Frustrated vegetarian
missillianna
Posts: 19 Member
I've been vegetarian since October and I am trying to lose some weight. I did the first few months the wrong way... Supplementing protein for carbs and fat. Well now I am tracking everything and I am having the HARDEST time making my protein. I am so frustrated I am about to start forcing myself to eat meat. I will preface this with, I am not a vegetarian because I want to save all the animals... My body just does not do well with meat. I've really enjoyed how I feel not eating meat but I need to have a better way of obtaining it daily.
Any ideas??? Please don't tell me chickpeas. Hummus and peanut butter don't cut it.
Any ideas??? Please don't tell me chickpeas. Hummus and peanut butter don't cut it.
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Replies
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Do you eat dairy or eggs?
Meat alternatives like tempeh/tofu/seitan?
Do you eat processed meat alternatives like Morningstar farms? Boca? Gardein (my fave)?
Suggestions really depend on your dietary habits and how you classify yourself (dairy? Eggs? Vegan?)
If you eat dairy (I do) it is super easy to hit protein goals. Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, string cheese. The occasional protein bar. Add in some meat alternatives and include some beans and higher protein veggies and you should be good. I'm vegetarian for the animals, but if you're not you could always include seafood if you like it (although it's not needed with the above suggestions).
Also be sure that your protein goal is not too aggressive to begin with.0 -
Vegetarian with an open diary here. I find that I generally have little trouble meeting my base protein with Greek yogurt, veggie dogs, legumes (yes, including, but in no way limited to chickpeas), quinoa, tofu, cheese and a gram here a gram there from other sources.
Now, when I log my exercise, MFP ups my calories and splits them across the macros and I don't usually hit my 'expanded' protein allotment. It's fair to say I'm mindful of this, but not really struggling to hit it, so long as I at least get the 69 grams I should have before exercise.
If you'd like ideas, feel free to send me a friend request.1 -
Do you eat dairy or eggs?
Meat alternatives like tempeh/tofu/seitan?
Do you eat processed meat alternatives like Morningstar farms? Boca? Gardein (my fave)?
Suggestions really depend on your dietary habits and how you classify yourself (dairy? Eggs? Vegan?)
If you eat dairy (I do) it is super easy to hit protein goals. Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, string cheese. The occasional protein bar. Add in some meat alternatives and include some beans and higher protein veggies and you should be good. I'm vegetarian for the animals, but if you're not you could always include seafood if you like it (although it's not needed with the above suggestions).
Also be sure that your protein goal is not too aggressive to begin with.
My protein goal is 120g.. I eat eggs since we have our own chickens and I am vegetarian so I do eat dairy.. I did try seitan last night, super good!! I do eat the processed meats as well (Dr pragners is good).. I have never been a fan of cottage cheese but if I have to layer that in will do! I really really don't want to go back to eating meat. My body has just felt so much better without it.
Thank you for the response !!0 -
I think you can try and supplement with protein powder. for example when making pancakes you can add on some protein powder or use high protein flour. you can add it to breakfast shakes too.1
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The only way I hit my protein goals as a vegetarian is with meat substitutes and protein bars. I focus on finding ones that are low cal and high protein.2
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danika2point0 wrote: »The only way I hit my protein goals as a vegetarian is with meat substitutes and protein bars. I focus on finding ones that are low cal and high protein.
What are some of the best protein bars you've found?0 -
I think you can try and supplement with protein powder. for example when making pancakes you can add on some protein powder or use high protein flour. you can add it to breakfast shakes too.
I've just started added protein shakes also... When I do protein shakes, egg whites and seitan I can hit my protein but that's not a recipe to follow daily without getting burnt out on it. Other than eggs what do you guys do for breakfast protein? Dinner ideas with low carbs and high protein?0 -
have you tried protein fluff? You make it with protein powder but it's more like whipped ice cream0
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missillianna wrote: »
No, it's terrible. It seems like a grand idea until you eat it and feel like you're full of foam.
Do you eat fish? It may be easier to digest than meat?3 -
You can buy pure whey protein concentrate, which has a fairly neutral flavour. Therefore, it can be added to many different meals, instead of simply drinking protein shakes. My favourite approach is to mix it in a pasta sauce, which barely changes the flavour. You can also buy pure casein, which is another a dairy protein. It's digested much more slowly than whey, which makes you feel fuller for longer and can reduce muscle catabolism when consumed before sleeping.1
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missillianna wrote: »Do you eat dairy or eggs?
Meat alternatives like tempeh/tofu/seitan?
Do you eat processed meat alternatives like Morningstar farms? Boca? Gardein (my fave)?
Suggestions really depend on your dietary habits and how you classify yourself (dairy? Eggs? Vegan?)
If you eat dairy (I do) it is super easy to hit protein goals. Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, string cheese. The occasional protein bar. Add in some meat alternatives and include some beans and higher protein veggies and you should be good. I'm vegetarian for the animals, but if you're not you could always include seafood if you like it (although it's not needed with the above suggestions).
Also be sure that your protein goal is not too aggressive to begin with.
My protein goal is 120g.. I eat eggs since we have our own chickens and I am vegetarian so I do eat dairy.. I did try seitan last night, super good!! I do eat the processed meats as well (Dr pragners is good).. I have never been a fan of cottage cheese but if I have to layer that in will do! I really really don't want to go back to eating meat. My body has just felt so much better without it.
Thank you for the response !!
Friendship and Axelrod have a whipped cottage cheese, where the curds are have been smashed down to the size of grain. It makes it much easier to eat as is visually resembles whipped cream cheese. and might be worth trying to see if it works for you.0 -
Try supplementing with Leucine, Some current research shows that 3g of leucine will maximize muscle protein synthesis provided you have 30g of quality protein per day.0
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livingleanlivingclean wrote: »missillianna wrote: »
No, it's terrible. It seems like a grand idea until you eat it and feel like you're full of foam.
Do you eat fish? It may be easier to digest than meat?
Haha this was hilarious. I did start layering in fish this month, I've been at my wit's end trying to meet protein. Tuna and tilapia have been all I've tried.0 -
missillianna wrote: »Do you eat dairy or eggs?
Meat alternatives like tempeh/tofu/seitan?
Do you eat processed meat alternatives like Morningstar farms? Boca? Gardein (my fave)?
Suggestions really depend on your dietary habits and how you classify yourself (dairy? Eggs? Vegan?)
If you eat dairy (I do) it is super easy to hit protein goals. Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, string cheese. The occasional protein bar. Add in some meat alternatives and include some beans and higher protein veggies and you should be good. I'm vegetarian for the animals, but if you're not you could always include seafood if you like it (although it's not needed with the above suggestions).
Also be sure that your protein goal is not too aggressive to begin with.
My protein goal is 120g.. I eat eggs since we have our own chickens and I am vegetarian so I do eat dairy.. I did try seitan last night, super good!! I do eat the processed meats as well (Dr pragners is good).. I have never been a fan of cottage cheese but if I have to layer that in will do! I really really don't want to go back to eating meat. My body has just felt so much better without it.
Thank you for the response !!
Friendship and Axelrod have a whipped cottage cheese, where the curds are have been smashed down to the size of grain. It makes it much easier to eat as is visually resembles whipped cream cheese. and might be worth trying to see if it works for you.
Thank you! I'll try that out.0 -
This is pretty much why I started eating meat again. I had trouble meeting protein without blowing out my carbs in the process. I also am a long-distance runner and participate in triathlons, so meeting protein became even more important for me.
Pescetarianism can be a good compromise for a lot of people. I pay more for wild-caught fish for environmental and nutritional reasons. I also started eating other meat again, buying mostly grass-fed meats from my local farmers market.0 -
Why is it that people who are vegetarian for reasons other than not wanting to contribute to the deaths of animals have to preface it that way. Is it so shameful to be compassionate and not want to contribute to the pain and torture? It's insulting to many of the group who would have the answers you seek.
Anyway, eat a wide variety of things from a wide variety of sources. Try things you haven't before like maybe lentils or different kinds of beans. Explore. The world of non-animal food is immense and you can easily hit your goals with it. A normal day of WFPB + a Protein Shake I regularly hit 120g of protein, so you can do it! Feel free to add me as a friend, I keep an open diary to friends.3 -
I'm mainly veggie just eating fish approx once per week and am aiming for 20% protein. Apart from fish I mainly get it from eggs, quorn, smoked tofu and "protein cheese" (available in the uk and I think made from 2% milk so low fat). Oats have a reasonable amount too so I have porridge or oat based muesli with soya yoghurt for breakfast.1
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I average 110g of vegetarian protein per day. My staples are protein bars (I like Quest, Muscle Pharm Combat Crunch, OhYeah One bars and sometimes Think Thin bars), cottage cheese, greek yogurt, eggs, other kinds of cheese (I still love string cheese like I did when I was a little kid) and beans. I use protein powder more often when I'm trying to lose weight, since I can get the same amount of protein in fewer calories. I don't rely on meat substitutes, but I use them more often in the summer because we grill outside a lot, and I don't personally like tofu all that much.
I have to sit down in the morning and plan out my protein for the day, and I fill in my carbs and fat with however many calories I have left after the protein. It really sucks sometimes, but I have a deal with myself: I have to get adequate protein, and I don't want to eat meat, so the trade-off is that I don't always get to eat everything I would prefer because I have to get in the protein first.0 -
Quorn is my friend...0
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Why is it that people who are vegetarian for reasons other than not wanting to contribute to the deaths of animals have to preface it that way. Is it so shameful to be compassionate and not want to contribute to the pain and torture? It's insulting to many of the group who would have the answers you seek.
Anyway, eat a wide variety of things from a wide variety of sources. Try things you haven't before like maybe lentils or different kinds of beans. Explore. The world of non-animal food is immense and you can easily hit your goals with it. A normal day of WFPB + a Protein Shake I regularly hit 120g of protein, so you can do it! Feel free to add me as a friend, I keep an open diary to friends.
Ok, I appreciate your feedback. My note about why I don't eat meat was to avoid the whole "your going to kill animals all so you can hit protein goals" comment. I don't knock anyone who does it for that reason, that's just not my reason for being vegetarian. It wasn't to offend anyone else so please don'tgeneralize me with other mean hearted, rude individuals.
I greatly appreciate all the helpful feedback everyone has given and I have actually been writing them down so it's not going to waste.1 -
I'm mainly veggie just eating fish approx once per week and am aiming for 20% protein. Apart from fish I mainly get it from eggs, quorn, smoked tofu and "protein cheese" (available in the uk and I think made from 2% milk so low fat). Oats have a reasonable amount too so I have porridge or oat based muesli with soya yoghurt for breakfast.
Thank you!0 -
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ValeriePlz wrote: »This is pretty much why I started eating meat again. I had trouble meeting protein without blowing out my carbs in the process. I also am a long-distance runner and participate in triathlons, so meeting protein became even more important for me.
Pescetarianism can be a good compromise for a lot of people. I pay more for wild-caught fish for environmental and nutritional reasons. I also started eating other meat again, buying mostly grass-fed meats from my local farmers market.
This is pretty much where I was leaning last night but I am trying really hard to keep my protein up. Thanks to the suggestions I've received over the past 24 hours I am going to keep trying and see if I can get the protein up.0 -
In addition to the above suggestions, you might have to just supplement with a protein supplement if you are adamant about hitting that target. I never went full vegetarian, but I spent some time experimenting with being vegetarian 3-4 days out of the week for a few months and I always had to supplement on those days if I wanted to hit 140g.0
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OP - not sure what your goals are, but your protein goal probably doesn't need to be that high. Try backing it down and hitting 100 to see how you feel. You can also cram a lot of nutrients into a smoothie with plant-based powder. I've tried them all and PlantFusion Lean Vanilla is my fav. You can order trial packs on Amazon.0
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[quote="missillianna;c-39892243"
I've just started added protein shakes also... When I do protein shakes, egg whites and seitan I can hit my protein but that's not a recipe to follow daily without getting burnt out on it. Other than eggs what do you guys do for breakfast protein? Dinner ideas with low carbs and high protein?[/quote]
weekday
carman or another protein muesli Bar
milkshake with oats n protein powder (chocolate peanut butter. banana or berries
oat with Greek yoghurt n fruits. I add nuts sometimes
sometimes I make breakfast muffin but then I eat that for a few days
weekend
egg (omelette fried scrambled)
bread with cheese (I make my own n use whole grain or add soy or lentil flour)
scrambled tofu
pancake again add protein powder soy or'lentil flour. I only add one third for the flour otherwise its too'savoury for my preference
we do eat Nuts a lot or add parmegian which is high of fat but we prefer to eat that way.
we eat complex carb. like quinoa or high protein pasta or whole grain pasta. its just a little bit but adds up. I make the tomato sauce with silken tofu or textured soy protein.
0 -
OP - not sure what your goals are, but your protein goal probably doesn't need to be that high. Try backing it down and hitting 100 to see how you feel. You can also cram a lot of nutrients into a smoothie with plant-based powder. I've tried them all and PlantFusion Lean Vanilla is my fav. You can order trial packs on Amazon.
Thank you!!0 -
weekday[quote="missillianna;c-39892243"
I've just started added protein shakes also... When I do protein shakes, egg whites and seitan I can hit my protein but that's not a recipe to follow daily without getting burnt out on it. Other than eggs what do you guys do for breakfast protein? Dinner ideas with low carbs and high protein?
carman or another protein muesli Bar
milkshake with oats n protein powder (chocolate peanut butter. banana or berries
oat with Greek yoghurt n fruits. I add nuts sometimes
sometimes I make breakfast muffin but then I eat that for a few days
weekend
egg (omelette fried scrambled)
bread with cheese (I make my own n use whole grain or add soy or lentil flour)
scrambled tofu
pancake again add protein powder soy or'lentil flour. I only add one third for the flour otherwise its too'savoury for my preference
we do eat Nuts a lot or add parmegian which is high of fat but we prefer to eat that way.
we eat complex carb. like quinoa or high protein pasta or whole grain pasta. its just a little bit but adds up. I make the tomato sauce with silken tofu or textured soy protein.
[/quote]
Thank you0 -
I make smoothies they are not super tasty but they're good for you. Oatmeal, chick pea flour, hemp seed meal, flaxseed, one cup of spinach, banana, carrot, and some kind of more sugary fruit like mango, and a little honey0
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