Vegetarians: Getting enough protein

I am a vegetarian and I find it REALLY difficult to get enough protein every day. I feel like I am consuming mostly fats and carbs in my macros. I eat pretty healthy. Any one have any tips?!

Replies

  • sssiren
    sssiren Posts: 1 Member
    I use Vega Protein and Greens in the morning in a drink or smoothie. One scoop gives you 20 grams of protein right there! I, too, don't get as much protein as recommended. I don't each much dairy or eggs, but if you can eat dairy, greek yogurt is so versatile. I use it as a dip for spicy vegetables and add it to guacamole and other places when sour cream is called for. It's very high in protein.
  • fishshark
    fishshark Posts: 1,886 Member
    sssiren wrote: »
    I use Vega Protein and Greens in the morning in a drink or smoothie. One scoop gives you 20 grams of protein right there! I, too, don't get as much protein as recommended. I don't each much dairy or eggs, but if you can eat dairy, greek yogurt is so versatile. I use it as a dip for spicy vegetables and add it to guacamole and other places when sour cream is called for. It's very high in protein.

    u should try their nutritional powder.. 22 grams of protien, daily greens, half a days fiber, probiotics, and some other stuff lol.
  • Yi5hedr3
    Yi5hedr3 Posts: 2,696 Member
    Pea protein is your best alternative.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    Seitan, tempeh, tofu, and beans are all good sources of protein.
  • MeiannaLee
    MeiannaLee Posts: 338 Member
    edited February 2016
    Im a vegetarian, and have been for over 6 years and everyday I eat a protein bar.
    I also eat a lot of produce such as greek yogurt, and egg whites.
    (When I make french toast, I add soo much egg whites that the toast is crispy and coated in delicious scrambled egg)

    I hit my recommended protein intake daily, sometimes I even go over ;)
    Good luck!
  • corgicake
    corgicake Posts: 846 Member
    My cheap protein sources are mostly vegetarian. Greek yogurt isn't that health food I find tricks to hide the sour taste of - it's that thicker version of sour cream that begs to have potatoes and stroganoff drowned in. Egg whites can be dumped into almost anything for extra protein if added at the right point of cooking. Dry soy protein prepared with liquid smoke and salt will go with anything that someone may add bacon to. Seitan is also good but be aware that processing near-completely strips out one of the essential amino acids so choose your other proteins wisely when eating more of it.
  • socajam
    socajam Posts: 2,530 Member
    I am sitting here and reading your post eating sardines in olive oil and chick pea scrambled with 227 grams of plain yogurt blended with one frozen banana and 1/4 cup of chick peas. I am so full, that's breakfast and lunch together - yogurt drink is breakfast the sardines etc is lunch.

    If you do not eat sardines and dairy, try the chick peas scrambled with tofu.
  • fldiver97
    fldiver97 Posts: 341 Member
    Love pasta and I now mostly eat black bean pasta ..... 25 gm protein per serving. Also other beans, seitan, quinoa. I'm pretty much vegan so no cottage cheese or Greek yogurt for me but there are a couple of non-dairy "milks" like almond plus and flax plus that have 5 gm protein per cup instead of 1 gm
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,846 Member
    ASkipp89 wrote: »
    I am a vegetarian and I find it REALLY difficult to get enough protein every day. I feel like I am consuming mostly fats and carbs in my macros. I eat pretty healthy. Any one have any tips?!

    What are you actually consuming for macros?
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Not a vegetarian here but I find my macros get whacked if I don't work at getting my macros in at every meal. There's a little protein in every meal, every snack I eat. This morning it was milk and peanut butter. At lunch it was Philadelphia whipped cream cheese. At snack it was home-made black bean dip. I haven't decided on dinner yet.
  • Naley2322
    Naley2322 Posts: 181 Member
    edited February 2016
    Fruits, veggies, and grains have all the protein you need. Your body runs off of glucose from starches and sugars anyways not proteins. As long as you balance your meals with enough plant nutrition you are completely fine. Most societies don't eat the insane amount protein that Americans do anyways!

    I have been a vegan for years and years. I have never had a problem with protein.

    For humans to even use protein from animal sources like dairy, eggs and flesh we have to alter it to be able to even consume it. We can't always eat raw eggs without getting sick, we have to pasteurize milk so we don't get sick or take pills to even be able to digest it without getting sick and we can't eat meat unless its cooked.
  • CupcakesMom2
    CupcakesMom2 Posts: 154 Member
    In addition to what everyone else has said, seeds and nuts (in moderation). And I would like to echo that vegetables have protein.
  • debbep
    debbep Posts: 3 Member
    I am vegetarian, mostly vegan, and I also use Vega protein and greens, I use 2 scoops per smoothie for 40 G protein. I also put powdered pumpkin seed protein in my quinoa or oatmeal in the morning to give me another 20G protein boost. The pumpkin does not have much taste in it. I sprinkle 1 tablespoon of hemp seeds on my salad too. I average 120 G of protein per day now and it has made all the difference. I am losing an average of 2 lbs a week now since I have increased my protein. I also use PB2, powdered peanut butter to put into my smoothie with a tablespoon of cacao powder for a chocolate peanut butter smoothie that is low cal/carb but high protein. If you throw in some ice cubes you can make chocolate peanut butter ice cream.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,846 Member
    Naley2322 wrote: »
    Fruits, veggies, and grains have all the protein you need. Your body runs off of glucose from starches and sugars anyways not proteins. As long as you balance your meals with enough plant nutrition you are completely fine. Most societies don't eat the insane amount protein that Americans do anyways!

    I have been a vegan for years and years. I have never had a problem with protein.

    For humans to even use protein from animal sources like dairy, eggs and flesh we have to alter it to be able to even consume it. We can't always eat raw eggs without getting sick, we have to pasteurize milk so we don't get sick or take pills to even be able to digest it without getting sick and we can't eat meat unless its cooked.

    While I'm a pro-vegan omnivore, I object to your cooking argument. Raw eggs, unpasteurized milk, and raw meat are consumed all over the world. Sure, large dairies need to pasteurize, but my family didn't need to do it when we raised goats for milk when I was a child.

    Do you cook your legumes and grains or are you a raw vegan?
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 9,950 Member
    edited March 2016
    socajam wrote: »
    I am sitting here and reading your post eating sardines in olive oil and chick pea scrambled with 227 grams of plain yogurt blended with one frozen banana and 1/4 cup of chick peas. I am so full, that's breakfast and lunch together - yogurt drink is breakfast the sardines etc is lunch.

    If you do not eat sardines and dairy, try the chick peas scrambled with tofu.

    I like sardines, I like olive oil, I like chick peas, I like plain yogurt, and I like bananas, but please let this be a run-on sentence. I don't think I could get bananas blended with sardines past my gag reflex.

    ETA: to respond to the OP's question, beans, dairy, and eggs will generally give you the biggest boost, but almost everything you eat will make some contribution to your protein needs (nuts, seeds, grains, veggies...). I'm not a vegetarian, but a large percentage of my meals are suitable for a lacto-ovo-vegetarian, and I find dairy milk, greek yogurt, cottage cheese, eggs, legumes, and grains are my major protein sources. I eat a lot of nuts and a fair amount of seeds, but the fat percentage is high enough that I can't really rely on them as a major source of my protein--but they're tasty add-ons. I use a little whey powder now and then, and nutritional yeast, but frankly neither are things that I enjoy in large enough amounts to really make a major contribution.
  • Sutnak
    Sutnak Posts: 227 Member
    Naley2322 wrote: »
    Fruits, veggies, and grains have all the protein you need. Your body runs off of glucose from starches and sugars anyways not proteins. As long as you balance your meals with enough plant nutrition you are completely fine. Most societies don't eat the insane amount protein that Americans do anyways!

    I have been a vegan for years and years. I have never had a problem with protein.

    For humans to even use protein from animal sources like dairy, eggs and flesh we have to alter it to be able to even consume it. We can't always eat raw eggs without getting sick, we have to pasteurize milk so we don't get sick or take pills to even be able to digest it without getting sick and we can't eat meat unless its cooked.

    Fairly radical but interesting statements. I would greatly appreciate if you would link directly to the published studies that support the above.
  • Naley2322
    Naley2322 Posts: 181 Member
    edited March 2016
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    Naley2322 wrote: »
    Fruits, veggies, and grains have all the protein you need. Your body runs off of glucose from starches and sugars anyways not proteins. As long as you balance your meals with enough plant nutrition you are completely fine. Most societies don't eat the insane amount protein that Americans do anyways!

    I have been a vegan for years and years. I have never had a problem with protein.

    For humans to even use protein from animal sources like dairy, eggs and flesh we have to alter it to be able to even consume it. We can't always eat raw eggs without getting sick, we have to pasteurize milk so we don't get sick or take pills to even be able to digest it without getting sick and we can't eat meat unless its cooked.

    While I'm a pro-vegan omnivore, I object to your cooking argument. Raw eggs, unpasteurized milk, and raw meat are consumed all over the world. Sure, large dairies need to pasteurize, but my family didn't need to do it when we raised goats for milk when I was a child.

    Do you cook your legumes and grains or are you a raw vegan?

    No I'm not a raw vegan.

    I cringe at those types of labels. Being a vegan is about not harming animals not about creating labels like being raw, fully raw, fruitatarian or whatever. its a lifestyle not a fad but unfortunately these labels turn it into a fad!