Vegetarian Tips?

emjustem87
emjustem87 Posts: 180 Member
edited November 24 in Food and Nutrition
Hey y’all!
Any vegetarian tips? I’ve upped my workout routine and find myself extremely hungry throughout the day. I upped my proteins, mainly by adding nuts as a snack, but then gained weight?
I’m on a tight budget, so can’t do supplements or powders particularly. Really looking to get all I need in the food I consume.

Replies

  • lisasays
    lisasays Posts: 142 Member

    Beans are great for protein. For snacks, I have rice cakes with vegan cream cheese and cucumber, spinach, tomato...a little sea salt, apple or celery with nut butter or hummus. Vegan yogurt or chia pudding with fresh fruit can be satisfying, too.

    Search Pinterest for low cal veg snack ideas.




  • estherdragonbat
    estherdragonbat Posts: 5,283 Member
    Note that vegetarian/vegan versions of foods may not have the same macros as the food they're replacing.

    Here's a quick comparison of a beef burger vs a veggie burger (note: not all brands use the same ingredients or have the same weight; results can vary):

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  • breathefire
    breathefire Posts: 35 Member
    for vegetarians, make sure youre eating some kind of protein (nuts, eggs, beans etc) for slow sugars and some carbs for fast sugars for every meal. also make sure you switch to whole wheat carbs so that you get all the nutrients and more protein and fibre in your diet.
  • estherdragonbat
    estherdragonbat Posts: 5,283 Member
    No, not necessary. As long as you're getting enough protein overall, meal timing doesn't matter. "Slow" and "fast" sugars aren't a concern. And I almost never eat whole wheat. I get plenty of carbs, protein, and fiber with other grains, vegetarian 'meats' (Yves and Gardein, mostly), vegetables, soy, etc.

    Now, for satiety, you may find that the macros you have with each meal matter. But that really varies from person to person.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,598 Member
    emjustem87 wrote: »
    Hey y’all!
    Any vegetarian tips? I’ve upped my workout routine and find myself extremely hungry throughout the day. I upped my proteins, mainly by adding nuts as a snack, but then gained weight?
    I’m on a tight budget, so can’t do supplements or powders particularly. Really looking to get all I need in the food I consume.

    I get all I need from food, no protein powders, protein bars or fake meats (nothing wrong with any of those, I personally just don't find them sufficiently tasty or nutritious for the calories). At 5'5", I figure I'm good at 100g daily, though I got a bit less when losing (in maintenance now).

    I'm ovo-lacto veg (43+ years), so a lot of my protein is dairy, but I'm pretty sure I could do it without eggs/dairy.

    My best tip is to review your diary and find foods that are contributing substantial calories but little protein. Reduce or eliminate those, replacing them with other foods you enjoy that do contain protein.

    Try to get at least some protein from every meal or snack, and think outside the omnivore's model of "one big protein source per meal". There's nothing wrong with big protein sources - you need them - but small contributions of protein from most of your foods will add up over the course of a day.

    The spreadsheet linked in this thread (below) is a great resource for finding new calorie-efficient protein sources - just scroll past the meaty/fishy stuff near the top, and there are lots of veg sources.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10247171/carbs-and-fats-are-cheap-heres-a-guide-to-getting-your-proteins-worth-fiber-also

    You need adequate protein for good health, but on the hunger front, it's possible protein isn't the issue. Some people find protein satiating, some don't. Some need fats to feel full, some need volume, some need lots of veggies, some need carbs (often complex carbs). Sometimes timing of eating affects satiation, including things like which meal is biggest, how many meals you eat daily, or whether/when to have snacks. Experimenting should bring you your personalized answer.
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