Vegetarians - how do you get enough protein?

ekaustin7

I gave up eating meat for Lent this year, but have found that I feel so good and have so much energy when I eat a mostly plant-based diet that I think I'm going to keep it up. I haven't completely sworn off meat and eat it from time to time, but when I have the choice, I usually stay away from it. Since making this change in my diet, however, I haven't been getting anywhere near my daily protein goals. Even on days that I have a protein shake after my workout, I still don't come close. I eat a lot of beans and quinoa, which aside from my protein shake, account for most of my daily protein intake. I also still eat dairy products, so I get some protein from milk, yogurt and cheese. I will also eat egg whites to get some protein in. I don't like tofu (or much anything else that is soy-based) so that's not an option for me. Does anyone have any advice on how I can increase my protein?

quiltlovinlisa

I can't answer specifically because I don't really know, but my thought after reading your question was, if I felt fantastic, i don't think I'd worry about. Sorry I'm not more help.

thomcand

I also hardly ever eat meat. I get a lot of protein from whey shakes, quinoa, raw nut butters, beans, lentils, and barley. I feel the best when I stay away from meats but have found that I can eat tuna and salmon without feeling weighed down. Hope that helps!

cmstirp

What's your kcal goal and how many grams of protein are you trying to get each day?

SteelySunshine

I was going to be snarky and say I will let you know when I get enough. But, it's not that I can't. It's just that I don't really like protein foods that much. So, I try adding more beans to my bean and pasta dish. I will put protein powder in my oatmeal, I don't really like it, but it's half my requirements for the day and the rest just sort of happens naturally. I eat a lot of soy burgers not Morning Star anymore cuz those *(*^*^heads put egg in them. So, it's mostly beans. I could eat tofu, but I am not terribly fond of that, but I am going to try it fried in strips one day and dip them in something yummy and maybe have some fried green tomatoes on the side.

jayrae87

Whey protein powder, quinoa, lentils, beans, yogurt...

You'd be surprised at how many foods have some protein. I try to get 52g of protein in a day and don't have trouble, just be sure you combine sources so you're getting complete protein. If at the end of the day I need to get more in, I just have a protein shake with one scoop (11g of protein). I'm just starting out with the Vitacost brand and it's tolerable, but I'ev heard good things about Optimum Nutrition.

dw61574

Bi Pro whey protein is a great supplement for protein. You can check it out on the Web.

suv_hater

“The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that men and women obtain 5% of their calories as protein. This would mean 38 grams of protein for a man burning 3000 calories a day and 29 grams for a woman using 2300 calories a day. This quantity of protein is impossible to avoid when daily calorie needs are met by unrefined starches and vegetables. For example, rice alone would provide 71 grams of highly usable protein and white potatoes would provide 64 grams of protein.” John A. McDougall, MD

“The simple answer is this, as long as you consume adequate calories to maintain a healthy weight from a variety of whole plant foods, (and not from junk foods and/or just fruit) you will get in all the protein and amino acids that you need.” Jeff Novick, MS, RD

“. . . , most plant foods, except fruit, supply at least 10 percent of calories from protein, with green vegetables averaging about 50 percent.” Joel Fuhrman, MD

“The concern that vegetables do not contain ‘complete proteins’ is not scientifically valid. Plenty of protein and all of the essential and nonessential amino acids are present in single unrefined starches, such as oatmeal (16% of calories from protein), rice (8% protein), corn (12% protein), beans (26% protein), whole wheat spaghetti (14% protein), and potatoes (11% protein), enough even for weight lifters and endurance athletes, . . .” Kerrie Saunders, PhD

“Since 1974, the World Health Organization has recommended that we get 5% of our calories from protein (6% during pregnancy). Matthew Lederman, MD and Alona Pulde, MD

“To put things in perspective, human breast milk is 5% protein and is consumed by a baby who is doubling in size while only consuming that food.” Matthew Lederman, MD and Alona Pulde, MD

“. . . broccoli has a higher percentage of protein than pork, salmon, chicken, skim milk, eggs, beef, and cheddar cheese!” Matthew Lederman, MD and Alona Pulde, MD

“In fact, a National Institute of Health study at the University of California published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2001), found that “women who ate most of their protein from animal sources had three times the rate of bone loss and 3.7 times the rate of hip fractures as women who ate most of their protein from vegetable sources.” Matthew Lederman, MD and Alona Pulde, MD

“[T]he body does not store excess protein and therefore must eliminate it. Over time, excessive amounts of protein can potentially put a strain on the kidneys, liver and our bones. In addition, excess protein can raise the levels of a hormone called IGF-1, which can stimulate the growth rate of certain cancers.” Jeff Novick, MS, RD

“. . . most plant foods supply at least 10% of their calories from protein. People on an animal-free diet get, on average, about 11% of their calories from protein; in contrast, those who eat a typical American diet get about 15% to 17% of their calories from protein. Recall that you require only about 5% of your calories from protein.” Janice Stanger, PhD

“. . . increased intakes of animal protein also enhance the production of insulin-like growth factor . . . and this enhances cancer cell growth.” T. Colin Campbell, PhD

“In reality, people have no greater need for animal protein than do gorillas or elephants, both of whom have far bigger muscles than we do, yet are plant eaters. It comes as a surprise for people to learn that essential amino acids are made by plants, not by animals. We can get them from animals, but somewhere along the food chain they originally came from plants. Generally, if vegans eat a variety of plant foods (legumes, nuts, seeds, vegetables, fruits and grains) and consume sufficient calories, protein needs will be met.” Brenda Davis, RD

Qsik

Mushrooms - the 'vegetarians meat'
Eggs

Emeener

“The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that men and women obtain 5% of their calories as protein. This would mean 38 grams of protein for a man burning 3000 calories a day and 29 grams for a woman using 2300 calories a day. This quantity of protein is impossible to avoid when daily calorie needs are met by unrefined starches and vegetables. For example, rice alone would provide 71 grams of highly usable protein and white potatoes would provide 64 grams of protein.” John A. McDougall, MD

“The simple answer is this, as long as you consume adequate calories to maintain a healthy weight from a variety of whole plant foods, (and not from junk foods and/or just fruit) you will get in all the protein and amino acids that you need.” Jeff Novick, MS, RD

“. . . , most plant foods, except fruit, supply at least 10 percent of calories from protein, with green vegetables averaging about 50 percent.” Joel Fuhrman, MD

“The concern that vegetables do not contain ‘complete proteins’ is not scientifically valid. Plenty of protein and all of the essential and nonessential amino acids are present in single unrefined starches, such as oatmeal (16% of calories from protein), rice (8% protein), corn (12% protein), beans (26% protein), whole wheat spaghetti (14% protein), and potatoes (11% protein), enough even for weight lifters and endurance athletes, . . .” Kerrie Saunders, PhD

“Since 1974, the World Health Organization has recommended that we get 5% of our calories from protein (6% during pregnancy). Matthew Lederman, MD and Alona Pulde, MD

“To put things in perspective, human breast milk is 5% protein and is consumed by a baby who is doubling in size while only consuming that food.” Matthew Lederman, MD and Alona Pulde, MD

“. . . broccoli has a higher percentage of protein than pork, salmon, chicken, skim milk, eggs, beef, and cheddar cheese!” Matthew Lederman, MD and Alona Pulde, MD

“In fact, a National Institute of Health study at the University of California published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2001), found that “women who ate most of their protein from animal sources had three times the rate of bone loss and 3.7 times the rate of hip fractures as women who ate most of their protein from vegetable sources.” Matthew Lederman, MD and Alona Pulde, MD

“[T]he body does not store excess protein and therefore must eliminate it. Over time, excessive amounts of protein can potentially put a strain on the kidneys, liver and our bones. In addition, excess protein can raise the levels of a hormone called IGF-1, which can stimulate the growth rate of certain cancers.” Jeff Novick, MS, RD

“. . . most plant foods supply at least 10% of their calories from protein. People on an animal-free diet get, on average, about 11% of their calories from protein; in contrast, those who eat a typical American diet get about 15% to 17% of their calories from protein. Recall that you require only about 5% of your calories from protein.” Janice Stanger, PhD

“. . . increased intakes of animal protein also enhance the production of insulin-like growth factor . . . and this enhances cancer cell growth.” T. Colin Campbell, PhD

“In reality, people have no greater need for animal protein than do gorillas or elephants, both of whom have far bigger muscles than we do, yet are plant eaters. It comes as a surprise for people to learn that essential amino acids are made by plants, not by animals. We can get them from animals, but somewhere along the food chain they originally came from plants. Generally, if vegans eat a variety of plant foods (legumes, nuts, seeds, vegetables, fruits and grains) and consume sufficient calories, protein needs will be met.” Brenda Davis, RD

Oh my god. Thank you. This is everything I wanted to say, but in a more scientific format.

Zylahe

Most have already been mentioned but other good sources seitan, quark, cottage cheese, fromage frais, yogurt.

Fivefeetjo

Tofu.

justsarah07

I am not a vegetarian, but I use vegan protein powders:

Sun Warrior - Vanilla ( I have not tried the chocolate or natural favors yet) - The protein comes from rice and it is sweetened with Stevia. It doesn't have any GMO or soy, which I feel is a major plus! It has a slightly grainy texture but I love the vanilla flavor. Low in carbs and sugar it has 16 grams of protein per scoop (it comes in the bag).

http://www.amazon.com/Sunwarrior-Classic-Protein-Powder-Chocolate/dp/B00638EYF0/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1365975122&sr=8-14&keywords=sun+warrior

Garden of Life - Chocolate (I believe they have vanilla too) - It's not super chocolatey so sometimes I had more raw cacao powder. This one is slightly grainy but not unbearable and is low in carbs.

When I use Garden of Life, I feel full for a lot longer because it also contains 6 grams of fiber. I like that it has a mixture of other ingredients like, sprouts, chia seeds, enzymes (very important!), probiotics, and sweetened with Stevia. The ingredients are all organic.

http://www.amazon.com/Garden-Life-Organic-Protein-Grams/dp/B0031JK96C/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1365975472&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=Garden+of+Life+

Both of these are great mixed with ice, frozen fruit, Peanut butter powder, milk (nut or otherwise) and much more. Hope this helps!

Also, just to give you an idea 1 cup of lentils has 18 grams if protein and 16 grams if fiber! Super cheap ~ super food!

bumblebums

If you are going for bodybuilder intake levels (at least 0.8 g per pound of body weight, and some eat as much as 2 g per lb), it's going to be difficult to do it without supplements. For a vegan, getting that much protein from dietary sources is going to be near impossible. Unless you eat tofu all day, like a sumo wrestler. It would take 2.5 lb of tofu to provide 120 g of protein, for example.

The current American RDA for protein is considerably lower than 0.8 g per lb of bodyweight. You can easily meet the standard RDA on a vegetarian or vegan diet from standard veg protein sources (nuts, beans, grains), and of course eggs and dairy. For a vegetarian who isn't dairy-averse and is also calorie-conscious, fat-free yogurt and farmer's cheese/cottage cheese are probably the best options. If you shirk animal-based protein sources, you have to be extremely diligent about combining foods to get a complete amino acid profile. A vegan diet can be very healthy, but it is a lot of work.

epie2098

Breakfast - free range eggs from chickens I know are looked after (my friend keeps hens), either whey or vegan protein powder, and higher-protein cereals - Kashi GoLean, for example.

Lunch - hummus/beans/edamame (young soybeans in pods)/some cheese/tofu/faux meats on occasion when I'm pressed for time/quinoa

Dinner - tofu/tempeh/edamame/quinoa/some cheese/seitan

Snacks - nuts/seeds/greek yogurt/regular yogurt/hummus

(plugs blog) My vegetarian bento blog is here: http://veggiebentolove.wordpress.com, and I've been blogging my lunches for almost a year if that helps. I often include whatever snacks I pack for the day too, because bento lunches are by design smaller than a typical western lunch.

You need quite a bit less protein than western nutrition would have us believe. Watch Forks over Knives for an excellent overview of the China project, the most comprehensive study of human nutrition vs. chronic health diseases if you're looking for a bit more information.

I use whey or vegan protein powder in smoothies as insurance basically, and because I'm not great at eating quinoa for breakfast. A smoothie I can get down I also go for whole-grain where possible (except pasta which I don't care for in wg) so I glean a little more protein there too - again, being that I'm not bodybuilding, I don't need massive amounts of it.

According to MFP, I'm at or over my protein intake each day.

Hbazzell

I don't according to MFP but I feel fine and when I lift my muscled get more toned so I am not complaining about it really.

epie2098

If you are going for bodybuilder intake levels (at least 0.8 g per pound of body weight, and some eat as much as 2 g per lb), it's going to be difficult to do it without supplements. For a vegan, getting that much protein from dietary sources is going to be difficult without sups. Unless you eat tofu all day, like a sumo wrestler. It would take 2.5 lb of tofu to provide 120 g of protein, for example.

The current American RDA for protein is considerably lower than 0.8 g per lb of bodyweight. You can easily meet the standard RDA on a vegetarian or vegan diet from standard veg protein sources (nuts, beans, grains), and of course eggs and dairy. For a vegetarian who isn't dairy-averse and is also calorie-conscious, fat-free yogurt and farmer's cheese/cottage cheese are probably the best options. If you shirk animal-based protein sources, you have to be extremely diligent about combining foods to get a complete amino acid profile. A vegan diet can be very healthy, but it is a lot of work.

You (general you, not you specifically) don't actually have to combine foods - that thinking was around in the 80's. As long as you eat a variety of foods through the day, same as an omnivore would, you will be fine.

corsayre8

I was going to be snarky and say I will let you know when I get enough. But, it's not that I can't. It's just that I don't really like protein foods that much. So, I try adding more beans to my bean and pasta dish. I will put protein powder in my oatmeal, I don't really like it, but it's half my requirements for the day and the rest just sort of happens naturally. I eat a lot of soy burgers not Morning Star anymore cuz those *(*^*^heads put egg in them. So, it's mostly beans. I could eat tofu, but I am not terribly fond of that, but I am going to try it fried in strips one day and dip them in something yummy and maybe have some fried green tomatoes on the side.

They make a Vegan Griller, and it doesn't taste bad.

HollisGrant

I gave up eating meat for Lent this year, but have found that I feel so good and have so much energy when I eat a mostly plant-based diet that I think I'm going to keep it up. I haven't completely sworn off meat and eat it from time to time, but when I have the choice, I usually stay away from it. Since making this change in my diet, however, I haven't been getting anywhere near my daily protein goals. Even on days that I have a protein shake after my workout, I still don't come close. I eat a lot of beans and quinoa, which aside from my protein shake, account for most of my daily protein intake. I also still eat dairy products, so I get some protein from milk, yogurt and cheese. I will also eat egg whites to get some protein in. I don't like tofu (or much anything else that is soy-based) so that's not an option for me. Does anyone have any advice on how I can increase my protein?

Lots of great suggestions on here.

Years ago, when my husband was ill, his oncologist (cancer doctor) put him on a macrobiotic diet. That's a super healthy vegan diet recommended for a lot of people with different illnesses (although you are allowed to eat fish once or twice a week, but you are encouraged to do without it). The protein was mostly from beans and included at least one dish with beans and brown rice a day. The diet also said most Americans try to eat too much protein.

missybct

I'm not strictly a vegetarian, but most of my diet is vegetarian based - I probably eat meat (white) once a week and fish once or twice a week. I used to eat a lot of meat as my boyfriend enjoyed it at the expense of lots of vegetables, but recently I've completely revamped my diet.

How do I get protein? I eat yoghurt, hummous, beans and lentils and a bit of cheese. I also have used soya products; people turn noses up at it but as long as you cook it properly and season, it's absolutely fine. I actually prefer eating cleaner food.

bumblebums

If you are going for bodybuilder intake levels (at least 0.8 g per pound of body weight, and some eat as much as 2 g per lb), it's going to be difficult to do it without supplements. For a vegan, getting that much protein from dietary sources is going to be difficult without sups. Unless you eat tofu all day, like a sumo wrestler. It would take 2.5 lb of tofu to provide 120 g of protein, for example.

The current American RDA for protein is considerably lower than 0.8 g per lb of bodyweight. You can easily meet the standard RDA on a vegetarian or vegan diet from standard veg protein sources (nuts, beans, grains), and of course eggs and dairy. For a vegetarian who isn't dairy-averse and is also calorie-conscious, fat-free yogurt and farmer's cheese/cottage cheese are probably the best options. If you shirk animal-based protein sources, you have to be extremely diligent about combining foods to get a complete amino acid profile. A vegan diet can be very healthy, but it is a lot of work.

You (general you, not you specifically) don't actually have to combine foods - that thinking was around in the 80's. As long as you eat a variety of foods through the day, same as an omnivore would, you will be fine.

I wasn't referring to the loony food combination diet, whereby you aren't allowed to eat X and Y in the same meal. I meant that in order to get all of the amino acids the human body needs, you have to eat both certain legumes and certain grains; you can't get complete proteins from any one plant source.