Vegetarian and protein

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laurynbennardo
laurynbennardo Posts: 16
in Food and Nutrition
I have been a vegetarian (no meat at all, and barely any cheese or milk) for going on five years not and I have always had trouble getting enough protein. I am also anemic, meaning I do not get enough iron, and I take pills for that, but I would just like to know if there are any easy, healthy ways for vegetarians to get enough protein and iron in their diets.

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  • bethrs
    bethrs Posts: 664 Member
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    If you've been vegetarian for 5 years, I'm sure I can't tell you anything new- but I take in a lot of veggie burgers and tofu, as well as other soy products that boost my protein. Hope that helps! I also love beans. They help with the protein.
  • Nelski
    Nelski Posts: 1,607 Member
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    Beans, nuts, eggs(if you won't eat maybe an egg substitute), soy milk, tofu, protein powder.
  • shelli1982
    shelli1982 Posts: 133
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    have you tried the Quorn products?? they're usually available in frozen sections of natural food stores, or sometimes even in major chain stores in the organic/natural sections... they are meat substitutes made from mycoprotein (which is from mushroom... and if you don't like mushroom like me, don't freak, because the products do NOT taste like mushroom). We throw the "tenders" into stirfries or mexican food in place of chicken all the time. They also make "cutlets" with things like cranberry and goat's cheese on top... these have a little more fat because of the cheese and breading, but I can always work them into my dinner calories... I hope this helps!
  • cktb4him
    cktb4him Posts: 56
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    Lots of leafy greens have iron in them, quinoa is a great source of iron mixed with tofu and broccoli or bok choy swiss chard bell peppers and the like give you the ability to absorb more iron when you do eat it. There is a great book I used while vegan that really helped me plan my meals and allowed me to get the iron I needed : http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Vegan-Complete-Adopting-Plant-Based/dp/1570671036/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1275575431&sr=1-3

    That's the link to it on amazon.com . I highly recommend it. It changed the way I ate and I never felt better! :)
  • SayRah
    SayRah Posts: 104
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    I was a vegetarian for 5 years but quit. Pretty much echo Nelski but you may find this interesting:

    http://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/foods-highest-in-protein.php
  • baggins706
    baggins706 Posts: 310
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    Check out this link I hope it helps! http://www.ehow.com/facts_4793915_high-protein-vegetarian-foods.html

    I have been a vegetarian (no meat at all, and barely any cheese or milk) for going on five years not and I have always had trouble getting enough protein. I am also anemic, meaning I do not get enough iron, and I take pills for that, but I would just like to know if there are any easy, healthy ways for vegetarians to get enough protein and iron in their diets.
  • mlv333
    mlv333 Posts: 86 Member
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    Animal proteins are complex. Vegetable proteins are short. You can get what you need from a variety of beans. Hopefully you like them, b/c you should be eating them daily. Also iron is absorbed with the help of Vit C, so taking your iron pill with a glass of OJ or tomato juice should help. One thing my grandfather eats regularly that is loaded with iron is dandelion salad. I've never ventured to try it, but maybe worth a try for you. Just a pill isn't enough.
  • khskr1
    khskr1 Posts: 392
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    Veggie for almost 8 years now...I echo what others have said. Beans, nuts, quinoa, etc. I will but a scoop of protein powder in my oatmeal in the morning which gives me my breakfast boost. If you eat a varied diet and are conscience about it then you should get plenty of protein. I take in 80-100 grams daily depending on my workouts. If I see that I'm going to be low for the day I make sure I have a shake. Most women need about 60 grams a day. I just recently started taking iron. some days I'm low, other days I'm fine. And I second the person who mentioned Quorn products!! I LOVE them. Even my husband eats them and he eats meat.
  • msarro
    msarro Posts: 2,748 Member
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    First, do you eat dairy/eggs? If so, try to add more of them to your diet. They're complete proteins (meaning they have all of the amino acids we need to live). Otherwise, try to pair up your protein sources throughout the day to make sure you're getting everything you need. Check this site out for an explanation:
    http://www.savvyvegetarian.com/articles/get-enough-protein-veg-diet.php

    As for protein, lots of things provide it. Nuts, beans, whole grain breads, oats, dairy, eggs, soy, etc. Check out recipes for tempeh and seitan if you don't want the extra phytoestrogen. I also have a big bin of whey protein powder that I supplement if I'm lacking at the end of the day.

    <-Mostly veggie for the past year and a half
  • lilay
    lilay Posts: 122
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    Bump to bookmark the info for myself...Thanks!!
  • kickitlarson
    kickitlarson Posts: 204 Member
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    Quinoa - has 9 essential amino acids and your body can actually use them to make protein unlike meat and most beans. You don't need as much when you are getting it from a proper source.
  • striker1988
    striker1988 Posts: 20
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    The two simplest ways are protein supplements are artificial meats. Protein supplements, which you typically mix with milk, have a massive amount of protein-- one scoop usually equals about half a day's worth of protein. Of the artificial burgers, etc. Morning Star has an excellent taste and pretty high protein. If you used to like real burgers, their grillers/grillers prime taste a lot like the real thing.
  • striker1988
    striker1988 Posts: 20
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    Woops, double post. Sorry.

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