Protein ideas

MiNiMoNkI
MiNiMoNkI Posts: 447 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi, i am vegetarian, i do eat eggs, i dont eat fish!

I am looking for ideas on protein as i want to gain muscle and get lean. I eat quorn but i am looking for other ways of getting protein.

I have briefly looked at shakes, i would like to try protein shakes and found a natural hemp type at Holland and Barrett. A coupple of questions:

1. Do protein shakes count toward daily intake of cals .i.e are they used as a meal replacement as such? or do you just drink them as and when? as on tv i see people carrying them in a bottle and drinking out of them as if it were water, please can someone clarify.
2. Does it really work?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Replies

  • Firefox7275
    Firefox7275 Posts: 2,040 Member
    Yes you count the calories and no they are not a meal replacement they are a supplement or convenience tool. Protein powder alone won't do anything, it's your training regime and overall nutrition - most will tell you results are 80% what happens in the kitchen and only 20% what happens in the gym. Whey is considered the ultimate, hemp does not replace animal products, if you want to be mostly vegan go for it but research it properly.

    Good veggie sources of protein include low fat soft cheese, reduced fat hard cheese, Greek yoghurt, nuts, seeds, eggs - you need these for vitamins, minerals and fibre not just protein yet you are eating very little of any of them. Looking at your food diary you need to concentrate on eating more real wholefoods and less ready made stuff because you are likely missing out on various nutrients. Also start eating more regularly and cut the sugary/ refined/ processed/ junk back to the recommended 10% of daily calories.
  • MiNiMoNkI
    MiNiMoNkI Posts: 447 Member
    Yes you count the calories and no they are not a meal replacement they are a supplement or convenience tool. Protein powder alone won't do anything, it's your training regime and overall nutrition - most will tell you results are 80% what happens in the kitchen and only 20% what happens in the gym. Whey is considered the ultimate, hemp does not replace animal products, if you want to be mostly vegan go for it but research it properly.

    Good veggie sources of protein include low fat soft cheese, reduced fat hard cheese, Greek yoghurt, nuts, seeds, eggs - you need these for vitamins, minerals and fibre not just protein yet you are eating very little of any of them. Looking at your food diary you need to concentrate on eating more real wholefoods and less ready made stuff because you are likely missing out on various nutrients. Also start eating more regularly and cut the sugary/ refined/ processed/ junk back to the recommended 10% of daily calories.

    Hi, thanks for this. I though my diary wasnt bad :O i was wrong. i used to eat a lot of cous cous and i do eat fruit daily i also eat eggs quite often but i supose i do eat foods that are convenient becuase im literally on the go all the time. I love seeds and nuts but always worry about calories, i try to keep carbs very low too! clearly im going wrong here
  • lottycat
    lottycat Posts: 333 Member
    I'm veggie, but I do eat fish. I try not to rely on Quorn and stuff like that too often, and if I do eat it I get the mince or the pieces and incorporate them into homemade dishes like chilli, curries etc.

    I'm eat lots of lentils and beans and pulses - they are SO cheap, filling and a great source of protein. If time is an issue (it is for me too) then make a big batch of veggie chilli/soup/stew/bake and keep it in the freezer for home-made ready meals. Jjust grab and go in the morning.

    I eat a ton of Greek yoghurt. The Fage Total 0% fat one is amazing, but twice the price of supermarket own brands. I do use protein powder too - I have a variety of flavoured whey, but I'm not really a fan of shakes and smoothies, but I do mix it with porridge, Greek yoghurt and use it in baking - I find that to be a better use of the calories (no matter how calorific a drink is, it never seems to fill me up like solid food!). There are LOTS of websites dedicated to cooking with whey they are definitely worth a look. Also peanut butter is a great source of protein.

    When I started doing this I was eating lots of convenience snack foods like low cal cereal bars, crisps & mini chocolatey bars etc. But I actually think these do more harm than good - they don't fill me up and give me massive sugar cravings making me much more inclined to binge.
    x
  • aelunyu
    aelunyu Posts: 486 Member
    Protein can be a meal replacement. They are calories just like any meal, except you are drinking it. My dinner everyday is 2 bottles of Naked Juice and about 2 scoops of protein.

    Greek yogurt is excellent. Nuts and legumes are great.
  • cole_ashleyy
    cole_ashleyy Posts: 104 Member
    Quinoa, bulgar, barley as your grains will add some protein to your meals rather than using something like rice.
    Peanut butter, almond butter... things like that.
    Yogurt.
    Nuts.
    Cheese.
    Soy products (soy milk, edamame, tofu)
    Seitan and tempeh.

    And I'm sure there are some others that I left out but hopefully this will help get you started :)
  • MiNiMoNkI
    MiNiMoNkI Posts: 447 Member
    I'm veggie, but I do eat fish. I try not to rely on Quorn and stuff like that too often, and if I do eat it I get the mince or the pieces and incorporate them into homemade dishes like chilli, curries etc.

    I'm eat lots of lentils and beans and pulses - they are SO cheap, filling and a great source of protein. If time is an issue (it is for me too) then make a big batch of veggie chilli/soup/stew/bake and keep it in the freezer for home-made ready meals. Jjust grab and go in the morning.

    I eat a ton of Greek yoghurt. The Fage Total 0% fat one is amazing, but twice the price of supermarket own brands. I do use protein powder too - I have a variety of flavoured whey, but I'm not really a fan of shakes and smoothies, but I do mix it with porridge, Greek yoghurt and use it in baking - I find that to be a better use of the calories (no matter how calorific a drink is, it never seems to fill me up like solid food!). There are LOTS of websites dedicated to cooking with whey they are definitely worth a look. Also peanut butter is a great source of protein.

    When I started doing this I was eating lots of convenience snack foods like low cal cereal bars, crisps & mini chocolatey bars etc. But I actually think these do more harm than good - they don't fill me up and give me massive sugar cravings making me much more inclined to binge.
    x

    Thank you so much, could you give me a recipe for a stew etc? so i know what things to order when shopping, thanks
  • MiNiMoNkI
    MiNiMoNkI Posts: 447 Member
    Quinoa, bulgar, barley as your grains will add some protein to your meals rather than using something like rice.
    Peanut butter, almond butter... things like that.
    Yogurt.
    Nuts.
    Cheese.
    Soy products (soy milk, edamame, tofu)
    Seitan and tempeh.

    And I'm sure there are some others that I left out but hopefully this will help get you started :)

    thanks for this, very helpful
  • MiNiMoNkI
    MiNiMoNkI Posts: 447 Member
    I have for lunch today: Cous, cous, bulgar wheat and a falafal pitta, also some protein shake is this better?
  • bdamaster60
    bdamaster60 Posts: 595 Member
    protein shakes are food. they break down into amino acids just like any other protein you ingest.

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