Need vegetarian high protein lunch ideas

jcarline
jcarline Posts: 1 Member
edited November 15 in Food and Nutrition
Hey,

I'm a vegetarian and I'm looking to change my lunch so that it is quite high in protein, I work in an office so I need something that I can either heat up in a microwave and eat cold. I have eggs for breakfast so I'm reluctant to have them for lunch as well.
I'm not allergic to nuts as such but they don't really agree with me so I steer clear!

Anybody have any ideas?

Thanks in advance

Replies

  • KeepRunningFatboy
    KeepRunningFatboy Posts: 3,055 Member
    Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, kale, soy beans, asparagus. Lentils, miscellaneous other beans, potatoes. Many, many sources.
  • darkenergie
    darkenergie Posts: 27 Member
    Lentil and bean soups/chilis(sometimes with textured veggie protein which adds 6g protein per serving) quick soaked soybeans(220 cals w/ 21g complete protein), adding nutritional yeast flakes in my savory dishes(9g protein per serving), and my favorite - seitan(unless you can't eat gluten, but this is probably the best protein source I've come across).
  • ddeliciosa
    ddeliciosa Posts: 168 Member
    If you're not opposed to whey protein - I like to mix a scoop into my yogurt along with some fruit. It's a quick and easy high protein snack or side to your lunch.
  • yayamom3
    yayamom3 Posts: 939 Member
    A MFP user recommended this in another thread. I'm having it for lunch today. It meets all my criteria for a great recipe: Cheap Easy Nutritious Delicious

    The serving size I'm having today has 9 g protein and 17% RDA for iron.

    And did I mention it's delicious?!
  • violetta5345
    violetta5345 Posts: 33 Member
    Seitan, aka wheat meat. 29 g protein in 4 ounces.
  • Ck103084
    Ck103084 Posts: 139 Member
    I've been having the same issue to increase my protein while being a vegetarian. I started drinking Whey Protein with milk (which has a nice dose of protein). Good luck!!
  • jbirdgreen
    jbirdgreen Posts: 569 Member
    @yayamom3 What is it? Sorry, it's not clear to me.
  • Teamhynes
    Teamhynes Posts: 31 Member
    I made Tuscan Bean Soup the other day from a Pinterest recipe. Was really good and nicely portable for work.
  • nerdsubtype
    nerdsubtype Posts: 4 Member
    If you're not sensitive to gluten, Seitan (which is gluten) makes a nice base, but it isn't a complete protein (I think it's Lysine decificient). If you drink milk, consider looking into Fair Life Ultra-Pasteurized, which has 13g of (complete) protein per serving, as opposed to regular milk or soymilk which both clock in at about 7g per serving. Also, whey based protein shakes are a good source of complete protein. On days when I lift, my post workout shake consists of 1 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk, 1 cup Pasteurized Egg Whites, and 1 scoop (37g) of Whey Protein Isolate. Put it in a shaker bottle or blender, give it a good jostling, and chug it. Nearly 60g of protein in there (although, if you subscribe to the "body absorption" theory, that is likely more than you need in a single serving).

    And, of course, Quinoa and Soy are both complete vegetable proteins. You can also combine items to get complete proteins, such as the vegan classic Rice & Beans, or a simple Peanut Butter Sandwich (the wheat and peanuts complement each other, making a complete protein).
  • yayamom3
    yayamom3 Posts: 939 Member
    edited January 2017
    jbirdgreen wrote: »
    @yayamom3 What is it? Sorry, it's not clear to me.

    Oops! I forgot to paste the link. Sorry!
    http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/curried-split-pea-soup-recipe.html
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    nerdsubtype wrote: »
    If you're not sensitive to gluten, Seitan (which is gluten) makes a nice base, but it isn't a complete protein (I think it's Lysine decificient). If you drink milk, consider looking into Fair Life Ultra-Pasteurized, which has 13g of (complete) protein per serving, as opposed to regular milk or soymilk which both clock in at about 7g per serving. Also, whey based protein shakes are a good source of complete protein. On days when I lift, my post workout shake consists of 1 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk, 1 cup Pasteurized Egg Whites, and 1 scoop (37g) of Whey Protein Isolate. Put it in a shaker bottle or blender, give it a good jostling, and chug it. Nearly 60g of protein in there (although, if you subscribe to the "body absorption" theory, that is likely more than you need in a single serving).

    And, of course, Quinoa and Soy are both complete vegetable proteins. You can also combine items to get complete proteins, such as the vegan classic Rice & Beans, or a simple Peanut Butter Sandwich (the wheat and peanuts complement each other, making a complete protein).

    My understanding: it's a good source of lysine, but it's low in tryptophan.

    Anyone who wanted to use seitan as a major source of protein could make up for the lack of tryptophan by eating chia seeds, almonds, cashews, sesame seeds, flax seeds, spinach, mushrooms, asparagus, tofu, tempeh, oats, beans, or lentils (in other words, things that most vegans are already eating -- and we don't require a ton of tryptophan to meet our needs either).

    http://jacknorrisrd.com/seitan-a-high-lysine-food/
  • leanjogreen18
    leanjogreen18 Posts: 2,492 Member
    Can you supplement with cottage cheese or greek yogurt both high in protein.
  • nerdsubtype
    nerdsubtype Posts: 4 Member
    janejellyroll wrote: »

    My understanding: it's a good source of lysine, but it's low in tryptophan.

    Anyone who wanted to use seitan as a major source of protein could make up for the lack of tryptophan by eating chia seeds, almonds, cashews, sesame seeds, flax seeds, spinach, mushrooms, asparagus, tofu, tempeh, oats, beans, or lentils (in other words, things that most vegans are already eating -- and we don't require a ton of tryptophan to meet our needs either).

    http://jacknorrisrd.com/seitan-a-high-lysine-food/

    I have conflicting information, but am not versed enough in nutritional science to know which is correct. It's worth looking into, though, and I appreciate your input.

    http://urbanvegan.net/seitan-complete-protein/

  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    nerdsubtype wrote: »
    janejellyroll wrote: »

    My understanding: it's a good source of lysine, but it's low in tryptophan.

    Anyone who wanted to use seitan as a major source of protein could make up for the lack of tryptophan by eating chia seeds, almonds, cashews, sesame seeds, flax seeds, spinach, mushrooms, asparagus, tofu, tempeh, oats, beans, or lentils (in other words, things that most vegans are already eating -- and we don't require a ton of tryptophan to meet our needs either).

    http://jacknorrisrd.com/seitan-a-high-lysine-food/

    I have conflicting information, but am not versed enough in nutritional science to know which is correct. It's worth looking into, though, and I appreciate your input.

    http://urbanvegan.net/seitan-complete-protein/

    I'm aware the sources are mixed, but overall I've found Jack Norris to be an excellent source of information, careful in his conclusions and sourcing. I appreciate you sharing your links and information though. :)
  • cloverdaisy
    cloverdaisy Posts: 64 Member
    Tofu & quinoa
  • Drueru
    Drueru Posts: 46 Member
    yah quinoa is great! Hemp seeds and chia seeds are also high protein items. I love adding hemp seeds to soup, salads and pasta!
  • littlechiaseed
    littlechiaseed Posts: 489 Member
    Vegetarian chili or burritos you can diy or buy ready made I like Amy's chili and sweet earth burrritos for easy lunches and they are cheap at target. Sweet earth often has bogo coupons on their fb too
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    My first thought is tofu because it is portable and concentrated protein. You may get a silken tub and eat it like a dessert, or have extra firm cubed on a bed of veggies or in a warm broth.
  • Timberla82
    Timberla82 Posts: 16 Member
    Corn fritters and salad! Make them at the beginning of the week, eat them cold or warm them up in the microwave. 18g protein and yummo! http://www.healthyfoodguide.com.au/recipes/2014/february/corn-and-zucchini-fritters, bulk out the salad with cucumber, tomato, capsicum and a (little!) bit of avocado. That recipe serves 4 so if you're not keen on corn fritters all week, just halve it
  • aneedforchange
    aneedforchange Posts: 75 Member
    I eat alot of chickpeas and tofu which ups my protein quite a bit. I have a physical job and I feel like I'm dying otherwise lol
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