Vegetarians out there?

LovelyVegetarian
LovelyVegetarian Posts: 117 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi,
I am getting frustrated with everyone's tips on eating protein to keep you full etc. and am super jealous of all those people that have grilled chicken/turkey breast for dinner with their salad or whatever. I know we have tofu and fish and all that but is anyone else finding the high-protein diet changes challenging for vegetarians? I do eat veggie burgers and I do eat fish (don't judge but I love sardines) but it's just not as easy - especially when we go out. I do really enjoy protein bars (my new obsession is the Smart for Life bar).
I guess I'm half-venting and half-asking if anyone else is finding this a challenge. And yes I eat cheese and eggs. But then again, there's only so much cheese and eggs you know?

Replies

  • myriahj84
    myriahj84 Posts: 18
    There are plenty of non-meat sources of protein. My personal favorite is quinoa. You can look at meatfreeathlete.com for recipe suggestions too.
  • HMToomey
    HMToomey Posts: 276
    Have you tried beans? Couscous also has 6 grams protein per a cup. There is also nuts and nut butters. How low are you on protein at the end of the day?

    This link may be of better use to you.
    http://veganproteins.com/where-do-vegans-get-protein.html

    Hope that helps!
  • LovelyVegetarian
    LovelyVegetarian Posts: 117 Member
    Oh yes, I adore quinoa - I like cooking big batches.
  • drmerc
    drmerc Posts: 2,603 Member
    If you want to get in lots of protein I would recommend you start eating meat
  • 321poppi
    321poppi Posts: 24
    I'm a vegetarian. I know what you mean about hearing all the "secrets" to losing a lot fast usually means eating crazy amounts of meat and poultry. It gets not only boring, but it's not helpful to my lifestyle. I eat eggs, so, I am not afraid to scramble of fry up an egg white or two at times when I feel like I need more protein. I also sometimes will whip up a smoothly with added protein powder. I eat tempeh, tofu and lots of legumes (chick peas are a staple and really easy to toss into a salad).
  • Shock_Wave
    Shock_Wave Posts: 1,573 Member
    <--vAgEtArIaN here lol :laugh:
  • paperandink
    paperandink Posts: 9
    Vegan of several years here. I like proteins I can add to things I already eat, like putting flax in my oatmeal and smoothies, or nutritional yeast in soups and sandwich spreads. Tempeh and seitan are good alternatives to tofu in main dishes, if you're bored of or otherwise avoiding soy.

    Have you tried Chunks of Energy? They're so addicting.
  • carocaro26
    carocaro26 Posts: 1 Member
    Morroccan spiced cous cous (this has chick peas in)Vegetable and bean chilli/Lentil and cheese loaf/Lentils (big green ones) cooked in veg stock with sun dried tomatoes and onion - delicious and very filling. Leek and Black/butter bean bake

    We eat a mainly vegetarian diet and are always full but its easy to get into a food rut
  • bethainy
    bethainy Posts: 2
    Hi there,

    I'm vegetarian, have been all my life, and I've been realizing that I'm often actually over my goal for daily protein. I eat a lot of whole grains. I also drink soy milk (usually just with cereal), eat beans, nut butters, eggs... even half an avocado has 11 grams!
  • LittleMissDover
    LittleMissDover Posts: 820 Member
    If you want to get in lots of protein I would recommend you start eating meat

    Useful :angry:

    I'm pescatarian and am usually over on protein by a fair amount. I eat a lot of fish, seafood, couscous and meat substitutes such as quorn.
  • LovelyVegetarian
    LovelyVegetarian Posts: 117 Member
    Thanks for all the tips and also for acknowledging that it does get a bit frustrating :-)

    I am a lacto-ovo vegetarian (for 20 years now).

    I am meeting all my protein grams thanks in large part due to the protein bars I eat for breakfast. So I think overall I'm doing well - just mostly frustrating to be living a world of grilled chicken breast and other lean meat protein.

    And also the challenge for me is that my family eats meat (husband and two young kids) - so I'm often eating separate meals an well, it's not always super fun.

    And Mr. VAGetarian - hahaha! Funny!
  • PercivalHackworth
    PercivalHackworth Posts: 1,437 Member
    Needs prep at first not to suffer from any defficiencies - especially vitamin b12 - but seaweeds are good for that (Royal Kombu and Miso) as for the rest : tempeh, Seitan, Tofu, Quinoa, Lentils (blond, corail, yellow, gree), wild rice (a bit less of proteins)
    I think people overestimate their needs in proteins, explaining why we see meat as a mandatory food, truth is, it's not
  • slkehl
    slkehl Posts: 3,801 Member
    Beans
    Barley in soups
    Nuts
    Seeds
    Peas
    Soy products

    Remember, variety is key! You need to combine different sources of proteins to get what you need.
  • lilmisfit
    lilmisfit Posts: 860 Member
    Whey protein shakes? I usually have 1-2 per day, along with other non-meat protein sources. I'm a vegetarian and I don't have a problem getting enough protein. :smile:
  • leapinglizards86
    leapinglizards86 Posts: 6
    What is Quinoa? I've heard of it before, never tried it though.
  • Thinsposa
    Thinsposa Posts: 40 Member
    Having been a vegetarian for 10 years and vegan for 1 I am always finding it hard to meet my daily quota of protein, HOWEVER, I recently found this product:
    http://www.sunwarrior.com/
    It really is fantastic, I feel like my body is thanking me for it.
    Good luck with it all! :)
  • tgood425
    tgood425 Posts: 1
    It's a grain that is super nutritious. Kinda nutty flavored and great with anything. I find it at the grocery store Easy to make too. I would highly recommend trying it.:love::love:
  • leapinglizards86
    leapinglizards86 Posts: 6
    Thanks. I'll look for it the next time I go to the store.
  • RaayRaee1995
    RaayRaee1995 Posts: 1
    I've been a veggg for about 3 years and at first it was SO hard to feel full. Now I eat hard boiled eggs from trader joes, and almond butter, peanut butter, think thin bars, almonds, tofu, and black beans occasionally. You just have to find what you like and what works for you. Finding protein isn't as hard as it seems. Meat isn't the only source!:tongue:
  • lizphantom
    lizphantom Posts: 19
    I am a vegetarian and never go hungry! I eat veggies ALL DAY. It seems like I have to eat a lot throughout the day, but that's actually better for your body. Graizin like an animal! I just made a super filling meal of aloo paneer bread topped with diced veggies, sauteed in safflower oil. i ate a banana on the side, and i'm full! the meal was 385 calories of deliciousness.

    Also, lentils, beans, and other legumes are super filling and protein heavy. They're actually more fulfilling because they have tons of fiber, too! Way better than nasty dead carcass protein! Don't forget that vegetables have protein, too!

    Best wishes! Feel free to add me, fellow veg-head. :)
  • RickBriggs
    RickBriggs Posts: 44
    Forget the meat. Forget the dairy. Live longer and illness free. Get your protein in a shake or smoothie by including 2 Tbs. Jarrow ISO rich soy protein powder. You can get it on Amazon. That takes care of all of the protein that you need per day. Stay away from the hokey protein bars and powders. As an example, the sunwarrior stuff mentioned above is 16 g. protein per serving. The Jarrow is 43 g. per serving and is just soy protein.
  • seed_of_wonder
    seed_of_wonder Posts: 202 Member
    ive been eating a lot of greek yogurt lately to help out with my protein intake.
    120 calories per serving & 25 grams of protein
    i buy the plain oikos stonyfield kind & add a few drops of liquid stevia (english toffee flavored) to sweeten
  • bokodasu
    bokodasu Posts: 629 Member
    Vegetarian for 20 years (actually, hey, 20 years to the day next week) - I almost never eat eggs but I eat some dairy. And I get at least 100g of protein a day. I have a protein shake after my morning workout but I mostly try to stick to food - tempeh > tofu, lentils > beans > chickpeas, quinoa > rice, almonds > cashews... also nutritional yeast goes in/on almost everything. And there are surprising amounts of protein in things like broccoli. (Well, I was surprised, anyway.) I do find that protein makes the most filling snacks - I have almonds almost every morning and yogurt pretty often when I get home after work, and days when there is leftover grilled tempeh in the fridge are the best days ever.
  • rivka_m
    rivka_m Posts: 1,007 Member
    My fave is lentils mixed with taco seasoning. You can sprinkle cheese on top and/or wrap in a burrito if you want. Lentils have lots of protein.

    Personally I also eat a lot of veggie burgers but I'm lazy like that.
  • sweet_lotus
    sweet_lotus Posts: 194 Member
    Why do you need gads of protein to lose weight? Sure it makes you feel fuller but it's not the only way to do it. I find fiber more filling - cut up some fruit and vegetables with every meal and you'll stay fuller longer.

    If you want to load up on protein, your best bets are seitan (20g protein per 100 cal) and a protein shake. Mine have 24g per shake. One meal with 200 cal of seitan has 40g, plus a protein shake makes 64, plus whatever you eat for the day, you can easily do 100-120g especially if you eat fish.

    Also, you're not a vegetarian if you eat fish. (The term for that is pescatarian.)
  • leapinglizards86
    leapinglizards86 Posts: 6
    My fave is lentils mixed with taco seasoning. You can sprinkle cheese on top and/or wrap in a burrito if you want. Lentils have lots of protein.

    Personally I also eat a lot of veggie burgers but I'm lazy like that.

    That sounds good. I'm going to give that a try.
  • suziecue66
    suziecue66 Posts: 1,312 Member
    Forget the meat. Forget the dairy. Live longer and illness free. Get your protein in a shake or smoothie by including 2 Tbs. Jarrow ISO rich soy protein powder. You can get it on Amazon. That takes care of all of the protein that you need per day. Stay away from the hokey protein bars and powders. As an example, the sunwarrior stuff mentioned above is 16 g. protein per serving. The Jarrow is 43 g. per serving and is just soy protein.

    Very unappetizing though.
    Live longer and illness free by eating a variety of foods of your choosing and remaining at a healthy weight.
  • suziecue66
    suziecue66 Posts: 1,312 Member
    Needs prep at first not to suffer from any defficiencies - especially vitamin b12 - but seaweeds are good for that (Royal Kombu and Miso) as for the rest : tempeh, Seitan, Tofu, Quinoa, Lentils (blond, corail, yellow, gree), wild rice (a bit less of proteins)
    I think people overestimate their needs in proteins, explaining why we see meat as a mandatory food, truth is, it's not

    Agree especially about overestimating protein needs. I think once in a while need to low protein for a week or two to encourage autophagy.

    Its a problem when protein is constantly very low.
  • PercivalHackworth
    PercivalHackworth Posts: 1,437 Member
    Needs prep at first not to suffer from any defficiencies - especially vitamin b12 - but seaweeds are good for that (Royal Kombu and Miso) as for the rest : tempeh, Seitan, Tofu, Quinoa, Lentils (blond, corail, yellow, gree), wild rice (a bit less of proteins)
    I think people overestimate their needs in proteins, explaining why we see meat as a mandatory food, truth is, it's not

    Agree especially about overestimating protein needs. I think once in a while need to low protein for a week or two to encourage autophagy.

    Its a problem when protein is constantly very low.

    True, but in fact, i think it's quite the opposite in most cases, when you come to a vegetarian/ vegan diet by choice, for health reasons (I won't argue wether or not a diet including meat is unhealthy), you tend to be more conscious about the food choices, thus the use of the nutrients by your body, having a balanced diet from grains/ legumes and vegies - nutrient-rich more foods also, most of the needs are covered for protein. As for the vitamin B12, I'd say it's the only thing a conscious non-meat eater should be aware of, but having the seadweeds - sorted, or sups

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