids (protein links) from the other. For example rice and beans, they match up together to make a complete protein. Balance can be achieved without (or with little) animal products it just takes some research and experimentation to suit personal tastes and needs.

OP - I am sure that loading your recipe arsenal will really help you out. Boredom is deadly so don't be afraid of Herbs and Spices to keep things interesting. You can make a serving of chickpeas taste like a dozen different things just by your spice/herb selection and cooking method. Try expanding your whole grain selection (ex: Quinoa, Brown Rice, Corn, Whole Wheat, Sprouted Grains/Breads, even white rice has its place) And maybe challenge your self to a new dark colored veggie each week (ex: Chard, Kale, Watercress, Arugula, Various dark lettuces, etc) Diversity really helps.

askeates

I'm not really sure the solution to this problem, so I am very interested in your suggestions to getting more protein. I generally have a serving of beans for lunch and sometimes will have a serving at dinner and I eat a 2 oz of nuts (almonds or walnuts) for breakfast or a snack, but I don't want to add more nuts because of the fat content and I don't think I'd be happy eating more beans.

Tofu, it is very good for you, and high in protein... I will sometimes use it in my cooking to add a little extra if I'm running low on protein but high on fat in what I have planned out for the week. The fat you get from nuts is actually good (obviously in moderation), but I do suggest sticking to the almonds as they are lower in fat, and get the kind you would bake with instead of the snack variety as they add oils and salts. I also do pecans instead of walnuts because they are less fatty... You could also try to do the raw nuts, and roast them yourself, I have seen several people suggest it (although I have not tried it yet).