Eating too many carbs as a vegetarian

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JTmom2015
JTmom2015 Posts: 11 Member
edited April 2015 in Recipes
Hi, MFP friends!
I am curious to see how many vegetarians have an issue with going way over on carbs! I live off of brown rice/lentil and bean combos to get the protein I need. I'm looking to increase my amount of complete proteins without going over board on the carbs. Increase the amount of beans while decreasing the grains would work, but just wanted to get some ideas if anyone has any. Thanks!

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  • staceypunk
    staceypunk Posts: 921 Member
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    If you eat dairy you can use protein powder.
  • JTmom2015
    JTmom2015 Posts: 11 Member
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    Unfortunately the few times I've used protein powder, it's really messed with my son's (he is breastfed) tummy. Forgot to mention that, but thanks for the suggestion.
  • zoeybleepbloop
    zoeybleepbloop Posts: 22 Member
    edited April 2015
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    Eggs! Boiled, fried, mixed into stuff. I chop up boiled eggs and put them in everything. Sometimes just egg whites if I want things lighter. Protein bomb.

    I probably eat too many eggs. But really, they're a magical food.

    (edit: I'm obviously assuming you eat dairy here....)
  • alfiedn
    alfiedn Posts: 425 Member
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    Do you eat vegan? I eat vegetarian/pescatarian (fish very occasional...usually once a month or less) and, while I do eat carbs for sure, I can no longer eat grains and have tried to reduce my carbs due to a medical problem. Good sources of protein are: nuts, seeds, eggs, and dairy are good for me. I substitute almond meal for flour in some recipes, which is helpful, too. Flax seeds or chia seeds could be used in place of protein powder in smoothies if you want.
  • chivalryder
    chivalryder Posts: 4,391 Member
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    Why is this thread popping up twice?
  • opalsqueak007
    opalsqueak007 Posts: 433 Member
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    Hi there. I have been a vegetarian for over 25 years. I have lost 50lb since last summer. Could you try 0% fat cottage cheese, 0% fat Greek yoghurt to keep your protein up and calories down? (Also great for cooking with as well) It's a lifesaver for me. Also red lentil soup with whatever veg you want to add. Low calorie, high protein has worked for me. When I was fat, I ate refined carbs constantly and hardly any protein. I found out that white processed bread contains duck feathers, so stopped eating that completely, which is great, as I couldn't get enough of the stuff. Good luck.
  • MakePeasNotWar
    MakePeasNotWar Posts: 1,329 Member
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    I am vegan, and my diet is generally 55-65% carbs. I don't really worry about carbs as long as I get at least 70 g of protein and don't go over my calorie limit. You probably shouldn't let yourself go below 10-15% fat, but for me I can say this has never been an issue. Many vegans eat up to 80% carbs without problems (though I could never go that low-fat personally)

    If you are still worried about carbs, try having lentils and beans without another high carb food, like veggie chili instead of beans and rice, or spinach or lettuce wraps rather than tortillas. If you want the potatoes or rice, try a lower-carb protein source like nuts, seeds, or soy protein.

    BTW, if you are combining beans and rice because you think you have to combine proteins to get all your amino acids, you don't need to worry about it

    http://www.strongvegan.net/the-complete-protein-myth.html
  • conqueringsquidlette
    conqueringsquidlette Posts: 383 Member
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    I was looking this up before and found it's a somewhat popular topic to write about. There's a bunch of articles and recipes out there if you go a-googling.

    Here's one with some general ideas. Maybe it'll help?

    http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/vegetarian/tp/Low-Carb-Vegetarian-Protein-Foods.htm
  • rbiss
    rbiss Posts: 422 Member
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    Carbs are how I got fat. In the beginning, I had a well balanced diet. Then I got busy, and the diet shifted to pizza, pasta, french fries, you get the picture. Carbs like those are calories bombs and for me, it took more to be full and I was hungry earlier (because my diet was *kitten* and completely unbalanced). Now I don't worry, and my carbs are always over. I consider my diet balanced again and don't freak out. Carbs are now fruits, beans (beans kill the preset mfp macros), sweet potatoes. I limit bread, pasta, etc and when I eat them they have protein and fiber as well. Carbs aren't evil, but they also aren't all treated the same in a diet. I am on the fence about rice . . . using soba noodles for stir fry. Everytime I eat rice (Indian, Thai etc) it seems like I get calories primarily carb based and not much protein or fiber. It just depends.
  • JTmom2015
    JTmom2015 Posts: 11 Member
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    Wow, thanks for the wealth of responses! I have a lot to look into next time I grocery shop!
  • katbembenic
    katbembenic Posts: 1
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    try beans sauteed in a tsp of olive oil for about 10 minutes, then add kale with it, fresh garlic, salt and pepper to taste and a splash of lemon juice. cook until kale is tender. my client gave me this recipe to try and it is amazing!!!!

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