Vegan Protein Intake?

Peas, beans, meat substitutes, tofu, seitan and odds and ends here and there from veggies, nuts, and seeds. I also consume some protein powder to reach 0.8-1.0g/lb on relatively low calories (although my calories have come up a bit recently).

I'd go for food first, including things like tofu and seitan, and if you still need more, you can consider other measures. A lot of it depends on the calories you have to work with -- the lower the calories, the more calorie efficient the protein has to be.

Quinoa is also a great protein source as it’s the only other plant protein that’s a complete protein. It isn’t low calorie but it sounds like you need to focus on foods that fill your nutrient needs first so I would definitely plan one meal with a decent serving of it. This is one thing that I like to meal prep because it goes well with a lot of other foods for an easy lunch, it’s very nutrient dense and even good cold. Just wondering though why you’re limiting yourself to 1200 calories per day? Unless a Dr is advising that low of an intake that sounds almost dangerous.

Low by who's standards? People have been convinced that they need a lot more protein than they actually do. Just curious, by percentage of calories, how much you actually get?

The RDA is not appropriate when you're on a calorie deficit, and will often result in lean mass loss. 0.7/lb is generally the minimum recommended on a deficit, with 0.8 - 1.0/lb if you'reon a strength program (on the higher side if you're older, or consuming mostly plant proteins due to the slightly lower bioavailability of plant based protein).

https://bodyrecomposition.com/fat-loss/protein-intake-while-dieting-qa.html/

maemahe3 wrote: »

Thanks you guys! I love tofu, seitan and tempeh.. but I also love fruits and rice which is difficult as I have a 1200 cal intake at the moment. I'll try vega.. I've been meaning to purchase some but its an investment!

I chose to cut down on the grains and fruit when I was losing because I found it too challenging to get sufficient protein and be at my calorie goal. It wasn't forever -- once I was no longer at a deficit, I was able to increase them again because I had more calories each day.

When I was losing, I found protein powder, tofu, seitan, and tempeh to be some of my favorite higher protein foods. They're all pretty reasonable for calories. I would often roast a big batch of vegetables and have it with tempeh sausage, grilled seitan, or baked tofu or have tofu scramble for breakfast for lunch, mixing it with a lot of vegetables (I found big portions of vegetables helped me feel fuller, your experience may vary).

geneticsteacher wrote: »

How low is low?

"A high-protein diet during middle age was associated with higher mortality in a new study. In adults over 65, however, a high-protein diet was linked to lower mortality."

https://nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/protein-consumption-linked-longevity

Unfortunately, it's a correlation study based on food diaries. That's not really a study that can determine a causal relationship -- you need metabolic ward studies for that. The fact that the correlation wasn't even identified when the protein wasn't animal derived sort of makes it seem out of place on a vegan protein thread whether you think a correlation study is good enough or not.

I found, when working with a trainer pushing me to keep my carbs low but my protein high (we compromised on around 100g a day for my calorie goal of 1320) that I was basically living on protein shakes and tofu scrambles. I had a few other tricks (chickpea pasta, protein bars, etc), and I could hit my protein goal, but I almost always went over the carbs because plants are carbs. For me, personally, it was a painful and and boring existence. I’m much happier more or less ignoring my macros (I pay a modicum of attention, but use MFP’s preset numbers), so I can eat a wider variety of food with less supplements. I can hit 50-60g without trying when I’m being good, and can hit 80 with just a little work. But I don’t worry about the carbs now, which is a big help. I missed fruit.

I’ve been vegan for about the same amount of time and have experienced the same comments about my protein intake from others. Fortunately, I eat a lot of the sources listed above and haven’t had a problem getting my protein. But when I’m working out and I want a little extra, I’m a big fan of Orgain’s vegan protein. It’s the only protein power I’ve found that has a really great flavor and it’s reasonably priced, especially if bought in bulk!