Vegetarians - Main Sources of Protein?

rachelleh09
rachelleh09 Posts: 35
edited October 1 in Food and Nutrition
I'm vegetarian and eat very little dairy. I drink almond milk and soy cheese. I'm having trouble getting my high enough levels of protein for my weight loss. Where do you get your main sources of protein? I know that beans and nuts and protein bars/powders have a lot. But beans have high calories and I try not to eat too much. Thanks.

Replies

  • jatcat310
    jatcat310 Posts: 63
    Lentils???? I love them
  • Kristhin
    Kristhin Posts: 442 Member
    Almond butter, soy milk, bread, faux meats (Lifelight, BOCA, Gardein), tempeh, and tofu.
  • sandyfeet10
    sandyfeet10 Posts: 280 Member
    "nutritional yeast"-add it to almost anything! it has 8g of protein in a Tablespoon!
  • jpatrickwinstead
    jpatrickwinstead Posts: 43
    eggs, if you eat them.
  • Ge0rgiana
    Ge0rgiana Posts: 1,649 Member
    Not too much beans? No, beans are your friends! I generally eat about a cup of beans a day. :bigsmile: They're so packed with fiber and nutrition. They are good. Seriously! I'm a pescetarian, but a good bit of my protein comes from plant sources. Other than beans, I tend to lean on tofu a bit, and I'm starting to experiment with mushrooms more. I hear quinoa has a good amount of protein. I've never bought it because it's so expensive. If you're not too opposed to eating actual dairy, the kind from cows, I highly recommend Greek yogurt. It's a bit tart, but I find a little of the sweetener of your choice makes it quite tasty. I'm fond of Voskos and Athenos.
  • evesacks
    evesacks Posts: 94 Member
    Quorn. I am not vegetarian but have quorn twice or more a week. In bolognaise sauce, in stir fries. Mainly chicken style pieces and mince - honestly could eat it every day.

    Tofu.

    Pulses - high in calories but use instead of rice/pasta/ etc to add protein and carbs to your meal.

    Eggs and whites in carton.

    Protein powder.
  • ak_in_ak
    ak_in_ak Posts: 657 Member
    Coconut milk is as much protein as reg milk, if you can spare an extra 50 calories it tastes wayyyy better then almond milk. Plain greek yogurt can have a lot of protein, mix it with some thawed berries and it turns nice and sweet. I also recomend edamame beans. I get them in the natural foods freezer section, heat them up for a minute in the microwave and they are perfect to snack on. 3/4 of a cup has 100 calories, 1 carb, and 8 grams of protein maybe? It is quite a bit. You can also put them in salads where peas would go.
    Kashi makes an oatmeal that has 9 grams of protein I think? I had it for breakfast this morning if you want to check it out. There is also a good amount of fiber in it so brings the net carbs down.

    Those are all the things I use, I don't like meat very much so I have a similar problem with getting protein.
  • trelm249
    trelm249 Posts: 777 Member
    spirulina is a possible high quality source of protein.
  • bcatalano89
    bcatalano89 Posts: 29
    Yes beans are good for you, instead of just plain beans i eat bean burgers... my particular favorite, Black Bean Chipotle Burger yum yum. Also try quinoa, that has a good amount of protein and you can make it a ton of different ways
  • rachelleh09
    rachelleh09 Posts: 35
    thanks everyone! I do eat edamame beans, they're delicious! im going to add quinoa, i've had it before, its good. and the nutritional yeast is a great idea!
  • Lady_Layla
    Lady_Layla Posts: 34 Member
    Soy, broccoli, nuts (oh, I love nuts) beans (all kinds!) and protein shakes. (Veg friendly, of course.) I love mushrooms, too! Mmm!
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