Vegetarians I have a ?

For those of you who are Vegan or Vegetarian, how do you get enough protein? I am considering going vegetarian.
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Replies

  • I just decided to switch, and if you go to PETAs website, they have some great information that I have found really really helpful. If you are going to continue consuming dairy products, Greek yogurt and cottage cheese have a decent amount.
  • Ayirela
    Ayirela Posts: 204 Member
    I've only started and if you join Happy Herbivores there is a lot of information and seriously helpful people. Very nice community there and full of advice. I had received an email with a bunch of links to recipes that are high in protien....etc....great group. After giving up animal products and by products for only the last 4 or 5 days I already feel so much better. I always was getting sick and had terrible nausea and stomach pains every time I ate a meat dish for the last year. Decided to eat vegan for 30 days to see if it helps. So far I've not had an ounce of nausea :) It's a very filling diet as well. Most of the stuff is pretty low on calories and substantial to boot. :)
  • babydiego87
    babydiego87 Posts: 905 Member
    dairy, beans, lentils, pulses and meat substitutes. have a look at my diary, im usually over or close to target.
  • GingerBiscuit_19
    GingerBiscuit_19 Posts: 75 Member
    Quorn! Loads of protein in Quorn products. Tofu has a lot of protein. I also have one meal replacement a day which is full of protein.And unlike the hhardcore veggies here, I am pescetarian, so I get my protein from fish (no hate please!)
  • brevislux
    brevislux Posts: 1,093 Member
    Lentils, beans, soy... I'm vegetarian and I also eat low-fat edam cheese sometimes.
  • kusterer
    kusterer Posts: 90 Member
    IMO, some younger adult members of my family don't. For those who do:

    Soy almost every day, fermented is healthiest, but I usually just make oatmeal-and-blueberries with soy milk, or put it on whole grain cereals, also with blueberries.

    Beans! Fortunately, where we long lived, beans and tortillas came with every meal, and mashed black beans (supposed "refried") were a comfort food. like mashed potatoes here. Just open and drain a can of whole beans, put some healthy oil in the pot. and mash with a potato masher while heating. The smaller the bean, the higher the percentage of "germ" (the proto-seedling), which is the protein.

    Nuts. High fat, but among the best kinds of fat there is. Drink almond milk, or munch almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, or brazil nuts, probably others. Seeds are very good, too.

    Whole grains. Among "normal" grains, oats have the kighest % of protein.
  • unfeigned
    unfeigned Posts: 30
    That's interesting for me. I am vegetarian for roughly 4 years and never had problems with protein intake. I eat a lot of dairy products (cottage cheese is perfect for your diet!) and seitan (google it :bigsmile: ). I was also vegan for 6 months and have to admit during those 6 months I felt better than ever before in my life. But I did miss cheese a lot, therefore I am back to being vegetarian.
  • babydiego87
    babydiego87 Posts: 905 Member
    Quorn! Loads of protein in Quorn products. Tofu has a lot of protein. I also have one meal replacement a day which is full of protein.And unlike the hhardcore veggies here, I am pescetarian, so I get my protein from fish (no hate please!)
    'hardcore' you mean an actual vegetarian? no offence.
  • unsuspectingfish
    unsuspectingfish Posts: 1,176 Member
    Beans, nuts, whole grains, eggs, yogurt. I did soy for awhile, but it contributed to certain medical issues, so I stick with eggs. I also make protein shakes every once in awhile, but more as a treat than a supplement.
  • unsuspectingfish
    unsuspectingfish Posts: 1,176 Member
    Quorn! Loads of protein in Quorn products. Tofu has a lot of protein. I also have one meal replacement a day which is full of protein.And unlike the hhardcore veggies here, I am pescetarian, so I get my protein from fish (no hate please!)
    'hardcore' you mean an actual vegetarian? no offence.

    Depends on who you ask. There are a lot of groups and religions that still don't consider fish to be real meat.
  • chooriyah
    chooriyah Posts: 469 Member
    I eat a lot of beans, chickpeas, lentils, nuts, eggs and yoghurt. Specifically, I have overnight oats with yoghurt most mornings, sometimes with nuts in it. Then my most common meals for lunch and dinner are vegetarian chilli (made with kidney beans, pinto beans, black beans etc), chickpea curry, and different types of lentil soup - split pea, red lentil, daals...

    Oats have a good amount of protein, so does quinoa, and whole wheat pasta and whole wheat bread.

    When i live in a country that has it, I try to eat a good amount of tofu as well. Unfortunately I don't at the moment and so sub in the occasional serving of fish (and so am currently pescetarian...boo). I buy Granose veggie burger mix and make veggie burgers out of it - those have a bunch of protein.
  • lovescontrary
    lovescontrary Posts: 8 Member
    I have been a vegetarian for 45 years. I never think about protein. It is really easy to get enough and most Americans eat way more than they need.
  • GingerBiscuit_19
    GingerBiscuit_19 Posts: 75 Member
    Quorn! Loads of protein in Quorn products. Tofu has a lot of protein. I also have one meal replacement a day which is full of protein.And unlike the hhardcore veggies here, I am pescetarian, so I get my protein from fish (no hate please!)
    'hardcore' you mean an actual vegetarian? no offence.

    Depends on who you ask. There are a lot of groups and religions that still don't consider fish to be real meat.

    I meant in the sense that fish is something I could never give up, much like someone who eats meat could never give up bacon, so I consider vegetarianism hardcore, in an appreciative way. I stopped eating meat because I don't like meat. I also find it hard to comprehend how mammals can eat mammals. Meat is so tampered with these days, no one knows what they are eating anymore. At least with fish it's sustainable (at the moment), it's not as cruel, and there are legislations on preserving fish stock and protecting environments. My only bug bear with fishing is the irresponsible net dumping that harms marine mammals. I aporeciate that every country's regulations on fishing is different, but I'm proud to say that the UK's are among the most stringent and I feel satisfied that my eating of fish is responsible from sea to plate.
  • Beans, lentils, Quorn, eggs, dairy, textured soy protein (never used it myself, it looks like mince lol) , tempeh, tofu, protein bars/shakes, etc. :)

    Edit: Yeah, greek yoghurt and cottage cheese too!
  • Quorn! Loads of protein in Quorn products. Tofu has a lot of protein. I also have one meal replacement a day which is full of protein.And unlike the hhardcore veggies here, I am pescetarian, so I get my protein from fish (no hate please!)
    'hardcore' you mean an actual vegetarian? no offence.

    Depends on who you ask. There are a lot of groups and religions that still don't consider fish to be real meat.

    I meant in the sense that fish is something I could never give up, much like someone who eats meat could never give up bacon, so I consider vegetarianism hardcore, in an appreciative way. I stopped eating meat because I don't like meat. I also find it hard to comprehend how mammals can eat mammals. Meat is so tampered with these days, no one knows what they are eating anymore. At least with fish it's sustainable (at the moment), it's not as cruel, and there are legislations on preserving fish stock and protecting environments. My only bug bear with fishing is the irresponsible net dumping that harms marine mammals. I aporeciate that every country's regulations on fishing is different, but I'm proud to say that the UK's are among the most stringent and I feel satisfied that my eating of fish is responsible from sea to plate.

    I understand what the OP meant, before I became vegetarian I considered pescetarianism because a lot of people see fish as no more than insects and bugs, really, and I'd happily swat a fly. But I couldn't do it, "Fish are friends not food!" ;-)
  • babydiego87
    babydiego87 Posts: 905 Member
    Quorn! Loads of protein in Quorn products. Tofu has a lot of protein. I also have one meal replacement a day which is full of protein.And unlike the hhardcore veggies here, I am pescetarian, so I get my protein from fish (no hate please!)
    'hardcore' you mean an actual vegetarian? no offence.

    Depends on who you ask. There are a lot of groups and religions that still don't consider fish to be real meat.
    Fish live and breathe - it's an animal i.e. meat.
  • kahawa57
    kahawa57 Posts: 2
    I look at what India Inadians eat. They have been vegetarian for 1000's of years. Also I go to web sites of vegan/vegetarianj athletes, iron mew/women etc. !
  • Hbazzell
    Hbazzell Posts: 899 Member
    Lean 15 protein powder
    Greek Yogurt
    Almond Milk
    Chickpeas, Lentils, Beans.
  • babydiego87
    babydiego87 Posts: 905 Member
    If anyone is undecided or confused about vegetarianism and needs some guidance, feel free to add me. I have been a vegetarian for around 13 years and have a completely open diary.
  • Hbazzell
    Hbazzell Posts: 899 Member
    As for fish, "Meat" is muscle fiber or other body parts. Therfor eating fish muscle is eating meat of course.
  • SwimFan1981
    SwimFan1981 Posts: 1,430 Member
    <---- Vegetarian since 1991, recently turned vegan.

    Here is a list taken from mindbodygreen.com

    1. Veggies: Yep, good old greens will pack a protein punch. One cup of cooked spinach has about 7 grams of protein. The same serving of French beans has about 13 grams. Two cups of cooked kale? 5 grams. One cup of boiled peas? Nine grams. You get the idea.

    2. Hemp. No, you don’t have to get high to get your protein. But toss 30 grams of hemp powder in your smoothie and get about 11 grams of protein – just like that.

    3. Non-Dairy Milk. Got (soy) milk? A mere 1 cup of soy or almond milk can pack about 7-9 grams of protein. Eat with some fortified cereal and you’ve got a totally vegan-friendly breakfast.

    4. Nut Butter. Eat up your peanut butter, almond butter and cashew butter. A couple of tablespoons of any one of these will get you 8 grams of protein.

    5. Quinoa. I kinda think quinoa is God’s gift to vegans (and gluten-free peeps!), as it’s versatile, delicious and delivers about 9 grams of protein per cup.

    6. Tofu. Four ounces of tofu will get you about 9 grams of protein. And at about 2 bucks a pop, it’s a cheap vegan’s BFF.

    7. Lentils. With lentils, you can make rice dishes, veggie burgers, casseroles and more. One cup cooked delivers a whopping 18 grams of protein!

    8. Beans. They really are the magical fruit. With one cup of pinto, kidney or black beans, you’ll get about 13-15 grams of protein, a full belly and heart-healthy fiber.

    9. Tempeh. One cup of tempeh packs abour 30 grams of protein! That’s more than 5 eggs or a regular hamburger patty.

    10. Sprouted-grain bread. Pack a sandwich with vegan sprouted-grain bread and you’ll get about 10 grams of protein in the bread alone.
  • GingerBiscuit_19
    GingerBiscuit_19 Posts: 75 Member
    Quorn! Loads of protein in Quorn products. Tofu has a lot of protein. I also have one meal replacement a day which is full of protein.And unlike the hhardcore veggies here, I am pescetarian, so I get my protein from fish (no hate please!)
    'hardcore' you mean an actual vegetarian? no offence.

    Depends on who you ask. There are a lot of groups and religions that still don't consider fish to be real meat.
    Fish live and breathe - it's an animal i.e. meat.

    So do plants though. God didnt put animals on this earth just to look at; they are our food, just like fish is dolphin food and krill is whale food, and ants are an anteater's food. It's a change of purpose. If people wish to eat meat that's fine, but their sacrifice should be dignified and humane. Cows shouldn't be tasered in the head and pulled apart while they are still breathing. And cows behind them shouldn't be queued up to watch what is happening in front of them. Chickens shouldn't be force fed for 12 hours a day in theirvery short lives before we off them. Animals should be free and healthy - not doomed.
  • bluefox9er
    bluefox9er Posts: 2,917 Member
    Quorn! Loads of protein in Quorn products. Tofu has a lot of protein. I also have one meal replacement a day which is full of protein.And unlike the hhardcore veggies here, I am pescetarian, so I get my protein from fish (no hate please!)
    'hardcore' you mean an actual vegetarian? no offence.

    Depends on who you ask. There are a lot of groups and religions that still don't consider fish to be real meat.

    A fish isn't a vegetable. thats why people who eat fish are pescetarian and NOT vegetarian. It's very simple.
  • babydiego87
    babydiego87 Posts: 905 Member
    Quorn! Loads of protein in Quorn products. Tofu has a lot of protein. I also have one meal replacement a day which is full of protein.And unlike the hhardcore veggies here, I am pescetarian, so I get my protein from fish (no hate please!)
    'hardcore' you mean an actual vegetarian? no offence.

    Depends on who you ask. There are a lot of groups and religions that still don't consider fish to be real meat.
    Fish live and breathe - it's an animal i.e. meat.

    So do plants though. God
    ok stop right there. not everyone believes in God, I believe in science tyvm :wink: furthermore what you are referencing is not 'breathing', it is photosynthesis. Two completely different things.
  • bluefox9er
    bluefox9er Posts: 2,917 Member
    I look at what India Inadians eat. They have been vegetarian for 1000's of years. Also I go to web sites of vegan/vegetarianj athletes, iron mew/women etc. !

    The Indian diet vegetarian or not is one of the WORST diets on the face of the planet. Just being Indian alone is a risk factor for diabetes or CHD. I should know, I am of Indian descent and travelled to india many, many,many times and am horrified at the amount of pure fat and sugar that is consumed without a second thought.
  • mohanj
    mohanj Posts: 381 Member
    I have been vegetarian all my life and don't think about protein too much. My personal trainer suggested to take some protein supplement, hence started taking Jay Robb's protein with my cereal in the morning. Otherwise I get my protein from beans, legumes, nuts, yogurt and cottage cheese. I cook lot of Indian food.
  • mohanj
    mohanj Posts: 381 Member
    I look at what India Inadians eat. They have been vegetarian for 1000's of years. Also I go to web sites of vegan/vegetarianj athletes, iron mew/women etc. !

    The Indian diet vegetarian or not is one of the WORST diets on the face of the planet. Just being Indian alone is a risk factor for diabetes or CHD. I should know, I am of Indian descent and travelled to india many, many,many times and am horrified at the amount of pure fat and sugar that is consumed without a second thought.
    I am an Indian and live in U.S. Home made Indian Vegetarian is one of the best foods besides Mediterranean foods. Don't blame the food/diet for being Ignorant and the poor choice one makes whether in India or any part of the world.
  • unsuspectingfish
    unsuspectingfish Posts: 1,176 Member
    Quorn! Loads of protein in Quorn products. Tofu has a lot of protein. I also have one meal replacement a day which is full of protein.And unlike the hhardcore veggies here, I am pescetarian, so I get my protein from fish (no hate please!)
    'hardcore' you mean an actual vegetarian? no offence.

    Depends on who you ask. There are a lot of groups and religions that still don't consider fish to be real meat.

    A fish isn't a vegetable. thats why people who eat fish are pescetarian and NOT vegetarian. It's very simple.

    I realize that. I'm just saying, I grew up in a religious town where people didn't eat meat on Friday, but fish was considered acceptable. There, eating fish as your only source of meat IS considered a vegetarian diet. I'm not saying I consider it that, I'm saying other people still consider it that.

    Anyway, I only eat it once a week, at most, and the other 6 days, I eat a completely vegetarian diet, so I feel just as qualified as "hardcore" vegetarians to give people advice on how to get protein in a vegetarian diet.
  • saltedcaramel86
    saltedcaramel86 Posts: 238 Member
    I'm pescetarian so still eat fish (about twice a week) so that helps. but aside from that dairy, lentils, legumes, Quorn products, etc.

    I eat Quorn a few times a week in different meals, have started eating more boiled eggs, etc. But, I need to increase my lentil/bean consumption. Oh, and quinoa, apparently that's a great source of protein and very versatile so going to try some new recipes with that in it. And I looooooove peanut butter; I consume it daily. A handful of nuts are great as well.

    I also love, and try to eat a lot of, chickpeas. You can chuck them in almost anything...soups, salad, wraps, etc. I made a huge batch of vegetable balti yesterday to freeze and throw in a can of chickpeas for protein. I'm also making fajitas tomorrow with chickpeas and veggies, so yummy!
  • chooriyah
    chooriyah Posts: 469 Member
    I look at what India Inadians eat. They have been vegetarian for 1000's of years. Also I go to web sites of vegan/vegetarianj athletes, iron mew/women etc. !

    The Indian diet vegetarian or not is one of the WORST diets on the face of the planet. Just being Indian alone is a risk factor for diabetes or CHD. I should know, I am of Indian descent and travelled to india many, many,many times and am horrified at the amount of pure fat and sugar that is consumed without a second thought.
    I am an Indian and live in U.S. Home made Indian Vegetarian is one of the best foods besides Mediterranean foods. Don't blame the food/diet for being Ignorant and the poor choice one makes whether in India or any part of the world.

    I personally think Indians were more or less fine until McDonald's arrived in their country. Or at least that's my experience from living in Pakistan. Probably an overstatement but generally I agree that the local cuisine is not the problem. Gaining a disposable income, not emphasising sport enough, particularly for women, seeing fat-ness as a status symbol could all be contributing factors. Definitely if you only ever eat puris, parathas and jalebis you will soon be as big as a house. Oh yeah, an the obligatory 3 spoons of sugar per chai...hahaha