meatless/ dairy free sources of iron and protein

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Briannah
Briannah Posts: 50
in Food and Nutrition
Hi All,

I have switched to vegetarianism since new years day and have been doing fantastic at it so far.
I did a few months worth of research into the health benefits (not to mention environment and animal welfare too) and it seemed the right change for me.
I am however starting to feel sluggish despite taking my usual multi vitamins and having an overall balanced diet.

I feel great eating more fibre however I think i am lacking in the iron and protein department.

Could any vegetarians or meat eaters give me some info about non meat sources of iron & protein?

By the way I have started on lacto-ovo vegetarianism (with dairy and eggs) so as not to shock my system but i plan to reduce/remove dairy from diet in the near future and switch to soy.

Thanks heaps.

Brianna xx

Replies

  • topazz
    topazz Posts: 7
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    beans, corn, quinoa, and nuts are good sources of protien, as for iron, the only one i know is kale (which is probably bad considering im raw vegan) lol. congrats on your decision to become a herbivore! :flowerforyou:
  • BunnyDVP
    BunnyDVP Posts: 71 Member
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    You might want to try UNJURY products. ( I found on internet but some drugstores carry the product). It is a protein supplement that was recommended to me when I had my gastric bypass. It has several flavors. Chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, chicken soup and unflavored. You can make shakes or cook with it. I added it to my sugar free puddings and oatmeal in the mornings. All kinds of uses. It has 21 grams of protein per 8 ounces.

    Peanut butter is also a good source of protein and most beans are as well.

    Bariatric. com has protein supplements that were recommened as well but I have not tried them so I can't vouch for them.

    I went on internet and found a site for vegetarian that gave a good listing of proteins but I can't remember the site. It may have been under gastric bypass or bariatric.

    Good luck. Hope this info is useful to you.
  • smae1980
    smae1980 Posts: 794 Member
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    quorn(brand name) meatless products are great and high in protein as well as seitan (not a brand name like the other), as long as you don't have a gluten sensitivity. Beans are great for protein as well as iron and any dark leafy vegetable is also a good source of iron. Also tofu is great for protein and if you get a brand coagulated with calcium, you get that added benefit as well
  • mizliz1981
    mizliz1981 Posts: 39
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    As for non-dairy, I really like hemp milk I also use can coconut milk for cream in my coffee . I have heard bad things about soy and estrogen levels so I avoid it.
  • jujiplanet
    jujiplanet Posts: 3
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    I started something similar recently at the encouragement of a friend, who is a nutritionist as well as a vegetarian, but didn't until now because I, too, was concerned about not getting enough protein/iron. She basically said that as long as I consumed a variety of good choices like whole grains,tofu, beans, legumes, nuts, seeds, and, in my case, eggs and dairy products, I'd be fine. But she said there are plenty of people who don't eat eggs/dairy and do fine because in America, we frequently eat way more protein than what we need. Women only need 45 grams of protein a day, that's it. :)

    Here are some iron-rich options she gave me:
    Bran flakes*
    Oatmeal *
    Cream of Wheat*
    Almonds* (did you know just 1oz gives you 6% of daily iron requirement?)
    Wheat Germ
    Swiss Chard
    Turnip Greens
    Kale*
    Prune Juice
    Spinach
    Chickpeas* (I made chickpea burgers tonight for dinner :)
    Tofu* (Just 4 small ounces will give you 6mg of iron!)
    Soybeans ( I love to snack on edemame with a little sea salt - 3/4 of a cup gives you 6.5mg of iron!)
    Lentils (try my lentil meatloaf recipe under 'Recipes')
    Green Peas
    Navy Beans
    *these foods have 5.5 or more mg per

    Congratulations and much success to you! :)
  • anovasjo
    anovasjo Posts: 382 Member
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    Kale and lentils are the bomb.

    Tofu, fortified soy/almond/rice milk, tempeh, and other alternatives are also good.

    Studies have shown that iron is more readily absorbed in the body when accompanied by vitamin C... so chop up a tomato to go with those lentils :glasses:
  • mjd0109
    mjd0109 Posts: 152
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    Morningstar farms is a great brand, has everything from maple sausage to buffalo wings to black bean burgers (in the freezer section). Also, when I'm looking for a quick meal I buy Amys they have soups, chili, and tv dinners (mac and cheese, pizza, "meat"loaf with mashed potatoes, stir fry, etc). Another good one is "Smart" they have lunch "meats" and hot dogs among many other things. Any one (if not all) of these could be found at any grocery store, you've just got to look for them - sometimes they, are in the produce section!
  • Nargistsheikh
    Nargistsheikh Posts: 26
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    Hi,
    I use Lentil a lot .I heard it is very good source for protien. You can eat as much as you can and you can also make as a soup.So good luck.I want to try some thing different as I am not losing any weight.

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