Vegetarian protein?

sshintaku
sshintaku Posts: 228 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I have been trying to fix more vegetarian and vegan meals (not strictly following either diet, just trying to be more conscientious) but I am having a really hard time meeting protein goals. I eat yogurt, boiled eggs, protien fortified almond milk, protein granola, cliff bars, lots of beans, etc, but I'm hitting about 50-60g a day, rather than closer to 100g, where I'd like to be.

I'm not a big fan of protien powders - is that my only option or are there other good alternatives I'm missing?

Replies

  • jmcnamar484
    jmcnamar484 Posts: 34 Member
    Sounds like you've got them all! I actually decided to move from vegetarian to pescatarian (I try to eat only wild caught fish not farm raised). Anyways, I would suggest re-visiting a high quality whey protein powder because it is a great supplement. I mix some in my oatmeal in the morning, make protein hot chocolate, and I get creative with my protein shakes. You may have to try a few before you find one you like.
  • jmcnamar484
    jmcnamar484 Posts: 34 Member
    Oh and I love quest bars too :)
  • jayeme
    jayeme Posts: 6 Member
    Vegetarian for 13 years here - I eat a lot of tofu and tempeh. More processed meat substitute products can be good on occasion, too, but I think it's healthier to prepare my own tofu or tempeh. I like tofu in stir fry best, or marinated and baked if you want to put it in a sandwich or salad or something, or scrambled with some veggies & seasoning, and for tempeh, I like to cut it into strips, throw it in a pot with a tasty liquid for awhile (most recently I used mushroom broth with some teriyaki sauce added in, maybe a little high on the sodium but it turned out delicious - bring to a boil and then simmer for ~15 mins) and then throw it in a skillet with a bit of olive oil until it's brown on both sides. I eat that as a salad topping or in sandwiches or wraps.

    If you can't tolerate soy (I know it's a problem for some people), you could also try hemp tofu, or seitan.
  • runfatmanrun
    runfatmanrun Posts: 1,090 Member
    I usually get about 120-140 but I am eating 3500 cals a day. You can look at my diary for ideas. I haven't needed powders or protein bars to hit that either and I limit my soy. I do kind of like the Qorn products, fake meat, not soy.
  • blastbeat78
    blastbeat78 Posts: 31 Member
    I'm vegan and consume around 125g of protein a day on 1,650 calories. My main source of protein is Seitan but I also eat a lot of Tempeh, Tofu and mock meat products (which I know some people are not a fan of but I love them).

    I know you're not keen on protein powders but I do have 1 -2 scoops a day. I've tried many but my favourite is Sun Warrior Warrior Blend Vanilla flavour. I have it in soya yoghurt, mixed with some mashed silken tofu, cinnamon, blueberries and a handful of mixed seeds.
  • lorib642
    lorib642 Posts: 1,942 Member
    Cottage cheese, edamame.
  • Raclex
    Raclex Posts: 238
    Vegetarian here too for 5 years. On 1580 calories a day + exercise calories, I consume 50-60 on non workout days and up to 80 on workout days (martial arts, trail running and calisthenics). I'm doing great and starting to not only look good, but getting much stronger :happy:

    Most protein sources come from: soya isolate in am in a shake, nuts, beans, eggs, kale, broccoli, spinach, sweet potato and a teeneeweeney amount of cheese, given I am lactose intolerant.

    I like this site a lot... It's called the no meat athlete and there's lots of good ideas. Take a peak at the recipes.

    http://www.nomeatathlete.com/

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