How to increase Protein intake for vegetarians

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Kittu125
Kittu125 Posts: 360 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I am a complete vegetarian and don't even eat eggs. How to increase the protein intake without going over calorie goals. Nuts and beans have too many calories and one can eat tofu only so many times. And I don't like protein powders leaves a weird taste in my throat whole day. Any input is appreciated or even any recommendations for protein powders are welcome

Replies

  • Tricia7188
    Tricia7188 Posts: 136 Member
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    Do you eat dairy? Greek yogurt has AMAZING protein. Cheese to an extent but is higher cal like beans.
  • Vikka_V
    Vikka_V Posts: 9,563 Member
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    I agree with the poster above, I drink a Vega One shake every day. I like the chocolate flavor. One tip is to use a shaker cup because it separates quickly.

    I also like lentil or split pea soup and Vegan Proteins + bars.
  • HeliumIsNoble
    HeliumIsNoble Posts: 1,213 Member
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    Quorn breaded fillets? Normally, Quorn isn't egg-free, but they've brought out a new vegan range.

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  • RuNaRoUnDaFiEld
    RuNaRoUnDaFiEld Posts: 5,864 Member
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    Cottage cheese
    Greek yoghurt
    Peas
    Soya mince
    Tofu
    Sietan
  • HeliumIsNoble
    HeliumIsNoble Posts: 1,213 Member
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    Have you tried soya mince, also known as TVP (textured vegetable protein)? It's sometimes sold ready seasoned.
  • Kittu125
    Kittu125 Posts: 360 Member
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    Tricia7188 wrote: »
    Do you eat dairy? Greek yogurt has AMAZING protein. Cheese to an extent but is higher cal like beans.
    I do it geeek yogurt. Will try that again. If only the flavored ones didn't have that much sugar
  • Kittu125
    Kittu125 Posts: 360 Member
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    Thanks everyone for the answers!
  • kzooyogi
    kzooyogi Posts: 121 Member
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    TVP
    Seitan
    Tempeh
    Tofu (learn and experiment with different ways to cook it so you don't get bored!)
    Chia seeds
    Hemp seeds
    Nutritional yeast
    Good Karma Flax Milk + Protein
    Vega protein powder - if you haven't tried Vega Clean Protein, you may find that one doesn't have the discernable texture you don't like. I mix one scoop of that with two cups of almond milk in my blender bottle and it comes out perfectly smooth
  • kylecpatterson
    kylecpatterson Posts: 38 Member
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    Simple. Eat meat. Otherwise you are stuck with eggs, tofu, beans, and dairy. Except for eggs, they all have low bioavailability. Have fun combating your own physiology. Lol.
  • Cat3141
    Cat3141 Posts: 162 Member
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    Tempeh
    Seitan
    TVP
    Soy milk or yogurt
    Flax yogurt
    Pasta made from beans (e.g. Banza at Target is very affordable)

    More general tips:
    -Learning to cook foods in multiple ways helps--if you only ever eat tofu scramble, you're going to get sick of it, but there are lots of alternatives.
    -Eating beans when you'd normally eat a grain. For example, if you have a vegetable dish you'd normally eat over rice, eat it over lentils instead.
    -Keep in mind that all grains are not the same in terms of protein. Whole grains are generally higher in protein. And some grains are very low protein (e.g. rice) even in their whole forms.

    Oh and if you want to go the protein powder route, there are a ton of them out there, so try various ones. I hate Vega, but I like Orgain. And I don't mind less expensive unflavored pea and hemp protein when they're mixed with fruit in a smoothie.
  • AliceDark
    AliceDark Posts: 3,886 Member
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    Kittu125 wrote: »
    Tricia7188 wrote: »
    Do you eat dairy? Greek yogurt has AMAZING protein. Cheese to an extent but is higher cal like beans.
    I do it geeek yogurt. Will try that again. If only the flavored ones didn't have that much sugar

    Get the plain ones, but add fruit, honey, nuts, granola, PB2, etc. Sometimes I'll add protein powder to get a more pudding-like texture. I've even added a hot chocolate packet to plain greek yogurt when I wanted a high-protein dessert.
  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
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    Plain Greek yogurt and cottage cheese are so versatile. You can build entire meals around them. Since they've already been mentioned, I thought I'd bring up other uses for them:

    I've been lunching on Fage 2% mixed with Hidden Valley Ranch dip mix and a variety of vegetables to dip into it. A whole cup of yogurt for dip is a massive dose of protein. You could use that as a salad dressing too and make a huge salad. Yogurt doesn't have to be sweet.

    Cottage cheese is versatile as well, even in savory applications. I often chop up zucchini and cherry tomatoes and stir them in there for dinner or lunch. It's also great to make twice baked potatoes and serve with a side salad for supper.
  • Fuzzipeg
    Fuzzipeg Posts: 2,298 Member
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    If you have an issue with pre flavoured yogurt why not go natural and then add what ever you wish this would put you more into control of your calories.
  • a2z76
    a2z76 Posts: 18 Member
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    I love PB2. You can add it to yogurt, smoothies, oatmeal etc. 2 Tablespoons has 45 calories and 5 grams of protein.
  • rea71
    rea71 Posts: 30 Member
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    What about Black Beans or Pinto Brans?
  • rea71
    rea71 Posts: 30 Member
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    Sorry Beans not brans. Lol
  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 9,979 Member
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    Kittu125 wrote: »
    Tricia7188 wrote: »
    Do you eat dairy? Greek yogurt has AMAZING protein. Cheese to an extent but is higher cal like beans.
    I do it geeek yogurt. Will try that again. If only the flavored ones didn't have that much sugar

    Then don't eat the flavored ones. I eat plain greek yogurt with fresh fruit, plain greek yogurt in places you might use sour cream, like on top of baked potatos, chili, burritos, tacos, etc., stirred into soup, especially spicy ones, in smoothies, spread on toast, etc.
  • JB035
    JB035 Posts: 336 Member
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    Quinoa is high in protein.
  • HeliumIsNoble
    HeliumIsNoble Posts: 1,213 Member
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    What about just a tablespoon of protein powder disguised with some kind of yogurt? I don't use it often, but when I do, I only use approx 10g of Pulsin' soy powder (which is 9g protein per 10g), mixed with yogurt and whatever else I'm having in the yogurt, or added to pasta sauce or pie filling.
  • Rocbola
    Rocbola Posts: 1,998 Member
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    Beans and greens!

    And, you don't really need to worry too much about getting protein as a vegetarian. Just make sure you eat plenty of greens. There have been people who have eaten nothing but potatoes for months at a time, and been able to enough protein off of just one vegetable.

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