Vegetarian needs suggestions, how it increase protein

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alichristiana
alichristiana Posts: 76 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi, I'm trying to increase my protein intake and I think I'm doing ok for lunches where i have found a product range that is easy to cook quickly and is a good, low fat source of protein and fiber but I need suggestions for dinners, when I eat with my fiancée. Normally we have something pasta/rice/salad based but I would like to know how I can increase the protein in mine. I also find that even when I don't eat junk I eat too much sugar just from fruit and veg,according to the app. Should this concern me?
I'm not a fan of meat replacement products, needing to be in the mood (or having sunday dinner cooked by his mum)to eat them.

Thank you!
If you want any more information my diary is set to public.
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Replies

  • Oiebruadar
    Oiebruadar Posts: 4
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    Do you eat eggs? Baked eggs in tomato sauce is fantastic. Curried chickpeas with rice, throwing edammame in your salads, miso soup with tofu, potatoes, and seaweed,bean and rice burritos with maybe a little cheese or sour cream for the extra protein there... looking towards Indian cuisine will help you out as a large majority of India's population is vegetarian. There are also tons of recipes out there for bean or legume based "burgers" that you could throw together.
  • alichristiana
    alichristiana Posts: 76 Member
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    Thanks! I'll have to see what I can find for your suggestions :) food shopping tomorrow. Unfortunately I am slightly intolerant to egg yolk, though, so I don't have much egg on its own, and usually scrambled or omelette (fine mixed into a recipe though)
  • Oiebruadar
    Oiebruadar Posts: 4
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    You could also try blending silken tofu into puddings, cheesecakes, and smoothies. Vegan creamy dessert recipes use a lot of silken tofu.
  • alichristiana
    alichristiana Posts: 76 Member
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    These are good tips, do you think any particular nuts or seeds would be a good idea for adding in? There isn't much tofu product available where I live. :)
  • redraidergirl2009
    redraidergirl2009 Posts: 2,560 Member
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    Looking at your diary it doesn't look like your sugar is coming from fruit, its coming from lemonade and cookies, you ate a cookie for breakfast?

    Consider eating more beans and adding in a protein shake in place of those cookies. There are many vegan protein powders out there.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    Seapoint Farms dry rosted edamame - 14 g protein per 1/4 cup.
  • AlyssaJoJo
    AlyssaJoJo Posts: 449 Member
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    cottage cheese, eggs, beeaans, peanut butter, etc.
  • lisamarie1780
    lisamarie1780 Posts: 432 Member
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    pulses like cannelini beans, berlotti, kidney, adzuki beans. They are filling, good sources of protein and low cal. Also Quinoa which is a grain and cooks in about ten mins, it's full of protein and vitamins.
  • BaconMD
    BaconMD Posts: 1,165 Member
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    Lentils are your friends.

    You can also find protein powders to mix up with bananas and nut butters and almond milk and carob or cocoa powder and make a dessert that is, frankly, terrific.
  • AlyssaJoJo
    AlyssaJoJo Posts: 449 Member
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    peas, some nuts, and much more. I really try to get my protein from food. I can eat a greek yogurt and get just as much protein as I would from a powder. Protein bars as way too many calories for how much protein you actually get from them. But bars are nice to have when you are needing that protein and can spare those calories. I do a weekday vegetarian and I find that my protein ranges from 65-90.
  • redraidergirl2009
    redraidergirl2009 Posts: 2,560 Member
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    You want to increase your protein simple answer have a steak.

    We humans evolved with K9 teeth for a reason and it is not for eating tofu

    Couldn't read the title hun? She's vegetarian. Your ignorance is showing. How embarrassing for you.
  • Dave_Ramsay
    Dave_Ramsay Posts: 6 Member
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    I eat 2Tbsp of Hemp Hearts each morning with my breakfast. It's 7 grams of protien and I've noticed it has helped me. I have replaced eatting protien bars with Hemp Hearts. So far it seems to be working for me.

    Good Luck.
  • mixedfeelings
    mixedfeelings Posts: 904 Member
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    I'm a bit lax with my protein intake but there are a couple of items I do purposely get to increase my protein intake when I am exercising.
    Nuts & Seeds are great as are lentils where you can sneak in but there are two things I use to really boost my protein intake.
    Firstly My Protein do a great range of cheap protein shake that are suitable for veggies, the flavoured ones I find to be too sweet but the plain one is nice on its own and mainly tastes of the milk and my newly discovered wonder product are the Danio High-protein thick yogurts, the cherry one especially nice and is fat free although the others are still low fat I've just always been a fan of cherries. They cost about 85p a pot but they are fairly new so I've seen them on offer in quite a few places, one pot is about 13g protein which is pretty fabulous.
  • cmarino613
    cmarino613 Posts: 2
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    I am mostly vegan and I use Sunwarrior Protein powder in my morning smoothies. Additional sources of protein that are great are beans, peas, nuts, seeds, some leafy greens, broccoli, tofu, eggs etc.
  • mixedfeelings
    mixedfeelings Posts: 904 Member
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    You want to increase your protein simple answer have a steak.

    We humans evolved with K9 teeth for a reason and it is not for eating tofu

    Yes are teeth can really rip through that cow well as long as we use man-made materials to cut it up and then only choose certain parts to eat and then cook it.
  • chadraeder3
    chadraeder3 Posts: 288
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    You want to increase your protein simple answer have a steak.

    We humans evolved with K9 teeth for a reason and it is not for eating tofu

    Couldn't read the title hun? She's vegetarian. Your ignorance is showing. How embarrassing for you.

    I read the title and the simple answer still works, if she has a allergy that would prevent her from eating meat then the answer would not work but that likelihood is miniscule. The vegetarian label is a choice she can choose to embrace the things that made her ancestors successful and eat some meat.
  • redraidergirl2009
    redraidergirl2009 Posts: 2,560 Member
    Options
    You want to increase your protein simple answer have a steak.

    We humans evolved with K9 teeth for a reason and it is not for eating tofu

    Couldn't read the title hun? She's vegetarian. Your ignorance is showing. How embarrassing for you.

    I read the title and the simple answer still works, if she has a allergy that would prevent her from eating meat then the answer would not work but that likelihood is miniscule. The vegetarian label is a choice she can choose to embrace the things that made her ancestors successful and eat some meat.

    She likely has a moral reason for being vegetarian just as I am sure you don't eat human meat for a reason. Respect other peoples beliefs. You'll have a better understanding of the world when you do that.
  • chadraeder3
    chadraeder3 Posts: 288
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    You want to increase your protein simple answer have a steak.

    We humans evolved with K9 teeth for a reason and it is not for eating tofu

    Yes are teeth can really rip through that cow well as long as we use man-made materials to cut it up and then only choose certain parts to eat and then cook it.

    If you wanted to you can find in nature sharp stones to cut up beef, it may take awhile but it can be done. As for cooking meat you do not need to cook it ever hear of Carpaccio and steak tartare. As for only eating certain parts of a critter you do not eat a entire potato plant because some parts of that plant will kill you.
  • alichristiana
    alichristiana Posts: 76 Member
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    My fiancé is vegetarian due to a major stomach intolerance to meat, and it's not as rare as you think. Also even though the initial decision was morally based, being vegetarian for over half my life has left my body unable to tolerate meat also. Not everyone can just switch back to it. After a long time most people can't.

    Also, the post about the sugar may be right, a bit of denial there. It's hard to say no when people give me food as it feels rude but I struggle to know the appropriate way to incorporate it.
  • vyanadevi
    vyanadevi Posts: 134 Member
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    Dry beans, kidney, garbanzo, lentils, black, etc. Nuts, Nut butters - almonds, peanut. All kinds of nuts and seeds. That's what I use anyways when I am fasting of meat for a month. Sometimes, I use cheese but very rare.

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