Vegetarian but hates tofu

Strouptastic
Strouptastic Posts: 1 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Any suggestions to get my protein in? No fish or meat and can't stand tofu.
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Replies

  • japfume
    japfume Posts: 11 Member
    Personally I find lentils to pack a good amount of protein but beans are good also. Also keeping grains high fiber tends to be higher in protein by default, but I think it depends on your protein goals. I only aim for 1g per Kg of lean body mass, but if you are wanting to do 1g per pound of bodyweight I imagine you'll have to supplement with vegetable protein powders. Sorry I bet I haven't mentioned anything you don't already know lol
  • OyGeeBiv
    OyGeeBiv Posts: 733 Member
    Here's a decent list to start with. (Ignore the one that says tofu :o )
    http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Wellness/top-13-vegan-vegetarian-protein-sources/story?id=19896734#all
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    eggs, lentils, beans, dairy
  • mylifeisbeautiful
    mylifeisbeautiful Posts: 292 Member
    Have you tried temphe? It is a totally different taste and texture than tofu. I cut it into strips and cook in a pan with steak sauce. Really good, cheap and high in protein!
  • MinmoInk
    MinmoInk Posts: 345 Member
    Maybe you should try tofu a few more times before kicking it to the curb. It's very dynamic. Try other meat replacements. I really like Quorn. It's Gucci
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,092 Member
    In addition to all the good ideas mentioned above:
    Seitan (wheat protein)
    Greek yogurt
    Cottage cheese
    Milk
    Nuts, or if that's too much fat for your overall macros, you could try a defatted peanut meal (like PB2). I find when I'm eating a mostly plant-based diet I don't get that much fat, so there's plenty of room for nuts.
    Nutritional yeast
  • JuliaHaleFitness
    JuliaHaleFitness Posts: 56 Member
    Combo these to make sure you get all of the amino acids (protein) your body needs:

    1. Legumes + nuts/seeds (chickpea salad with veggies and sunflower seeds)
    2. Legumes + whole grains (rice and beans)
    3. Whole grains + nuts/seeds (almond butter on a slice of whole grain bread)
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,092 Member
    JuliaHaleFitness wrote: »
    Combo these to make sure you get all of the amino acids (protein) your body needs:

    1. Legumes + nuts/seeds (chickpea salad with veggies and sunflower seeds)
    2. Legumes + whole grains (rice and beans)
    3. Whole grains + nuts/seeds (almond butter on a slice of whole grain bread)

    There's certainly nothing wrong with doing that, and there are a lot of tasty dishes based on these combinations (you left out dairy and grains, by the way), but this is an idea that was popularized in the 1970s in Frances Moore Lappe's Diet for a Small Planet. Not only has the author said that she was mistaken in the emphasis she put on protein combining, but other organizations (like the American Dietetic Association) also have reversed an earlier emphasis on protein combining.
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
    Also chic peas, chia seeds, hemp seeds, almonds, kale, broccoli, green peas, chick peas, edamame.
  • distinctlybeautiful
    distinctlybeautiful Posts: 1,041 Member
    MinmoInk wrote: »
    Maybe you should try tofu a few more times before kicking it to the curb. It's very dynamic.

    This. If you haven't tried it more than once, that is. I hated it the first time I tried it, but it was because of the way it was prepared.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,611 Member
    I didn't like tofu at all the first time I bought it and tried it. It was actually pretty horrible.

    But the next time, I mashed it up into a consistency of ground beef and lightly fried it, like ground beef, and added a spaghetti sauce, lots of spices, and noodles, and it was actually really good.

    More recently, I've had spiced tofu in several difference restaurants and it is pretty good too.

    Plain tofu is yuck ... but tofu with a lot of spice is quite good. :)
  • Flouroot
    Flouroot Posts: 5 Member
    All the foods mentioned are great, but if you dont want to think about it too hard just be sure to drink a vegan protein smoothie most days of the week. I drink Planthead about 4 out of 7 days with almond milk and keep the other foods that were mentioned by everyone here in mind when ordering a meal, or making myself a sandwich. It's not as hard as it might seem. Even meat eaters who want to up their protein have to make smart choices. Great nutrition is not automatic whatever your diet.
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
    http://home.trainingpeaks.com/blog/article/the-3-best-types-of-protein-for-the-endurance-athlete
  • honeydew22
    honeydew22 Posts: 13 Member
    Lentils, tempeh, and beans are my main sources. I also like certain plant based protein powders to incorporate here, and there :)
  • LazSommer
    LazSommer Posts: 1,851 Member
    Have you tried substituting beef?
  • mjwarbeck
    mjwarbeck Posts: 699 Member
    Lots of heat recipes for tofu...and many different types as well.

    Tonight I am making a Thai green curry (paste made from scratch) with Thai eggplant, long beans and tofu...cannot wait. Since we also eat meat, I am making Thai fish cakes as well. Maybe will post pictures in the recipe section later.....
  • CallMeCupcakeDammit
    CallMeCupcakeDammit Posts: 9,377 Member
    edited April 2016
    I made my first tofu scramble over the weekend. It was actually pretty decent, even though it didn't taste like eggs. I love seitan. You can do pretty much anything with it that you would use meat in, I think. I use it in an Asian type salad with the "cubed beef" style, and add edamame, red peppers, lettuce, whatever you would want to add, with sesame ginger dressing. The Pict Sweet sriracha steamable edamame are soooo good! Not even spicy, which I was disappointed in, but I could eat the whole bag in one sitting. Also, eatthismuch.com is a great resource for recipes that fit your eating style, calories and macros. I got some great recipes there. If you don't like a meal option, you can regenerate that one and they'll give you a new one.
  • ClubSilencio
    ClubSilencio Posts: 2,983 Member
    Try some fried tofu chunks from an Asian market and drench those cubes of gold in some sauce.

    Or marinated baked tofu that's ready to eat. You'll love them both.


    4956557855_c3aff1b140.jpg
    Wildwood-baked-tofu.jpg
  • Queenmunchy
    Queenmunchy Posts: 3,380 Member
    The fried ones from the Asian supermarket have been one of my go-to purchases since I was 16. I love the texture and everything.
  • jfp420
    jfp420 Posts: 186 Member
    I love tempeh. I have been using the pre-marinated strips and also chopping it into tiny pieces to use as one would use ground beef.
  • dopeysmelly
    dopeysmelly Posts: 1,390 Member
    Just remember that tofu is ultimately a bean-based product, so you don't have to like it! DH hates it.

    Having said that, tofu chocolate pudding is just about the best thing on this planet. Mark Bittman's recipe is super-easy.
  • PricillaKorea
    PricillaKorea Posts: 48 Member
    Don't stress too much over protein, you really don't need that much. But I love black beans, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, unsalted Unroasted cashews, peanut butter without added oil or salt, and I love baked tofu, try it again with a good recipe!
  • sunnybeaches105
    sunnybeaches105 Posts: 2,831 Member
    distinctlybeautiful wrote: »
    MinmoInk wrote: »
    Maybe you should try tofu a few more times before kicking it to the curb. It's very dynamic.

    This. If you haven't tried it more than once, that is. I hated it the first time I tried it, but it was because of the way it was prepared.

    And buy it from an Asian grocery, not your local big box grocery. The latter generally sells cardboard.
  • NaturalNancy
    NaturalNancy Posts: 1,093 Member
    She said she doesn't like tofu and ppl are trying to convince her to like it, LOL!

    Beans, nuts, peanut butter, vegan protein powder.

    I recently started cooking Black eyed peas with baby spinach or kale in my crockpot, so good!
  • mjwarbeck
    mjwarbeck Posts: 699 Member
    For tofu, I have had countless people say they cannot stand it...then when they come over for Sichuan they leave with recipes and a shopping list...so when sone says they don't like it I always wonder how they are cooking it....

    Of course one can say the same about meat...
  • Mentali
    Mentali Posts: 352 Member
    Nevermind your own preferences, MFP people think your dislike of tofu is wrong so you must eat it! OP, have you tried just eating the thing you don't like? Clearly you don't like it because the way you eat it is "wrong".

    I second lentils as an alternative option.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Well, vegan already, and I don't know if dairy or eggs are on the table. Knocking tofu just limits this diet even further. Getting enough protein IMO will be an issue without tofu.

    That being said, I'm toying with a vegetarian version of Shepherds Pie, using black beans, buckwheat, mushrooms and chickpeas instead of ground beef. I'd also add a couple tablespoons whey to the mashed potatoes.
  • pomegranatecloud
    pomegranatecloud Posts: 812 Member
    Eggs, cheese, yogurt, beans, lentils, seitan, grains, nuts, seeds, etc. A lot of vegetables have a decent amount of protein. It's not difficult to get enough protein as a vegetarian without tofu or other soy based products, especially if you eat dairy. If you Google high protein vegetarian recipes or foods, you'll get plenty of guidance and see where you can make modifications/swaps to what you're currently eating to get more protein.
  • MinmoInk
    MinmoInk Posts: 345 Member
    Mentali wrote: »
    Nevermind your own preferences, MFP people think your dislike of tofu is wrong so you must eat it! OP, have you tried just eating the thing you don't like? Clearly you don't like it because the way you eat it is "wrong".

    I second lentils as an alternative option.

    Nah it's only because some people just may have only had Tofu in a parto
  • MinmoInk
    MinmoInk Posts: 345 Member
    edited April 2016
    Mentali wrote: »
    Nevermind your own preferences, MFP people think your dislike of tofu is wrong so you must eat it! OP, have you tried just eating the thing you don't like? Clearly you don't like it because the way you eat it is "wrong".

    I second lentils as an alternative option.

    Nah, it's only because some people just may have only had tofu prepared in a way that didn't compliment the taste and texture of it.

    For instance I hated capers for a long time growing up, but adding them to a salad I find them tasty. The point is some people here, me included, were telling OP to give it a chance because it's a very dynamic food. It can be had a number of ways and quite possibly OP didn't know that or didn't explore different dishes with it.

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