any vegetarians out there?

I'm not a vegetarian, but I eat many vegetarian and vegan meals. If you're an ovo-lacto vegetarian, eggs and lowfat cottage cheese are great protein sources. So is lowfat yogurt, though it has more carbs than protein.

Good vegan protein sources include legumes and grains, nuts, seitan, tempeh, tofu, TVP, and some green vegetables like spinach and broccoli. Most vegetable proteins are incomplete (they don't contain all the essential amino acids, those our bodies can't synthesize, in sufficient quantities), but by combining them, e.g. rice and beans, you can get a complete protein.

There's more information here: http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/protein.php

My vegan dishes are usually variations on legumes and grains, like brown rice and lentil soup, tabouleh with chickpeas, Hoppin' John (made with liquid smoke or smoked paprika instead of bacon or ham), Cuban black rice and beans, etc. I've also done some tofu stir-fries.

Hi, feel free to add me as a friend and we can share tips. My daughter is a vegan and I've gone back and forth with it over the last few years. I found I feel much better the more 'veganized' I can be, so I'm diving back in to start the year. Try PCRM.org, they have a 21 day vegan kickstart program thats really good.

I went vegan 2 years ago due to a health scare. The best advice I received was from a nutritionist. He pointed out that many vegans/vegetarians load up on carbs from pasta/bread and eat way too much fat from dairy sources. The balance is finding enough protein from beans, tempeh, tofu and also getting enough fresh vegetables. The best way to lose weight as a vegan/vegetarian is to basically wipe out white stuff from your diet. Don't sweat the recommended high protein requirements that meat eaters are given. You're OK if you get at least 50g of protein a day. You can have all the non-starchy vegetables you want each day, but you have to limit fruit to only 2 servings per day. You also need at least 1 hour of exercise a day for at least 5 days a week if you want to see real progress.

Also, if you are a woman, be very careful about loading up on TVP and anything that contains soy protein isolate which is protein artificially extracted from soybeans. There is a strong link between breast cancer and soy protein isolate. Tofu and soy milk are safe.

Most food has protein in it. Even fruit and veg, not very much some of them but they offer other nutrients that meat and dairy don't. Whole grains and beans are good sources of protein and are cheap. Try that route instead of buying faux meat alot which is expensive or buy in bulk.

Hello I'm also vegetarian, but am currently starting to transition to veganism but am also finding it hard because of money problems. I started buying groceries online cause where I live limits my choices of vegan food; found plenty of meat and dairy alternatives aswell.

I've been a vegetarian for 15 years, which feels like a long time when I say out the years. Mushrooms, Wheat protein, soy, rice protein (This one is new to me and I've just started eating it) and beans.

Vegan Chili has always been a favorite of mine and it is cheap to make.

Pescatarian here. (bracing for the flames)

It gets easier as time goes on. Meat started making me feel ill, so I slowly whittled down beef, then poultry, and I rarely ate pork any way. Eventually you lose a taste for it once you haven't had it long enough.

Soy products (tempeh is best if you are worried about phytoestrogens, which some people are - I think the jury is still out on that one), seitan, beans, quinoa, Greek yogurt, eggs, and nutritional yeast are all great sources. I also use a protein shake on occasion for convenience. You can also use protein powder to make no-bake bars with oats, pb, etc., and you can easily control the amount of protein in each bar. Tons of recipes for that type of thing around here.

Protein-fortified almond milk also seems to be showing up in the grocery stores these days.

Been a veg for 15 years. Beans/tofu, nuts, peanut butter, cheese, spinach and broccoli are decent, but sometimes not enough. When I start to feel low on protein (especially if I train with weights) I use a vegan protein powder like Plant Fusion.