Protein Question for Vegetarians

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Replies

  • simplyeater
    simplyeater Posts: 270 Member
    I think the better question is how much protein do you really need? If you are eating a wide variety of plant-based foods and consuming at least 1200 net calories a day, then you should be getting enough protein to fuel your body's needs. Never met an American vegetarian or vegan who was medically diagnosed with a protein deficiency. There is plenty of reading material online about protein RDA's and it varies widely depending on the source, but chances are you need less than you think you do. Also read about the symptoms of protein deficiency. They are pretty hard to miss. Your doctor can run a test to see if you really are protein deficient.
  • aoney
    aoney Posts: 16 Member
    I have some of the same issues. No meat due to issues with my gut. I doesn't digest meat proteins fully which causes all sorts of issues. I also have food intolerance to about 15 other main foods like lactose and potatoes.
    I would love to also get some good food ideas for protein.
  • aoney
    aoney Posts: 16 Member
    I don't eat any meat or fish but I eat like a million egg whites a day. Yesterday I had 1.5 cups of egg whites. It's 100% protein.

    How do you cook just egg whites? Just looking for ideas.
  • bec_232
    bec_232 Posts: 32 Member
    Tofu is yummy if cooked right. My son loves it.

    Have you ever looked into Vega One Products? www.myvega.com - it's 100% plant-based

    They have a large amount of vegan protein products to choose from. The protein used: Pea protein, flax seed protein, SaviSeed™ (sacha inchi) protein, sprouted whole grain brown rice protein, hemp seed protein. They have smoothie mixes, all-in-one mixes, savi seeds and bars.

    I'm not a vegetarian but believe too much soy and meat is unhealthy so I use their products often in my smoothies. The tropical smoothie is so good!
  • harleenarang
    harleenarang Posts: 174 Member
    I am a meat eater but only - chicken, eggs, fish. Not many meats. But my vegetarian sister is a dietitian and runs a weight loss centre. She told me some simple ways to get in proteins from vegetarian choices.

    1) Yogurt - You all had fruit flavored yogurts but try this savory one and you will fall in love.
    Add fine chopped red onion, tomato (seeded), cucumber to the plain fat free yogurt. Season with salt, pepper, chopped mint leaves and roasted cumin (not cumin powder - very important). You can make up a big bowl and it will last you a couple of days. If you don't like fresh mint (though i have not seen anyone who doesn't like that) add chopped cilantro.

    2) Lentils - Though its a Mediterranean or Asian thing to eat lentils everyday - it gives you a big boost of proteins from vegetarian diet. If you want to know recipes how to cook lentils that taste yummy as a meal size soup - you can message me and i will send the recipe.

    3) Beans - I mean Garbanzo beans, kidney beans, etc. I do have a very simple (masala) recipe that you can make and keep in the refrigerator for upto 10 days and you can use that for all your lentils and beans.

    4) Tofu, Paneer, Low fat cheeses,etc.

    Hope you guys like the suggestions. :)
  • ChristineH1001
    ChristineH1001 Posts: 65
    My diary is open, I am plant based and am close to meeting my requirement most days. Take a peak if you like. Beans, Tofu, Edamame, Seitan, Quinoa .....lots of good things out there.
  • redraidergirl2009
    redraidergirl2009 Posts: 2,560 Member
    So are you feeling bad or something and what do you consider "low daily protein"? I say if you feel fine its not an issue if pure getting 50 grams or 90...
  • aldousmom
    aldousmom Posts: 382 Member
    I don't have any health problems that require a high protein diet, so I'm not sure I can offer any suggestions on where to get an excessive amount.

    If you want to add meat or dairy to your diet and you don't see any problems with it (morally, health wise, or whatever), I'm not sure what your question is? If you don't want to eat the animal products because of ethics or you're concerned with preventing lifestyle diseases, you might want to avail yourself of the (numerous) books on the topic. The PCRM ( http://www.pcrm.org/ ) has a website that answers health and nutrition questions regarding obtaining proper nutrition without animal products, if Furhman wasn't thorough enough (I can't recall how deeply he delves into specific nutrients)

    good luck with solving your problem!
  • RunReadEat
    RunReadEat Posts: 37 Member
    A stir-fried Quinoa bowl with toasted walnuts, sauteed kale, scallions, garlic, chilies, and pineapple.

    This sounds delicious!

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