Vegetarians - Main Sources of Protein?

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rachelleh09
rachelleh09 Posts: 35
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
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    Lentils???? I love them
  • Kristhin
    Kristhin Posts: 442 Member
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    Almond butter, soy milk, bread, faux meats (Lifelight, BOCA, Gardein), tempeh, and tofu.
  • sandyfeet10
    sandyfeet10 Posts: 280 Member
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    "nutritional yeast"-add it to almost anything! it has 8g of protein in a Tablespoon!
  • jpatrickwinstead
    jpatrickwinstead Posts: 43
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    eggs, if you eat them.
  • Ge0rgiana
    Ge0rgiana Posts: 1,649 Member
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    spirulina is a possible high quality source of protein.
  • bcatalano89
    bcatalano89 Posts: 29
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    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
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    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: 33 Member
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    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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