Vegan protein

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thezzz
thezzz Posts: 14
in Food and Nutrition
I've been either vegetarian or vegan for nearly 30 years. I recognize that eggs and dairy are a slippery slope for me, so in my quest to lose weight, I am going back to vegan.

My problem: I'm having a really hard time eating enough protein without incorporating at least eggs into my diet. For my size and activity level and weight loss goals, ideally I should be eating 70 grams of protein a day. I can only eat so many beans.

Protein powders are okay, but I prefer to not be doing a shake every day.

Any brilliant suggestions?
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Replies

  • shmerek
    shmerek Posts: 963 Member
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    As a vegetarian I can attest to the difficulties in getting enough protein during a caloric deficit. I think protein powders are a great option, and they come in many vegetarian options: hemp, rice, pea, soy and combinations as well. Chuck in some nice fruit like blueberries and what have you in the mix with some almond milk and you have a delicious snack. May I ask why the aversion to having a shake?
  • Thezestiest
    Thezestiest Posts: 37 Member
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    Try Quinoa, lentils, tofu, and nut butters! I'm not a vegetarian or vegan, but I'm trying to explore alternate sources of protein and eat less meat.
  • IllustratedxGirl
    IllustratedxGirl Posts: 240 Member
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    If you are interested in protein bars, try Lenny and Larry's muscle brownie. The triple chocolate and cookies and cream are both so good!! Vegan, non-GMO and 20 grams of protein per brownie. Right now they have a box of 12 on sale on their site for $20

    I'm in the same situation as you, actually. I'm at about 70 grams but trying to get higher while lowering my carb intake. Feel free to check out my diary (ignore last weekend because I was at a music festival and couldn't log everything due to shotty internet and a constantly dying phone).

    I'm thinking of incorporating a chia seed smoothie and adding other super foods such as spurlina, acai, blueberries, maca, cacao, hemp seeds, and flax seeds

    I'm also incorporating 1/4 cup of almonds in to my snack routine... It's not much but it's something
  • IllustratedxGirl
    IllustratedxGirl Posts: 240 Member
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    Also, I'm going to start making Seitan. I try to avoid the whole fake meat thing, but I recently went to a workshop on Seitan and I was amazed! It looks so easy to make, it's delicious, and it's not nearly as processed as tofu

    I should also mention I'm a vegan as well
  • kaseyr1505
    kaseyr1505 Posts: 624 Member
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    Vega is a vegan protein powder (IIRC). It's a little expensive, but it's pretty well liked. They also have bars. I know you said you didn't want a shake, but sometimes it's helpful to know a brand out there.
  • hrhboo
    hrhboo Posts: 22 Member
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    Edamame is delicious to snack on and has 17g of protein and 190 cals per 1 cup serving. I like to toast it in the oven for a portable crunchy snack. Sprinkle with a tablespoon of sesame seeds for an additional couple of grams of protein.
  • JoeyFrappuccino
    JoeyFrappuccino Posts: 88 Member
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    Legumes are really where it's at. Soybeans in particular are where I get a lot of my protein, whether whole or as tofu. Peanut butter is great too since I usually have a harder time hitting my fat goals than protein, and it has plenty of both. After legumes I'd have to recommend seeds, particularly almonds, quinoa, chia and flax. Some vegetables, oats and particularly nuts are good sources as well. You'll have to find what works best for you, many people won't touch tofu (or any soy at all) and I rarely eat vegan "meat" despite them being loaded with protein.
  • thezzz
    thezzz Posts: 14
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    Yeah...soy is out on a regular basis, as there is breast cancer in my family history, so I eat it sparingly. I have a protein powder that I like...Juvo...but I just don't want a shake every day. I often like a warm breakfast, and my lunches and dinners are often brought and eaten during my work day (I have an odd schedule) so a shake during mid-day doesn't always work.
    I'm allergic to wheat, and can only eat it on a rare occasion, so Seitan is out, as are a lot of the bars that have a higher protein content, as they usually contain wheat, spy, or peanuts
    I wish Lenny and Larry's would make those brownies and cookies gluten free, as they are tasty.

    I use casher butter or sunflower butter, but they are so high in fat, I eat them sparingly (try for no more than 1 serving a day) because I like avocados and coconut oil and prefer to get my fats that way.

    I do eat almonds every day. Again, really trying to keep my fats in check, so I don't want to overdue the nuts either.

    I know, I'm difficult. Try being me. haha
  • JoeyFrappuccino
    JoeyFrappuccino Posts: 88 Member
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    If you like a warm breakfast, you might try mixing some protein powder in with a cup of oats, which has 10 grams of protein and 1 gram of saturated fat at 300 calories. If you're regularly too high in fats and too low in protein, I would try cutting out the nut butters and oils and replacing them with something with a higher protein:fat ratio. I don't usually use oils unless I'm under on my fats, but I don't often cook complex meals. You might try changing up your cooking style to favor foods that don't require oil to cook, or invest in some non-stick pans to free up calories that can be used on more protein-heavy food.
  • thezzz
    thezzz Posts: 14
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    never thought of throwing protein powder into my oatmeal. Thanks!
  • Eleonora91
    Eleonora91 Posts: 688 Member
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    If you really care about your protein, you need to plan your meals carefully. I'm a vegetarian, so I can also eat dairy, but considering that regular cheese and yogurt will easily put me over my fats limit, I try not to rely on them too much to increase my protein intake.
    I usually start the day with peanut butter, you could add some protein powder to a fruit and soy milk shake. Regular milk would have more protein, but I think you can find some decent protein sources in soy yogurts and milk.
    Then I usually have seitan+lentils for lunch, or really any high protein vegetarian substitute and legumes. You could also try tofu with chickpeas or such.
    I usually have some cheese at dinner but you could try some vegan substitutes, such as tofu cheese or similar.
    Invest in a good protein powder that you actually like and also try to incorporate a few protein bars in your snacks.
    On a good day I can get 70-80 gr of protein while being on 1500 kcals.
  • thezzz
    thezzz Posts: 14
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    I don't do soy....as I said in an earlier post, breast cancer in family history. Also allergic to peanuts and wheat. I have not found a vegan soy/peanut/wheat-free bar that has much of a protein content. Know of any?
  • JoeyFrappuccino
    JoeyFrappuccino Posts: 88 Member
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    I don't do soy....as I said in an earlier post, breast cancer in family history. Also allergic to peanuts and wheat. I have not found a vegan soy/peanut/wheat-free bar that has much of a protein content. Know of any?

    The only energy/protein bars I've found that are vegan are Lara bars and Clif bars, but unfortunately I don't think they make any that would be suitable for you. You have a fairly limited diet so you might be best off making your own, there are tons of recipes online for all sorts of energy bars that should fit just about any diet. The good news, though, is that even if you don't find something that works, protein bars aren't a necessary part of a vegan diet. I've never had to rely on them for nutritional purposes but I've found they're often the most appealing choice as far as vegan candy goes haha.
  • newb01
    newb01 Posts: 22
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    I've been either vegetarian or vegan for nearly 30 years. I recognize that eggs and dairy are a slippery slope for me, so in my quest to lose weight, I am going back to vegan.

    My problem: I'm having a really hard time eating enough protein without incorporating at least eggs into my diet. For my size and activity level and weight loss goals, ideally I should be eating 70 grams of protein a day. I can only eat so many beans.

    Protein powders are okay, but I prefer to not be doing a shake every day.

    Any brilliant suggestions?

    Most Protein powers are from milk protein which = not vegan. True there are some pea and hemp powders etc but most are not complete proteins.

    TVP = awesome protein. Tastes great in chilli etc.
  • rbiss
    rbiss Posts: 422 Member
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    Have you tried 3 grain tempeh and not the soy tempeh? I love making it into fake bacon for brunch or throwing in on sandwiches. It doesn't hold together super well, but it has a ton of protein. Also, I sometimes will eat an entire can of beans in a huge salad if I have too. Or just make a 3 bean salad. Can't go wrong with beans. And you can make some neat lentil sauces to cover veggies with.
  • nofoodforthemood
    nofoodforthemood Posts: 64
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    A good protein flour is garbanzo bean flour. High in protein and you can cook anything with it.
  • rbiss
    rbiss Posts: 422 Member
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    I've been either vegetarian or vegan for nearly 30 years. I recognize that eggs and dairy are a slippery slope for me, so in my quest to lose weight, I am going back to vegan.

    My problem: I'm having a really hard time eating enough protein without incorporating at least eggs into my diet. For my size and activity level and weight loss goals, ideally I should be eating 70 grams of protein a day. I can only eat so many beans.

    Protein powders are okay, but I prefer to not be doing a shake every day.

    Any brilliant suggestions?

    Most Protein powers are from milk protein which = not vegan. True there are some pea and hemp powders etc but most are not complete proteins.

    TVP = awesome protein. Tastes great in chilli etc.

    There are protein powders out there, I can name 3 off the top of my head that are complete and vegan. They combine brown rice, pea, and hemp proteins. Vega, Garden of Life, and Jai Repair. Vegan companies are up on that stuff.
  • JoeyFrappuccino
    JoeyFrappuccino Posts: 88 Member
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    I've been either vegetarian or vegan for nearly 30 years. I recognize that eggs and dairy are a slippery slope for me, so in my quest to lose weight, I am going back to vegan.

    My problem: I'm having a really hard time eating enough protein without incorporating at least eggs into my diet. For my size and activity level and weight loss goals, ideally I should be eating 70 grams of protein a day. I can only eat so many beans.

    Protein powders are okay, but I prefer to not be doing a shake every day.

    Any brilliant suggestions?

    Most Protein powers are from milk protein which = not vegan. True there are some pea and hemp powders etc but most are not complete proteins.

    TVP = awesome protein. Tastes great in chilli etc.

    It can definitely be hard to find a quality vegan protein powder. I was taking a pretty generic soy protein powder until earlier this year before replacing it with chia and flaxseed - less protein but very well balanced with fats and fiber. As someone without atypically high protein needs, I found a supplement unnecessary and my macros became more balanced after switching to a whole food alternative. I've never tried TVP but I've been wanting to for a while. I hear it's similar to tofu that's been frozen which is something I've been eating a lot of lately.
  • rbiss
    rbiss Posts: 422 Member
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    Just an FYI, TVP comes from soy. It can be delicious though.
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
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    Pumpkin seeds have 7 grams of protein per OZ.

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