Really struggling to get protein in

Not knocking you for doing it, but why cut meat? Just personal preference or a medical reason? It's going to be tough on a plant based diet to get a lot of protein without supplements like protein powders, etc. If you shopped around though you could probably find some plant based protein powders that aren't a whole lot more expensive than meat. I know that it's cheaper for me to get 60g of protein with my whey isolate shakes than to buy enough meat of any kind to hit 60g of protein. I just don't want to simply drink the shakes though but they are the cheapest supplement method for me. Plant based shakes may be more expensive (although they shouldn't be).

Beans, dark green veggies, Quinoa, milk/dairy - also this is pretty helpful: http://greatist.com/health/complete-vegetarian-proteins

slipandsink wrote: »

Spliner1969 wrote: »

Not knocking you for doing it, but why cut meat? Just personal preference or a medical reason? It's going to be tough on a plant based diet to get a lot of protein without supplements like protein powders, etc. If you shopped around though you could probably find some plant based protein powders that aren't a whole lot more expensive than meat. I know that it's cheaper for me to get 60g of protein with my whey isolate shakes than to buy enough meat of any kind to hit 60g of protein. I just don't want to simply drink the shakes though but they are the cheapest supplement method for me. Plant based shakes may be more expensive (although they shouldn't be).

Absolutely a valid question, don't worry. I'm a uni student and I noticed that I wasn't eating meat so much any more; for a few reasons. I couldn't afford meat other than the cheapest frozen chicken breasts (I didn't eat mince or sausages before I was veggie anyway) which raised quality issues in my mind, I generally only used to eat it when I was out of the house, and I wanted to live a more ethical life style. I'd love to make the switch to vegan but honestly, I think I'd end up living off of oreos and chips. Plus I *kitten* love eggs.

Sadly, protein shakes really aren't an option - I think the whey in particular upsets my stomach, I do have a pouch of protein powder but everytime I have one I end up spending ages in the loo the next day as it flares up my IBS. (My life is so awesome).

janejellyroll wrote: »

Seitan is a high protein food that doesn't have a lot of carbohydrates. It's not available everywhere, but if you order wheat gluten you can make your own (and I find it is much tastier as well).

Also, *some people* with PCOS find that they're able to eat beans without the carbohydrates being a problem for them. They're a good source of protein -- this might be something worth discussing with your doctor during the diet conversation.

I've never heard of seitan, I'll have a hunt in the health food stores here and see if they have it. I don't really like beans You're right, I don't want a massively protein-y diet but I do want to shift the balance more to protein than less, if that makes sense?

xsmilexforxmex wrote: »

Beans, dark green veggies, Quinoa, milk/dairy - also this is pretty helpful: http://greatist.com/health/complete-vegetarian-proteins

xsmilexforxmex wrote: »

Beans, dark green veggies, Quinoa, milk/dairy - also this is pretty helpful: http://greatist.com/health/complete-vegetarian-proteins

Thank you, I'll check that out

Here is a post that I really liked: https://food52.com/blog/14291-how-to-get-lots-of-protein-as-a-vegan

It's focused on vegans, but you can just add the other things you like to eat. I realize all the foods in there may not be available to you (or they may not be ones you can tolerate or enjoy), but maybe it will have some suggestions.

Good luck!

janejellyroll wrote: »

I don't think OP wants a lot of protein, just a decent amount (her words). Both goals (a lot of protein and a decent amount) are possible on a lacto-ovo diet (which the OP is doing) and a plant-based one.

Understood. All I was saying is that the OP mentioned not being able to afford protein powders, and although I don't know because I don't use them, plant-based powders might be cheaper than the OP thinks if you compare the calories vs protein vs price.

Quinoa is great, heck I like it myself, but 200g of it cooked is what it takes to get 28g of protein and it's 735 calories which is too high in calories for my purposes, not to mention that would be almost 130g carbs as well. I'm sure there are other sources rather than Quinoa, it was just one that came to mind because I find it tasty. I'm not saying it can't be done, but I guess what I was saying is compare the price per gram of protein when looking at powders, sometimes they are cheaper than you think. There are bound to be some that are easier on IBS as well:

https://www.amazon.com/Nutrition-About-Time-Protein-Isolate/dp/B002UTSU8I

About $30, supposedly FODMaP friendly or free (not sure which, but easier on IBS symptoms). 32 scoops per container at 25g protein per scoop. So just under $1 per scoop per 25g protein at 100 calories per scoop. At 1 scoop a day, that would boost the OP 25g of protein a day and add only 100 calories to the diary and <1g carbs. That's assuming Whey protein is ok for the diet the OP has chosen. If not, there are some plant based ones that are FODMaP friendly but the cost goes up a tad. Just food for thought is all I meant.

Do you eat dairy? You can get yoghurts that contain 20g per serving. Add nuts and seeds to cereal & salads. Choose bread with seeds. Snack on soya (edamame) beans and nuts. Beans and lentils. Hope that helps!

I'm a vegan and try to get lots and lots of protein. I mostly do this by adding in a protein shake and making my own Seitan (it can be $$$ if you buy it pre-made). Anything soy-based or processed is going to be higher in carbs naturally, while anything seitan-based will be a bit lower.

It takes a while to get the knack of making it but now I just do a big batch once a week and throw it in to my recipes in place of meat.

I second nuts/seeds, lately I've really gotten into adding pumpkin seeds to meals.

Also, I'm not a huge bean fan either but do try some varieties and masking, for example, I don't mind adding white beans to my soups. I also add garbanzos (another form of hummus but at least different).

Christine_72 wrote: »

I'm not sure what protein powders you've tried, but i can absolutely not tolerate whey concentrate, even if it's way down on the ingredient list. I'm fine with isolate and casein.

The suck thing is that whey concentrate is cheaper than the other two, so i have to spend more if i want to use protein powder, and i do rely on it to get enough protein everyday.

Did you ever give MPI/MPC a go?

Have you tried protein powder that is plant-based? I just saw some at Walmart for $10 that I'm going to try since whey sometimes messes with my stomach. I'm sure the taste isn't the greatest, but it could help!

Another vote for cottage cheese.