Vegetarians?

nuttynanners
nuttynanners Posts: 249 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Okay, so I'm not a strict vegetarian. I sometimes eat meat when I go out to restaurants, but I almost never buy meat products from the store.

A few months back I became more interested in organic foods and the food industry in general. While I'm not an animal rights activist, I decided I want to start consuming less animal products because the meat industry is nightmarish and even angers me. I could go on a longer rant here but it is not the time nor place...heh.

So anyway, the first time I went on my big lifestyle change of health and fitness, I was still eating animal products. I ate a lot of chicken breasts and such. Now that I am back on the fitness wagon with my pseudo vegetarian lifestyle, I have found it a little more challenging to eat enough protein, but my biggest problem is just feeling full. I crave meat sometimes...

Any vegetarians or vegans have some suggestions?

Replies

  • renitawalker9
    renitawalker9 Posts: 108
    I've tried vegan, ovo-lacto, pescetarian, raw vegan for the last 15 years ( I had about a 2 year stint in there where I ate poultry). I'm not an activist at all just trying to do what works for my body. When I started losing weight I went back to a vegan diet and it helped me control my blood pressure. But since I started lifting heavy weights again I cannot sustain myself on a purely vegan diet. Most of the vegan sources of protein severely aggravate my IBS (the wheat gluten used to make seitan, beans, especially soy). So I'm experimenting, right now I'm eating fish and yogurt and brown rice protein to meet my protein needs.
  • miri1983
    miri1983 Posts: 4
    Hi there,

    I'm (an ethical) vegan, but even before I went vegan (roughly two years ago) I was a veggie since 1999. I never have the problem of not being full, because I eat large portions. Feel free to contact me regarding recipes. I'm happy to help :).
  • stephgas
    stephgas Posts: 159 Member
    black beans and brown rice are a great protein source. i'm also researching hemp seeds as they are the only plant product that supplies all essential amino acids/proteins. i find the easiest way for me to feel satisfied is to eat throughout the day (i eat at 6 or 7 separate times during the day) and drink a lot of water. i started eliminating animal products from my diet about three weeks ago (am eating meat about once a week, usually turkey or chicken, and i've stopped drinking cow's milk) and while i'm not really having problems feeling full, i'm having trouble reaching MFP's recommendations for protein. i did some research and most professionals recommend that women get 10-35% of their daily calories from protein; i average 12-15.
  • Laurenmp16
    Laurenmp16 Posts: 344 Member
    I'm a pescatarian. Please feel free to add me, my diary is open. I do lots of eggs and meat substitutes. The substitutes can be high in sodium, so watch out for that. Also, beans are great for protein but pretty high in calories.
  • hannahamay
    hannahamay Posts: 77 Member
    I'm vegan and I was vegetarian for about six months before converting to being vegan. I get most of my protein from peas (they are also high in omega 3), brown rice, tofu (adding soft tofu to smoothies makes them creamier and adds more protein), beans, oats, nut butters, and nuts. Broccoli, spinach, and kale are really good sources of iron too! I get most of my calcium from almond milk, spinach, and oats. :) Fruits and vegetables have a lot of vitamins, too!

    A vegetarian or vegan lifestyle can be very healthy and filling if you're getting enough nutrients and eating proper portion sizes. I've had no problems being vegan; in fact my nails, skin, and hair have gotten a lot healthier! Anyone can be unhealthy and malnourished no matter what their diet is, so keep that in mind when people try to question you; because so many people will. Good luck with becoming fully vegetarian, and if you want you can add me as a friend because my food diary is open to friends. :)
  • moonsforeyes
    moonsforeyes Posts: 228
    I have been one my whole life.

    Have you ever tried morning star vegetarian products? or other brands? I don't like a lot of them, but I found some pretty satisfying ones! My friends and family eat them and say they're a great substitute for meat. You can experiment and try different things! they're also low in calories/fat and things that some meats are high in!

    have you tried almond milk? It has protein.
    as far as animal products, I get a majority of my protein from animal products such as milk, string cheese and yogurt. Depends on how strict you decide to go.
  • moonsforeyes
    moonsforeyes Posts: 228
    I'm vegan and I was vegetarian for about six months before converting to being vegan. I get most of my protein from peas (they are also high in omega 3), brown rice, tofu (adding soft tofu to smoothies makes them creamier and adds more protein), beans, oats, nut butters, and nuts. Broccoli, spinach, and kale are really good sources of iron too! I get most of my calcium from almond milk, spinach, and oats. :) Fruits and vegetables have a lot of vitamins, too!

    A vegetarian or vegan lifestyle can be very healthy and filling if you're getting enough nutrients and eating proper portion sizes. I've had no problems being vegan; in fact my nails, skin, and hair have gotten a lot healthier! Anyone can be unhealthy and malnourished no matter what their diet is, so keep that in mind when people try to question you; because so many people will. Good luck with becoming fully vegetarian, and if you want you can add me as a friend because my food diary is open to friends. :)

    thank you for sharing! I never thought about peas and the other things you said.
  • bethb41
    bethb41 Posts: 9
    Protein is really easy. Get a copy of the old book Diet for a Small Planet and it explains how to combine foods for pleanty of protein.
    There are lots of books that are more modern but this was one of the first to explain the comcept of protein complimentarity.
  • nuttynanners
    nuttynanners Posts: 249 Member
    Yay, thanks for all the ideas!

    I have lots of experimentation to do. :)

    I do eat lots of veggies but I need to figure out how to combine them with other things. I want to learn to make lentil, bean, and quinoa based dishes. I often find myself trying to center meals around veggies and I usually just end up making stir fry...ha.

    I think another one of my problems has been keeping my carbs down. When I ate meat for my protein I found it so much easier to avoid carbs, but now I find it harder to avoid them. I guess I should try eating more fats. Luckily I love nuts and seeds!

    I have no idea how to cook fish, although I am interested in learning. My mother is severely allergic to seafood so it's one food I never ended up learning about (how to cook it, what to buy, etc). I had an aversion to it when I lived with my parents as a result of this and because I always thought fish were yucky sea creatures (which they can be, but I'm over it now haha).

    I will definitely be adding tofu to some smoothies though, that sounds delicioius!

    Diet for a Small Planet looks like an awesome book! I will order a copy soon.

    Any other vegetarian cookbooks I should know about?
  • kelsully
    kelsully Posts: 1,008 Member
    Yay, thanks for all the ideas!

    I have lots of experimentation to do. :)

    I do eat lots of veggies but I need to figure out how to combine them with other things. I want to learn to make lentil, bean, and quinoa based dishes. I often find myself trying to center meals around veggies and I usually just end up making stir fry...ha.

    I think another one of my problems has been keeping my carbs down. When I ate meat for my protein I found it so much easier to avoid carbs, but now I find it harder to avoid them. I guess I should try eating more fats. Luckily I love nuts and seeds!

    I have no idea how to cook fish, although I am interested in learning. My mother is severely allergic to seafood so it's one food I never ended up learning about (how to cook it, what to buy, etc). I had an aversion to it when I lived with my parents as a result of this and because I always thought fish were yucky sea creatures (which they can be, but I'm over it now haha).

    I will definitely be adding tofu to some smoothies though, that sounds delicioius!

    Diet for a Small Planet looks like an awesome book! I will order a copy soon.

    Any other vegetarian cookbooks I should know about?



    You do not need to avoid carbs..carbs are not evil ....just make sure you are eating quality carbs...
  • MissSifaka
    MissSifaka Posts: 25 Member
    Appetite for Reduction by Isa Chandra Moskowitz has some great ideas and each recipe has nutrition facts. Good luck, happy eating!
  • GoTeamMeaghan
    GoTeamMeaghan Posts: 347 Member
    I've been vegetarian for almost 3 years & eat between 130-170g of protein a day. Feel free to add me or check out my diary for ideas.

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