Protein for vegeterians

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mightypot
mightypot Posts: 5
in Food and Nutrition
hello everyone, i am a vegeterian for 6 months and i eat a balanced diet which includes lots of fruits and veggies. But i just started to track what i eat(its been a week since i joined to myfitnesspal) and realized the painful truth; i dont eat enough protein, at all! i ALWAYS have a big gap number between how much i eat and how much i should be eating. I live in Turkey so we dont have a lot of protein bars, tofu, or that stuff. But we do have protein powders(!) i workout regularly, and try to lose body fat, do you think i should buy protein powders to get my supplement? or if not how can i get more protein? please help :(

Replies

  • LizWe5ty
    LizWe5ty Posts: 1
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    How about main meals made with beans, lentils or quinoa? I like:

    Borlotti bean and butternut squash soup
    Mixed bean chilli
    Butter bean and veg bake with sundried tomato topped with breadcrumbs and cheese
    Puy lentils with sugar snaps, asparagus and feta cheese
    Lentil dhal with cherry tomatoes
    Puy lentils with onions, peppers and spices, soft boiled egg on top
    Quinoa with cubed fried courgettes, lemon and mint

    I also realised I don't eat enough protein since starting My Fitness Pal, and have two sticks of celery with peanut butter as a snack instead of fruit. Hope this helps!
  • IILikeToMoveItMoveIt
    IILikeToMoveItMoveIt Posts: 1,172 Member
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    Chia Seeds! For 1oz (28g) you can get 4.7 grams of protein. I put it in my green tea and it's great! Here is a link for more info... http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/nut-and-seed-products/3061/2 :smile:
  • Frances_C17
    Frances_C17 Posts: 64 Member
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    Yep beans and lentils. Chickpeas are high in protein.

    Are you vegan or just vegetarian?
    I also eat a lot of eggs, low fat greek yogurt and cottage cheese to keep my protein up. I only use protein shakes on heavy work out days or if I'm in a rush and can't cook properly. Feel free to add me to have a nosey at my diary.
  • happyhiker83
    happyhiker83 Posts: 19
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    Beans, yogurt, milk, cheese, eggs, nuts, and nut butters are good vegetarian sources of protein. Try to include one serving of any of those during each meal. Also, whole grain bread and brown rice have more protein than their white counterparts.

    LizWe5ty, your meals sound delicious!
  • achonator
    achonator Posts: 32 Member
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    Beans, lentils, cottage cheese, regular cheese, milk , yoghurts, eggs, whey protein, nuts, broccoli, spinach.
  • 89nunu
    89nunu Posts: 1,082 Member
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    If I was in Turkey I would drink my body weight in ayran!!
  • benol1
    benol1 Posts: 867 Member
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    Hi,
    hello everyone, i am a vegeterian for 6 months and i eat a balanced diet which includes lots of fruits and veggies. But i just started to track what i eat(its been a week since i joined to myfitnesspal) and realized the painful truth; i dont eat enough protein, at all!
    According to who?
    The reality is that most people in affluent societies, whether omnivorous, vegetarian or vegan, get more than enough protein. If you are worried about it - get a blood test.
    I live in Turkey so we dont have a lot of protein bars, tofu, or that stuff. But we do have protein powders(!) i workout regularly, and try to lose body fat, do you think i should buy protein powders to get my supplement? or if not how can i get more protein? please help :(
    I don't recommend protein powder because I believe you can get all your nutrients from your food. Living in Turkey you have a wonderful culinary tradition. Eat lots of beans and legumes - they are sources of very high quality protein.
    kind regards,

    Ben
  • jayjay12345654321
    jayjay12345654321 Posts: 653 Member
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    Are you an ovo-lacto vegetarian?

    Don't pay too much attention to the MFP settings. The defaults are not set for vegans and vegetarians. I customized mine to 50/30/20 carbs/protein/fat and that seems to fit more in line with my diet. There's a group on here called Happy Herbivores you can join. You'll get more relevant answers to your questions since we live the same lifestyle.
  • mightypot
    mightypot Posts: 5
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    thanks to everyone for advices! i will try them all :)
  • mightypot
    mightypot Posts: 5
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    If I was in Turkey I would drink my body weight in ayran!!

    hahahaha thats a great idea! how can i miss ayran? silly me :P thanks!

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