Protein ideas for a vegetarian?

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jd460
jd460 Posts: 2 Member
in Food and Nutrition
According to this app I should be eating 140g of protein (1400 total calories per day) but I am struggling to fit that in. The best I did was 110g and that was with protein shakes. I want real food! Any ideas?

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  • SymbolismNZ
    SymbolismNZ Posts: 190 Member
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    Nuts, Beans, if you're not vegan, cheese, eggs.
  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
    edited January 2017
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    140 grams of protein on 1400 calories???? How much do you weigh? Ideal protein intake is .6-.8 grams per pound of goal body weight.

    I'm a vegetarian and get quite a lot of protein. My favorite sources are cottage cheese, greek yogurt, eggs and especially the whites, and beans and lentils.

    Nuts and have some protein, but they're mostly fat. PB2 or other powdered peanut butter has a decent whack of protein and is tasty added to yogurt or stirred into cottage cheese (thin with a bit of almond milk if necessary). I love cottage cheese with chopped apples and PB2 for dessert, for example.
  • trigden1991
    trigden1991 Posts: 4,658 Member
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    Your protein goal sounds very high. Aim for 0.6g per lb of bodyweight as a rough guide.
  • unsuspectingfish
    unsuspectingfish Posts: 1,176 Member
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    A lot of whole grains have protein, particularly sprouted grains. Beans and nuts, like other people said. Peas are a good one. Nothing wrong with some protein shakes, either. I used to get unflavored protein powder and mix it in with the batter for my breakfast muffins, back when I was leaning more toward vegan.
  • littlechiaseed
    littlechiaseed Posts: 489 Member
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    Sounds like you need your change your settings because it's wrong. What are you eating for protein now and what is your current protein intake average?
  • lisamarie1608
    lisamarie1608 Posts: 5 Member
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    Good question, I am trying to increase my protein, my trainer has just started me on an 8 week challenge, 1900 calories a day / 119g protein. My macros set at C-50% F-25% P-25%. I have been predominately vegetarian/pescetarian for a few years, I tried to include a little meat recently and felt awful so I want to stick with Veg/Pesc its just a juggle trying to get the balance, I will eat fish and eggs although not an every day.
  • sarah_downes
    sarah_downes Posts: 1 Member
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    I am finding I have to use soy and pea protein suppliments to get my goal too. I cannot have eggs or dairy (allergies) and gave up meat ... feeling much better. Legumes (peas, besns and lentils) give me a fair bit but not enough either.
  • jordan_bowden
    jordan_bowden Posts: 90 Member
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    Hemp, chia, pumpkin, sunflower seeds, black beans, lentils, peas, oats, broccoli, brown rice, buckwheat, tofu, soy milk, leafy greens, chickpeas! And all low in fat and cholesterol.
  • jd460
    jd460 Posts: 2 Member
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    Thanks everyone! I started weight training early last year and I'm aiming for 1g of protein per pound of body weight to help maintain muscle growth. It's the first time I've had to start paying attention to how much protein I eat so I'm finding it tricky. Also I forgot to say I don't eat dairy (I get terrible stomach cramps) but I do eat eggs
  • Rushgirl82
    Rushgirl82 Posts: 223 Member
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    I eat a lot of black beans and kidney beans. I make bean soups, bean salads, and bean burritos. Love Em!
  • CynthiasChoice
    CynthiasChoice Posts: 1,047 Member
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    I'm no longer doing a vegan diet, but when I did, it was impossible to meet the protein requirement without a protein shake. I liked - and still do - MRM veggie protein because it has no sugar. It's pea, brown rice and hemp protein. Tastes a bit like baby cereal. If you go this route, try adding a bunch of spinach and other veggies to your shake to amp up the nutrients. I mean, add the ones you wouldn't normally enjoy cooking and eating:) Frozen veggies are convenient and make your shake nice and cold.

    The chart with pictures above is somewhat helpful, but you should convert each item from 100 grams to an appropriate caloric serving. 100 grams of hazelnuts has 628 calories and 15 grams protein, but 300 grams of Pinto Beans have 240 calories and 14 grams of protein. But you probably already figured that out!

    Seeds and nuts will never get you to your goal, but beans, especially soybeans will help. I know there's all kinds of controversy over whether or not soy is good for you, so I personally opted out of soy, as well as all the fake meats that seem to be filled with MSG or "hydrolyzed" or "autolyzed" this or that, which are all really just MSG code names. And MSG will make you crave more food.

    If you're vegetarian, there's no better protein than Greek yogurt. But since it doesn't have all the essential amino acids, you'll have to include grains and beans in your diet. I don't know a way to be a healthy vegetarian without beans, so hopefully you like them!
  • CynthiasChoice
    CynthiasChoice Posts: 1,047 Member
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    I forgot to mention, I was always hungry on a vegetarian diet because my protein was often low. I went to bed hungry almost every night. Now that I'm eating meat again, I'm never hungry. I'm not advocating meat, just saying that if you find yourself hungry all the time, the protein shake might be the answer till you achieve your weight loss goal.

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