High protein + no meat = ?

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marinabrazil
marinabrazil Posts: 106 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi guys,

I have been on the P90X diet for 3 weeks with my husband while doing the workouts. It has been amazing and I have lost some weight and my husband too. But I still think there is more we can do about it. The foodguide asks for 50% protein in the first fase of the diet but we are vegetarians! We eat eggs, milk and cheese but after a while I get kind of sick of egg white omelets and soy burgers. Do you guys have any suggestions for protein sources for vegetarians that we can munch on? I can never achieve the protein goal of the day! NEVER!! I need help...
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Replies

  • JeanBeanM
    JeanBeanM Posts: 32 Member
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    Have you looked at Miccis ladder on the beachbody site? Here's the link

    http://teambeachbody.com/eat-smart/michis-ladder


    It has a list of several foods & whether they are a protein a fat or a carb. It may have some alternatives.
  • deshaine
    deshaine Posts: 195
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    HUMMUS!!!

    It's made from chick peas.

    Also, TVP, texture vegitarian protein. You can make it like hamburgers or ground beef.

    Tofu... :Q
  • think48
    think48 Posts: 366 Member
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    Beans beans beans! :)
    And nuts, legumes.
    Peas have some protein as well.
  • 87wareagle
    87wareagle Posts: 1
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    Oatmeal and beans are great(and cheap). Have you tried Quorn products? They're fantastic! (and not soy they are mycoproteins)
  • Kristen81
    Kristen81 Posts: 342 Member
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    How about something like red beans and rice. You can use brown rice instead. Pretty good for you and full of protein and fiber.
  • TByrd1325
    TByrd1325 Posts: 920 Member
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    While I have no idea about vegetarinsim, I'm sure there are protein powders out there you could also supplement with.
  • Paula_Addem
    Paula_Addem Posts: 80 Member
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    Have you tried quinoa?
  • ashlee954
    ashlee954 Posts: 1,112 Member
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    Nuts (almonds, cashews, walnuts, pecans, peanuts, etc), oatmeal, beans (soy, lentil, black, kidney, pinto, lima, etc.), peanut butter, almond butter, yogurt, spinach, broccoli... Good luck!
  • garedds
    garedds Posts: 251
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    black bean burgers, veg. chilli, chickpea burgers, lentils.
  • IAmDanMarshall
    IAmDanMarshall Posts: 44 Member
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    As others have noted... beans, lentils, green leafy veggies, nuts. Also check out some protein powders. We just got some from trueprotein.com... They have a bunch of different kinds but we got the gemma pea protein. It's only like $5 a pound, too.

    http://www.trueprotein.com/Product_Details.aspx?cid=22&pid=6816
  • paul100
    paul100 Posts: 29
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    Lentils and other pulses. Quorn is a great meat substitute (is it marketed in the States?)
  • DancingDreamer
    DancingDreamer Posts: 520
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    beans, fake "meat" products, tofu, tempeh, hummus or anything else made with chickpeas. try searching "high protein vegetarian recipes" online. or go to vegetariantimes.com and look through their recipes, lots of delicious stuff.

    its really not THAT hard for us vegetarians to eat enough protein, you just need to do it right.
  • DancingDreamer
    DancingDreamer Posts: 520
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    Lentils and other pulses. Quorn is a great meat substitute (is it marketed in the States?)

    it is in the states but some people are allergic to it and the people who are will die if they eat it. its a VERY small population but i still think its something people should be staying away from. just my opinion. (its a fungus that grows on the inside of stagnant beer vats, if you want to know what it is)
  • Kristen81
    Kristen81 Posts: 342 Member
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    I thought this sounded yummy. It's a balck beand and sweet potato chili.l

    Ingredients:
    •2 cloves garlic, minced
    •1 small onion, diced
    •2 small sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
    •2 medium carrots, sliced
    •1/2 red bell pepper, chopped (optional)
    •2 tbsp olive oil
    •1 15 ounce can black beans
    •1 15 ounce can diced tomatoes or tomato sauce
    •1/2 cup vegetable broth
    •1 tbsp chili powder
    •1 tsp cumin
    •1/2 tsp cayenne (or to taste)
    •1/2 tsp garlic powder
    •1/2 tsp salt
    •1/4 tsp black pepper
    Preparation:
    Sautee onions and garlic in olive oil for a minute or two, then add sweet potatoes, carrots and bell pepper until onions are soft, about 5-6 minutes.
    Reduce heat to medium low, and add remaining ingredients, stirring to combine well.

    Simmer, partially covered and stirring occasionally, for 20-25 minutes, until flavors have mingled and vegetables are cooked.

    Makes 5 servings of homemade black bean chili.

    Nutritional information (per serving):
    Calories: 427, Calories from Fat: 67
    % Daily Value:
    Total Fat: 7.5g, 12% / Saturated Fat: 1.2g, 6% Trans Fat: 0g
    Cholesterol: 0mg
    Sodium: 368mg, 15%
    Total Carbohydrates: 72.0g, 24%
    Dietary Fiber: 17.3g, 69%
    Protein: 21.4g
    Vitamin A 289%, Vitamin C 65%, Calcium 15%, Iron 31%
  • think48
    think48 Posts: 366 Member
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    Lentils and other pulses. Quorn is a great meat substitute (is it marketed in the States?)

    it is in the states but some people are allergic to it and the people who are will die if they eat it. its a VERY small population but i still think its something people should be staying away from. just my opinion. (its a fungus that grows on the inside of stagnant beer vats, if you want to know what it is)

    I've never heard of it, but THAT sounds disgusting, lol.
  • marinabrazil
    marinabrazil Posts: 106 Member
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    Thanks alot guys!!!

    The thing is, I eat per day:

    1 serving of lentils
    1 serving of brown rice
    Almonds of Brazil nuts
    Tofu
    TVP
    Soyburgers
    1 cup of protein shake
    1 protein bar
    Tahini
    Eggs

    And I STILL cant match up the protein intake that I need!!! Amazing....
  • heidiberr
    heidiberr Posts: 643 Member
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    Whole grain pasta noodles have a lot of protein as well!
  • musclebuilder
    musclebuilder Posts: 324 Member
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    Thanks alot guys!!!

    The thing is, I eat per day:

    1 serving of lentils
    1 serving of brown rice
    Almonds of Brazil nuts
    Tofu
    TVP
    Soyburgers
    1 cup of protein shake
    1 protein bar
    Tahini
    Eggs

    And I STILL cant match up the protein intake that I need!!! Amazing....

    cottage cheese, yogurt, another protein shake, P28 High Protein Bread, high protein cereal
  • CraftyGirl4
    CraftyGirl4 Posts: 571 Member
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    Not all proteins are created equal. There are a lot of people here who have good suggestions about protein sources, but you need to aim for complete proteins. By a complete protein, I mean, a protein that contains all of the essential amino acids. These are most readily found in animal proteins. But since you're a vegetarian, that's not really an option.

    Egg whites and whey protein are the most bioavailable sources of protein. What I mean by that is if you read the label, and it says 20 g of protein, you are actually getting 20 g of protein. This is NOT true of other protein sources, even meats and fish. Complete proteins for vegetarians include soy, amaranth and quinoa. However, you can also make complete proteins by combining foods. Here is the simple way of making complete proteins to keep in mind:

    •Legumes + seeds
    •Legumes + nuts
    •Legumes + grains

    For instance, brown rice and beans = complete protein. Whole wheat bread and peanut butter = complete protein.

    But, if you are following a high protein diet as a vegetarian, please, be aware, that this is extremely difficult. Why? Well, as mentioned before, it's just plain difficult to get all of the protein out of these sources of it. Second, many of these items contain good amounts of fiber, which is great, but it fills you up and keeps you feeling full. It's hard to eat more when you're already full.

    You will probably want to consider supplementing with something like whey protein. Follow the directions on the package, and do not exceed the recommended dosage according to the package. Protein bars can also help, as can higher protein snacks like greek yogurt.

    Hope this helps!
  • hunterr
    hunterr Posts: 16 Member
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    I don't think you can do 50% protein without meat and fake foods.

    Fat free cottage cheese, egg whites and huge amounts of non starchy vegetables are the only high protein vegetarian foods I know of that don't contain a lot of carbs or fat.

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