Mostly Vegetarian - Trying to eat more protein/iron

sarah___
sarah___ Posts: 5
in Food and Nutrition
I can't seem to meet the requirements. Some days I'll come close on one, but not the other. I've been on here before and tried to make it, but I feel like I was eating beans and spinach all day. I want some things that are high protein and iron that aren't going to add tons of calories and actually taste decent. I do eat eggs.

Replies

  • jwdieter
    jwdieter Posts: 2,582 Member
    Hemp and pea protein powders both are protein-rich (obv) and high in iron. Sorry about the taste decent part though. Have to mix em.
  • Junie2013
    Junie2013 Posts: 53
    Sunwarrior makes a protein powder called Warrior Blend. Cranberry, Pea & Hemp with Coconut Oil MCTs. It is good in the blender with almond milk, ice and fruit. I found it at Whole Foods. Not high in iron though. Maybe you can take a supplement for that? (I can't because I feel nauseous 24 hrs a day if I take them). Load up on spinach? I like to wilt mine with marinara sauce so I can get more of it in me without really cooking it. I eat that in place of pasta sometimes.
  • emelia_
    emelia_ Posts: 91
    Lentils and beans and quinoa! Also tempeh packs quite a protein punch.
    Spinach and raisins are packed with iron
  • Pearsquared
    Pearsquared Posts: 1,656 Member
    Tofu is good, if you like it. Also, nuts! Peanuts, almonds, cashews, walnuts, pistachios, and the like. :D
  • VeganHippo
    VeganHippo Posts: 26
    I'm in the exact same boat as OP. I'm a vegan and I can never eat high protein food other than bread, which is sadly high in carbs too.
  • sarah___
    sarah___ Posts: 5
    I don't mind if something doesn't taste all that great as long as I'm not wasting all my calories on it. I cooked tempeh once. It wasn't bad, a little bitter. I see it does have a lot of protein in it. I suck at cooking tofu, but I'll buy it at a restaurant. I eat nuts and seeds and what not, but they have a lot of calories and little protein it seems so I don't eat too many of them. Same with raisins. I love some dal, but I seriously have had no success cooking myself anything that tastes decent! I'm good with cooking vegetables. Just lost on the rest. Maybe I can do a protein powder and up the iron rich food, work on my cooking.
  • lemonmon1
    lemonmon1 Posts: 134 Member
    You can check my diary. I'm vegan and I always surpass my protein goal. I can share dinner recipes as well. I had a delicious Tomato Swiss Chard Cannellini Bean Soup this week that is high in protein.
  • VeganHippo
    VeganHippo Posts: 26
    You can check my diary. I'm vegan and I always surpass my protein goal. I can share dinner recipes as well. I had a delicious Tomato Swiss Chard Cannellini Bean Soup this week that is high in protein.

    Thank you :)
  • zedgt87
    zedgt87 Posts: 379 Member
    steak
  • ghsfitnesspal
    ghsfitnesspal Posts: 260 Member
    I'm terrible at keeping up iron levels, but I've found for protein that fromage frais and plain yoghurt are great -

    150g fromage frais (this is always by the yoghurts in English supermarkets but mightnt be easy to get elsewhere)
    69 cals, 5g carbs, 0 fat, 12g protein

    150g plain yoghurt
    98 cals, 11g carbs, 2g fat, 8g protein.

    I have mine with a banana and apple most of the time!
  • poedunk65
    poedunk65 Posts: 1,336 Member
    try raw nuts, tofu. I too have the same problem and even a egg a day is not bad. try some cheese. I don't do dairy either so it is really tough sometimes.
  • sarah___
    sarah___ Posts: 5
    Thanks! Please share the soup recipe. :)
  • perrinjoshua
    perrinjoshua Posts: 286 Member
    1 blue menu vegan chicken breast would give your 24 grams of protein. 80 of iron. I love them. 160 cals.
  • Christina8585
    Christina8585 Posts: 73 Member
    I've recently been experimenting with some meat substitutes,I'm not trying to go vegan, but I find that meat is costly and prep and cut and everything is such a hassle.
    So I've been trying out a line of frozen meat substitutes from Gardein. I like it a lot. It tastes like real meat but has less fat, and has a controlled portion size. I get mine at price smart or Safeway. meat patty substitutes and chicken substitutes. I find that it's also cheaper, which I need to buy more raw fruits and veggies.
    Anyways, these frozen meat substitutes actually have iron and other vitamins added to them, as well as protein. Maybe look for some kind of meat substituent at your local grocery store and read the ingredients to see if it gives you what you need.
  • kgeldreich
    kgeldreich Posts: 73
    Seitan is very high in protein. I also find high protein soups are a great bet:

    Here are some of my favorites:
    http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2012/11/lentil-soup-with-coriander-and-cumin.html

    http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2007/12/thick-and-hearty-split-pea-soup.html

    I also find dried edamame or hummus to be a good snack. I've also been experimenting with a white bean pate with lemon and herbs as a spread for sandwiches, etc. and it's a great way to fit in more beans.
  • sarah___
    sarah___ Posts: 5
    I bought gardein once, but it was in some disgusting flavored sauce. I wonder if you can get it plain and season it yourself? I haven't seen it that way in any stores here. I've had it at Wegman's as "Sesame chicken" but that isn't all that healthy with the stuff they add to it. I did like it, though.

    I haven't heard of blue menu - I'll have to check it out. Thanks for the recipes! They look good. Had a bad few days there. Trying not to beat myself up and move on. :)
  • thisismeraw
    thisismeraw Posts: 1,264 Member
    I bought gardein once, but it was in some disgusting flavored sauce. I wonder if you can get it plain and season it yourself? I haven't seen it that way in any stores here. I've had it at Wegman's as "Sesame chicken" but that isn't all that healthy with the stuff they add to it. I did like it, though.

    I haven't heard of blue menu - I'll have to check it out. Thanks for the recipes! They look good. Had a bad few days there. Trying not to beat myself up and move on. :)

    Unfortunately you won't be able to find Blue Menu products unless you live in Canada as it's a store brand line from Loblaws/Zehrs... but it is fantastic! You mentioned Wegman's in your post so I'm guessing you are from the US as I don't know of a Wegman's here in Canada.

    I love Zoglo's products. I don't have them everyday but they are amazing! The meatless cutlets are so yummy and filled with protein. They have a TON of products from cutlets, to veggie patties, to vegan hamburgers/hotdogs/chicken nuggets, etc. I also like the Yves veggie bacon and pepperoni.

    For non-processed options, beans are great! I love roasted chickpeas and black beans. If you are ok with eggs you can get a lot of protein via eggs. Dark green veggies have a decent amount of protein in them as well. Consume nuts, beans, legumes, nut butters, seeds, etc.
  • jordanlillybit
    jordanlillybit Posts: 7 Member
    Greek yogurt is great!! Try the Fage or Whole Foods brands that come in individual cups.

    Also, tofu is a good source of vegetarian protein. The secret to tofu is pressing it. I buy extra firm and press out the water. Once you get the water out, the tofu will be able to absorb the flavor of whatever you choose to season it with. You can also scramble tofu, make tofu 'steaks', cube it...put in it baked goods. The possibilities are practically endless


    Do a little google search for properly pressing and marinating tofu...and for scrambling.


    Best of luck!
  • HollisGrant
    HollisGrant Posts: 2,022 Member
    Lentils and beans and quinoa! Also tempeh packs quite a protein punch.
    Spinach and raisins are packed with iron

    ^^^ This. One cup of lentils has the protein of 3 eggs and is also high in iron and potassium. Spinach has a lot of iron but lots of other vegetables do, too. I usually meet or go over on protein and iron. My diary is public. Feel free to take a look.
  • ecdce
    ecdce Posts: 129 Member
    Smart dogs. 50 calories/7 grams of protein per link.
  • ntaluzek
    ntaluzek Posts: 5
    I also recommend lentils. One cooked cup provides 18g of protein, and almost 40% of your daily iron. Pretty much any type of bean will help cover both of these nutrients quite nicely.
    Another good source to look into is amaranth. One cooked cup provides 9g of protein, and about 30% of your daily iron.
  • topskaren
    topskaren Posts: 14 Member
    Spinach is high in Iron and I do egg whites to cut the fat and cholesterol tofu for protein comes in dry form and wet also soy products but watch the salt in them its high.
  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member
    Remember a lot of the iron in plant is indigestible since it's not the heme animal form. The best way to unlock this iron is to combine it with vitamin C, so think a spinach salad with strawberries or oranges or kale with a lemon oil sauce. You can get a complete protein by combining things like rice and beans or grains and lentils.
  • lemonmon1
    lemonmon1 Posts: 134 Member
    Tomato Swiss Chard Cannellini Bean Soup (vegan homemade):

    Sautee 1 medium yellow onion in 1 Tbsp olive oil.
    Add 1 large can (32 oz) of crushed tomatoes with basil.
    Add 2- 15oz cans of cannellini beans.
    Add 1 container or 3.5 cups sausage style crumbles (I used Wegmans – Don’t Be Piggy).
    Add ½ vegetable bullion cube to 1 cup warm water and try to break up/dissolve the cube.
    Add the following spices to the water: ½ tsp sea salt, ½ tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp onion powder, ¼ tsp cayenne pepper, and 1 Tbsp dried parsley.
    Add the water-spice mixture to the pot and also add 2 additional cups of water.
    Add 1 bunch Red Swiss Chard or 3 cups chopped (stems trimmed off) and simmer covered on medium-low for about 20 minutes.

    Mine came out to be 12 cups, so I made it 8 servings at 1.5 cups each.
    Per serving: 220 calories, 28g carbs, 5g fat, 16g protein
  • Yogi_Carl
    Yogi_Carl Posts: 1,906 Member
    Mixing soya flour into your breakfast muesli and using soya milk.

    Soya flour can me mixed into soups and blended with bread flour for high protein loaves.

    I bought some quinoa flour yesterday but can't say what that is going to taste like - high in protein though.

Categories