Vegan diet- always under in protein! Ideas?

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mary190136
mary190136 Posts: 44 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi- I'm eating a vegan diet and am always ending up low in protein. I'm not tired or hungry at all, I feel great! Is this important, or should I not worry about it? I'm trying to stay away from processed foods but any suggestions on vegan protein options besides beans would be appreciated.
Thanks!!

Replies

  • LazSommer
    LazSommer Posts: 1,851 Member
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    There's always meat.
  • mjwarbeck
    mjwarbeck Posts: 699 Member
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    Why do you think protein is low?

    As for options - the obvious like tofu, legumes etc....there is also the vega products.
  • bclarke1990
    bclarke1990 Posts: 287 Member
    edited May 2016
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    Eat a meal with some legumes every day and you'll be fine. Unless you're trying to put on a lot of muscle/body build, you don't need 150g+ of protein a day.

    If you feel great don't worry about it though, imo.
  • MelaniaTrump
    MelaniaTrump Posts: 2,694 Member
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    Keep in mind that a sedentary woman only needs a minimum of 46 grams a day.
    Are you trying to get 200 grams daily or something?
  • Gotchocolate
    Gotchocolate Posts: 18 Member
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    I agree that you don't need the amount of protein MFP suggests. I feel good getting around 50-55 grams a day, I'm 120 lbs and 5'7 for reference. I am also vegan and end up having a plant based protein bar almost every day to get to my goal. I just found Raw REV glow bars and OMG yummy and low sugar! I like the peanut butter sea salt dark chocolate one, it has around 180 cals, 11 grams protein, 13 grams fiber and only 3 grams sugar! The mixed nuts sea salt caramel is really tasty but slightly less healthy. They make some that have more protein too but I'm usually using them like a little treat too:) so I like a Lil chocolate... sorry so long
  • shaumom
    shaumom Posts: 1,003 Member
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    After checking it over, if you still feel you are under, some good vegan options are quinoa and amaranth (actually full proteins, like soy), along with any of the grains, nuts, seeds, or other legumes, yeah?

    Added seeds to soups and salads can help, or the quinoa mixed in with anything you make out of rice, too.
  • kelseyavaughan
    kelseyavaughan Posts: 21 Member
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    Hey! Try adding some edamame to your dinner. They're delicious, easy to make, and loaded with protein. You can also try looking into the brand Gardien for some fake meats. Super delicious and inexpensive.
  • AmandaDanceMore
    AmandaDanceMore Posts: 298 Member
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    Not vegan, but most of the time I'm pretty vegan-ish. I don't get near as close to what MFP says I should in protein, and I haven't seen any reason to try. I think I would go WAY over my calorie goals in I tried to hit the protein goals!
  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,619 Member
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    Green peas, quinoa, nuts and seeds, beans, chickpeas, tempeh and tofu, edamame, nutritional yeast, seitan, soymilk...
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    JanetYellen wrote: »
    Keep in mind that a sedentary woman only needs a minimum of 46 grams a day.
    Are you trying to get 200 grams daily or something?

    That would be for a sedentary woman eating maintenance calories. If you are in a deficit (trying to lose weight) you will need more, much more. Protein helps your body retain the muscle you already have when dieting. If you don't get enough, a higher % of your weight loss will come from lean muscle, not just the fat you are looking to lose. Use MFP's default as a bare minimum amount of protein.
  • JShailen
    JShailen Posts: 184 Member
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    mary190136 wrote: »
    Hi- I'm eating a vegan diet and am always ending up low in protein. I'm not tired or hungry at all, I feel great! Is this important, or should I not worry about it? I'm trying to stay away from processed foods but any suggestions on vegan protein options besides beans would be appreciated.
    Thanks!!

    Soya milk/yogurt, tofu...nuts, seeds, nut butters are primarily fats I believe but can help meet your protein needs. If all else fails you can always get a protein powder. I got sick of trying to add protein to my meals so I bought a soy based powder to have on days where I'm really low. You have to experiment a bit, some of them are awful tasting :|

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