Any fellow veggies out there with good protein tips?

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RainbowLove90
RainbowLove90 Posts: 5 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi, my names Jess and I'm 24 years old. I've been veggie for 8 years now, I've been a great lover of Quorn products over the years and have always used them as a meat substitute. I knew that I wouldn't be getting as much protein as I would be if I ate meat but until I started using MFP I had no idea HOW much less protein I was getting! Even though I've consciously upped my protein intake a lot over the last month or so I'm still only averaging about 14% protein for my weekly intake compared to the 20% I should be getting.
I rarely eat eggs or dairy as well for ethical reasons so I know this will hinder me too but is there anyone out there with the same issue? Is there anyone with good tips or advice about how to add more protein into my diet without eating Quorn stuff and beans/pulses literally ALL day long?!

Replies

  • melimomTARDIS
    melimomTARDIS Posts: 1,941 Member
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    soy protien shakes help!
  • silkribbonx
    silkribbonx Posts: 37 Member
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    I haven't been eating well the past few days but if you check my diary starting a few days back you might find some ideas
    mostly tofu, edamame, hemp + other protein powders
  • cheshirecatastrophe
    cheshirecatastrophe Posts: 1,395 Member
    edited March 2015
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    Honestly, Quorn is not a great bet as far as meat substitutes go in terms of protein content. Have you tried Boca/Morningstar burgers and other products? Those give a better protein:calorie ratio than Quorn.

    There are some vegan protein powders out there that you could blend into smoothies. You would want to research to make sure you're getting ones that have a complete amino acid mix, though. And look for little ways to add protein, like quinoa, nuts, nut butters, etc.

    I've been a vegetarian for almost two decades (with occasional chicken and fish periods), but as you might guess I eat a lot of eggs (and cottage cheese).
  • scaryg53
    scaryg53 Posts: 268 Member
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    Quest, also seitan is almost all protein.
  • MlleKelly
    MlleKelly Posts: 356 Member
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    Tempeh is good, so are soy/almond milks. I love Greek yogurt and cottage cheese for protein, also.
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
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    Black soybeans. Chic Peas. Almonds. Chia seeds. Hemp seeds.
    Low calorie veggies like green beans, swiss chard, spinach, kale, broccoli -- they all have some protein. I tend to stay away from rice/potatoes/bread because they do not have as much protein as beans.
  • RainbowLove90
    RainbowLove90 Posts: 5 Member
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    Thanks guys, that's some great info :) really appreciated
  • Kiku10
    Kiku10 Posts: 66 Member
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    Beans! They freeze well, too, so you can take them for lunch.
  • dogsarebears
    dogsarebears Posts: 85 Member
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    i'm not a full vegetarian (i eat fish, and have chicken or beef about once per month), but here are my typical vegetarian protein sources:

    greek yogurt (2% plain from Fage is SO good), kashi go lean cereal (the original kind in the box with the red trim), tofu, cottage cheese, all bean/lentils, eggs, quinoa, and farro.

    so yea, some of the stuff you stay away from like dairy and eggs are in there, but perhaps you can find a local supplier that produces those items in a manner that fits your ethical guidelines.

    i also just tried quest bars for the first time, which have a lot of protein in them. they are pretty tasty but on the expensive side, so i'll probably only have them once in a while.
  • Nectarinie
    Nectarinie Posts: 1
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    I'm barely a semi-vegetarian, but I've been trying to eat less meat for a while now. I'm a big fan of vegetarian shakes, and I love LeanFit Complete Green vanilla protein powder. It has 18 grams of protein sourced from peas, lot's of iron, and it's fully vegan. Edamame beans are a good option too, and nuts if you can eat them.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    dogsarebears wrote: »
    i'm not a full vegetarian (i eat fish, and have chicken or beef about once per month), but here are my typical vegetarian protein sources:

    greek yogurt (2% plain from Fage is SO good), kashi go lean cereal (the original kind in the box with the red trim), tofu, cottage cheese, all bean/lentils, eggs, quinoa, and farro.

    so yea, some of the stuff you stay away from like dairy and eggs are in there, but perhaps you can find a local supplier that produces those items in a manner that fits your ethical guidelines.

    i also just tried quest bars for the first time, which have a lot of protein in them. they are pretty tasty but on the expensive side, so i'll probably only have them once in a while.

    While some people have luck finding sources of eggs that don't practice or contribute to the culling of male chicks and slaughter of chickens who have declining production, it's incredibly difficult to find sources for milk that don't involve the deliberate production and slaughter of male offspring (not to mention the slaughter of females who are experience declining production). Since lactation is dependent upon pregnancy, what happens to the males is a primary ethical concern for vegans (as well as the separation of the cow and the calf).
  • krissyreminisce
    krissyreminisce Posts: 284 Member
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    My protein sources are beans, tofu, edamame (which I just discovered AND LOVE!), Quest Bars, cottage cheese, Quest Protein Powder (which just came yesterday!), Morningstar Burgers, Quinoa, and eggs. Granted, today is the first day I hit my protein goal, primarily thanks to the protein powder.
  • rh091
    rh091 Posts: 100 Member
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    I am a vegetarian and have an open diary - you're welcome to check out what I eat! I do eat some dairy though and eggs. I find that you just have to be creative and take the time to prepare your proteins so you don't get bored just eating plains beans and things. check out recipes online like bean/lentil/quinoa veggie burgers, theres a really good spinach quinoa bake recipe from martha stewart, and you can make a vegetarian version of meat loaf with lentils thats really good. I make a really good chickpea sandwich filling to put in wraps and sandwiches that is high in protein - just mash up a can of chickpeas, add some garlic, lemon, pepper and 2 tbs of light mayo and mix it all up. I eat mine in a wrap with goat cheese and spinach. It's one of my favourites right now.
  • Freedom1890
    Freedom1890 Posts: 9 Member
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    Hi, I'm 24 and was pescetarian for 10 years and have been 'full veggie' for the last 2 and a half years. This protein thing is something I also struggle with. I live in a small town so it can be hard to get products for 'alternative diets' I guess. What I try and do is have a snack of quorn sausages when I get home from work after exercising). I also try and make sure my evening meal has something proteinatious in it. I did used to have leek and cheese plaits but then realised they had very little protein in them so swapped them for quorn escalopes. What I also did was change my sandwich filler from low fat soft cheese to low fat mozzerella (with some pesto, tomato and salad). Tasty and with more protein! If I have a stir fry I make sure there's tofu/quorn pieces in it rather than just veg. Pistachios are a nice snack too. I guess the problem is that most of our calories comes from veg which are all carby, and things like cheese and nuts can be fatty. Feel free to add me, anyone, I would love extra help :)
  • Kiku10
    Kiku10 Posts: 66 Member
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    Try egg white from a carton of egg beaters. If you nuke them in a microwave for a minute, they cook well and you'll have protein with little fat or calories.
  • RainbowLove90
    RainbowLove90 Posts: 5 Member
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    YOU GUYS! :D That is all so helpful, thanks so much for taking the time to share all your wisdom :) I'm definitely going to try out some sort of protein/soya shake or powder to see how I get on with it and I'm just gonna do loads more cooking with lentils, chickpeas, edamame beans etc.
    @Rho91 that chickpea sandwich filling sounds awesome, I'm definitely going to try that, thanks!

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