Protein

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Determinedtoloseliz
Determinedtoloseliz Posts: 89 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I struggle to eat even 20% protein which mfp says is 65g. Im vegetarian, and i know i can get proteins from beans, nuts and lentils but these arent really part of my daily diet. I do eat meat substitutes but they dont get me to my protein goal moat days. Would it be worth me buying a protein powder in order to boost the amount of protein i get?

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  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,575 Member
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    So what do you eat? What do you weigh? How many grams are you actually getting?
  • Determinedtoloseliz
    Determinedtoloseliz Posts: 89 Member
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    188lb, i probably get about half, maybe a bit more and my meals are vegetable based for the most part, with carbs like pasta, rice, quinoa and potatoes
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,575 Member
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    Yeah, you need more protein. I would add the foods you mentioned that you don't eat (why don't you eat them?) and possibly look into a protein powder.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,897 Member
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    Why don't you eat legumes? Is it that you don't know how to prepare them? Your library system probably has vegetarian cookbooks you can checkout, and then buy the ones you like. Alternatively, here are vegetarian recipes for which the main ingredient is beans or lentils: http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipe/search/ ?f[0]=field_special_diet:25&f[1]=field_recipe_main_ingredient:789
  • rowlantc
    rowlantc Posts: 6 Member
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    I would recommend a protein powder or meal bars to up the protein intake. Do your research though--not all powders and bars are created equal. Try to find ones with as little fillers and sugar as possible. Ex of bad protein powder would be Herbalife.
  • Btheodore138
    Btheodore138 Posts: 182 Member
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    Vegetarian means you can still eat dairy, so I would incorporate some greek yogurt into your snacks, since it's high in protein. Maybe some more soy as well. I sometimes use Orgain protein powder, which is a vegetarian, if I need to amp up my protein.
  • doesthisappmakemelookfat
    doesthisappmakemelookfat Posts: 103 Member
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    Vegetarians become very knowledgeable about protein and B12 sources. It's important for your health.
  • Btheodore138
    Btheodore138 Posts: 182 Member
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    Can you eat eggs as well? I would totally try to add eggs or egg whites to your daily diet if you can.
  • cate320
    cate320 Posts: 130 Member
    edited April 2016
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    In addition to what everyone else is saying, have you considered cheese or eggs?
  • texasf1ght
    texasf1ght Posts: 70 Member
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    I get a good portion of protein from my vegan smoothie every morning:

    1.5c frozen strawberries
    1/2 medium banana
    1c unsweetened vanilla almond milk
    1 tbsp ground flax seed
    3/4 scoop of Vega proteins and greens vanilla protein powder

    20g of protein. You could get a bit more protein by adding a whole scoop.
  • Determinedtoloseliz
    Determinedtoloseliz Posts: 89 Member
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    I am planning on becoming vegan in the future, so am trying to avoid animals products, but I do not like eggs or cheese anyway.
    I do not really eat legumes as I don't enjoy them all that much but I will try and cook with them a bit more this week. I am also going to experiment with tofu, to try and find a way to enjoy it!
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,897 Member
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    Determinedtoloseliz wrote: »
    I am planning on becoming vegan in the future, so am trying to avoid animals products, but I do not like eggs or cheese anyway.
    I do not really eat legumes as I don't enjoy them all that much but I will try and cook with them a bit more this week. I am also going to experiment with tofu, to try and find a way to enjoy it!

    I spent three years in vegetarian yoga communities with vegan cooks - there are tons of different ways to prepare legumes. Maybe try a new recipe or two per week. What ethnic cuisines do you like?

    Here are some tofu recipes: http://www.nasoya.com/recipes
  • Traveler120
    Traveler120 Posts: 712 Member
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    Determinedtoloseliz wrote: »
    I am planning on becoming vegan in the future, so am trying to avoid animals products, but I do not like eggs or cheese anyway.
    I do not really eat legumes as I don't enjoy them all that much but I will try and cook with them a bit more this week. I am also going to experiment with tofu, to try and find a way to enjoy it!

    For legumes, try different types. I like red lentils but not green ones. I like black beans, mung beans, adzuki beans, but not pinto, kidney, lima etc. I love red lentils with rice or pasta. I blend tomatoes and onions then cook that with red lentils, plus spices for about 20 min until it's like a thick sauce and then toss in some pasta. It's very good.

    For tofu, I hated it (because I tried to sautee silken tofu the first time!! I was an idiot). Now, I use silken tofu for smoothies, just enough to give the creamy texture but not too much to still smell it in the smoothie. For extra firm tofu, I slice thin, put salt and onion powder and sautee with a tiny bit of oil. It's addictive. And has a LOT of protein.

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