Fatty vegetarian protein
yirara
Posts: 9,938 Member
I’m edging closer to a more vegetarian diet for ethical reasons. I’m trying to find veggy proteins that contain natural fats.
I have a couple of reflux triggers: eggs in all shapes and forms, and lean protein. Chicken breast can be problematic, pulses can be, as same as other proteins with little fat (no, chicken breast with lots of cooking oil doesn’t work). Often I’m fine, at other times I’m not though. Low fat cow and all vegan dairy is problematic as well, with exception of skyr for some reason.
I don’t eat mushrooms, peanut butter and molten cheese.
Any idea, other than industrial products like artificial meat, which I reject for price, not really natural and trying to imitate meat.
I have a couple of reflux triggers: eggs in all shapes and forms, and lean protein. Chicken breast can be problematic, pulses can be, as same as other proteins with little fat (no, chicken breast with lots of cooking oil doesn’t work). Often I’m fine, at other times I’m not though. Low fat cow and all vegan dairy is problematic as well, with exception of skyr for some reason.
I don’t eat mushrooms, peanut butter and molten cheese.
Any idea, other than industrial products like artificial meat, which I reject for price, not really natural and trying to imitate meat.
1
Replies
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Nuts. They are tasty, vegan, fat and protein3
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Nuts. They are tasty, vegan, fat and protein
Oh gosh, I should have added that I'm a volume eater. Thus a few nuts would completely blow my calorie budget. Argh! So difficult. But good one. I do add a bit of nuts or seeds to my meals every now and then. I do need something more substantial as cooking ingredient though among the large amount of rice/pasta/etc and veggies that I eat.0 -
So I'm a volume eater! Something like chicken thigh is generally fine. More fatty fish as well. Looking for vegetarian things that add bulk, protein, but are not lean.0
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Would full fat dairy work? Full fat yogurt or things like full fat quark, cheese? And then bulk with veggies to get necessary volume?3
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Only hard cheese, and skyr. All other cow dairy doesn't work for me. And as I don't eat molten cheese I can't cook anything with it. Yes, bit of feta, halloumi, high fat goats cheese or similar things are fine, but they are not bulky as they are so high in calorie. *facepalm*
Hmm.. been wondering... chickpeas and other pulses are fairly high in fat, yet often don't work. Maybe it's the fairly hard texture, or something else. I really don't know.0 -
Is making your own seitan an option? I know you said you don't want anything that is "trying to imitate meat," but it's been in use since the 6th century by people with a religious/ethical objection to meat and is very high protein. You can make your own, which allows you to add more fat (you can also heat it up in additional fat if that is desired). Depending on your location, the price of making your own is very affordable and it freezes well (so you can make it in batches and just take some out when you're ready to eat it).2
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I'm somewhat confused about why you need a protein that's higher in fat (unless I am misunderstanding). You can use options like beans/lentils or tofu (which has some fat) but cook it with fat like olive oil or add some nuts or seeds (the dish as a whole can contain lots of volume due to the protein source plus vegetables even though the amount of nuts or seeds would not provide the volume).
Is a lean source of protein a problem for you even when consumed with fat?7 -
Buy animal foods from a local farm that practices pasture raised and fed their natural diet.1
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Sakura_Tree wrote: »Buy animal foods from a local farm that practices pasture raised and fed their natural diet.
This doesn't really address ethical objections to ending an animal's life for food (which I am assuming is OP's concern).4 -
janejellyroll wrote: »Sakura_Tree wrote: »Buy animal foods from a local farm that practices pasture raised and fed their natural diet.
This doesn't really address ethical objections to ending an animal's life for food (which I am assuming is OP's concern).
She eats fish and chicken, so she seems okay with ending an animals life.3 -
janejellyroll wrote: »Sakura_Tree wrote: »Buy animal foods from a local farm that practices pasture raised and fed their natural diet.
This doesn't really address ethical objections to ending an animal's life for food (which I am assuming is OP's concern).
She eats fish and chicken, so she seems okay with ending an animals life.
I was basing this on the fact they said they were looking to go more vegetarian for ethical reasons. They want more vegetarian sources of protein so they can do less of what they find problematic, although I could be wrong.
It's not that uncommon for people to use a slower transition to a diet that is more in line with their ethics, especially if they have digestive/health issues that mean they have to be more careful about food selections, like OP.7 -
janejellyroll wrote: »janejellyroll wrote: »Sakura_Tree wrote: »Buy animal foods from a local farm that practices pasture raised and fed their natural diet.
This doesn't really address ethical objections to ending an animal's life for food (which I am assuming is OP's concern).
She eats fish and chicken, so she seems okay with ending an animals life.
I was basing this on the fact they said they were looking to go more vegetarian for ethical reasons. They want more vegetarian sources of protein so they can do less of what they find problematic, although I could be wrong.
It's not that uncommon for people to use a slower transition to a diet that is more in line with their ethics, especially if they have digestive/health issues that mean they have to be more careful about food selections, like OP.
Exactly! My protein intake is already low. I use the standard settings and hardly ever reach the minimum protein goal because I never eat more than 100gr of meat/fish (usually less) and because especially protein-rich food is a massive reflux trigger for me.
The fat is just a theory, maybe a red herring. Lean chicken breast can be super problematic, but chicken thigh never has. Pulses are quite fatty. Maybe it’s the density, rather than the fat content. But low fat milk is always problematic. Over 3.5% fat usually works, but many countries only sell 3% max. There’s something about yoghurt though, as it often doesn’t work for me, regardless of fat content. Eggs are out as those are my worst reflux trigger together with vegetarian milk. And most goat/sheep/camel dairy, which works better for me is ridiculously expensive0 -
janejellyroll wrote: »Is making your own seitan an option? I know you said you don't want anything that is "trying to imitate meat," but it's been in use since the 6th century by people with a religious/ethical objection to meat and is very high protein. You can make your own, which allows you to add more fat (you can also heat it up in additional fat if that is desired). Depending on your location, the price of making your own is very affordable and it freezes well (so you can make it in batches and just take some out when you're ready to eat it).
I don’t know to be honest. Supermarkets don’t sell it and gluten is not something readily available either. It does sound quite disgusting though. Nothing I’d eat regularly
Tempeh is something I should try. I can’t make it, but asia shops well it. Can I eat it? No idea. 0 -
Can you mix and match? I mean it doesn't have to be high protein + high fat + high volume. You could create meals/snacks that combine an item of each group or just include them in different meals/snacks. Nuts for fat, some source of protein you can tolerate, and something to bulk up the volume. I'm currently doing just that (100% plant based for lent). I eat 3 types of snacks every day: vegetables, beans that can be eaten as finger food (mostly lupins because they're high in protein, but also edamame when I can find it), and whole seeds in shell (sunflower, pumpkin, watermelon) because they're higher in fat and they take longer to eat when you have to shell each one individually. I can't do nuts because I'm never satisfied with a small amount, which makes things stressful.
ETA:
How do you react to hummus, by the way? It's high in fat, has a little bit of protein, and can be high volume if you use vegetable sticks. One thing I learned when I'm eating plant-based is that every little bit of protein adds up. You don't have to have a concentrated animal source if you don't want to. 2 grams here 3 grams there, and if you pick things that are slightly higher protein than others it adds up.
Examples:
Grains: oats
Beans: lupin
Vegetables: asparagus
Fat source: sunflower seeds
Fruits: mulberries2 -
amusedmonkey wrote: »Can you mix and match? I mean it doesn't have to be high protein + high fat + high volume. You could create meals/snacks that combine an item of each group or just include them in different meals/snacks. Nuts for fat, some source of protein you can tolerate, and something to bulk up the volume. I'm currently doing just that (100% plant based for lent). I eat 3 types of snacks every day: vegetables, beans that can be eaten as finger food (mostly lupins because they're high in protein, but also edamame when I can find it), and whole seeds in shell (sunflower, pumpkin, watermelon) because they're higher in fat and they take longer to eat when you have to shell each one individually. I can't do nuts because I'm never satisfied with a small amount, which makes things stressful.
ETA:
How do you react to hummus, by the way? It's high in fat, has a little bit of protein, and can be high volume if you use vegetable sticks. One thing I learned when I'm eating plant-based is that every little bit of protein adds up. You don't have to have a concentrated animal source if you don't want to. 2 grams here 3 grams there, and if you pick things that are slightly higher protein than others it adds up.
Examples:
Grains: oats
Beans: lupin
Vegetables: asparagus
Fat source: sunflower seeds
Fruits: mulberries
I used to eat small bits of hummus, as a kind of condiment for ovendishes with breaded fish, potatoes and veggies. I still miss something that I could add to this oven dish. Just potato and veggies would not fill me enough. Which brings me back to the problem of having a protein. This might also be cultural, or just the way I like to eat: For me a dinner consists of potatoes/rice/etc, veggies and a protein. A veggy soup at 600kcal doesn't fill me up like the same calories that include more protein, and the same would be true for this oven dish. Likewise, a pile of veggies, with a big handfull of nuts or a bowl of hummus at 600kcal would leave me hungry very quickly. It's like eating a bag of crisps instead of dinner, and then still wanting dinner and hour later even if that would double the calories.
I've tried chicken breast with lots of cooking oil before. Still got rather bad reflux. Thus that doesn't seem to work. I can eat fatty food, and cooking oil by the spoons without problem, mind. It just doesn't fill me up as carbs and protein does.0 -
Have you experimented with bread with your meals? Like you, I would be hungry 10 minutes later if I try to eat hummus without bread, but 200 calories of bread (usually pita), 150 calories of hummus, 2 large tomatoes, 2 cucumbers (I eat them like apples, something about biting into a whole veggie makes the meal more satisfying), and that's a light meal that fills me up really well. I left bread out in my previous examples because I know many people don't feel it's worth the calories. It's worth every calorie for me because of how filling it is.
I also eat soups with bread and they fill me up better. Yesterday we made blended lentil soup (has potatoes and carrots blended into it for texture and thickness), I added a splash of olive oil for taste and I ate that with bread, green onions, and radishes. Another relatively light meal.
Try experimenting with textures, too. Blended soups fill me up better than brothy soups, and the texture of overcooked beans feels more satisfying. If I want a brothy soup I add rice, wheat berries, or barley to the soup and it makes a difference for my satiety (trust me, it's not as weird as it sounds). Keep experimenting, and maybe you'll find certain textures work better for you.1 -
Yes, I totally need to experiment more. I usually have bread with soup. Besides, a soup is always a good reason to eat more bread as I’m a bit of a breadjunky ❤️ Thanks for your thoughts.0
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Aquafaba?0
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Fats would be : nuts walnuts, macadamia, pecan Brazil etc avacado any kind of olives seeds like sesame ( tahini is basically sesame butter) flaxseed, chia, hempseed, oils like olive oilavacado oil macadamia oil ) These have protein as well. Why not get yourself a vegetarian/ vegan books and for a beginner so you know what you need and where it comes from0
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angelexperiment wrote: »Fats would be : nuts walnuts, macadamia, pecan Brazil etc avacado any kind of olives seeds like sesame ( tahini is basically sesame butter) flaxseed, chia, hempseed, oils like olive oilavacado oil macadamia oil ) These have protein as well. Why not get yourself a vegetarian/ vegan books and for a beginner so you know what you need and where it comes from
I’ve looked for veggy cookbooks but found nothing that appealed to me as most dishes seem to be sandwiches, salads, buddhabowls with rice, veggies, and salad, or dishes with mushrooms. And local ones contain crap such as fake sausages, quorn and other convenience food. It looks like cookbook authors lack ideas as well.0 -
Fats have 9 calories per gram
Protein has 4 calories per gram.
Anything that contains a lot of fat and a lot of protein will by definition have a lot of calories.
I am confused what you are looking for.
Do you eat meat?
Do you want something with lots of bulk OR with lots of fat and protein.
Best idea I have for you is a cabbage salad drizzled with a peanut butter / spicy sesame dressing.3 -
angelexperiment wrote: »Fats would be : nuts walnuts, macadamia, pecan Brazil etc avacado any kind of olives seeds like sesame ( tahini is basically sesame butter) flaxseed, chia, hempseed, oils like olive oilavacado oil macadamia oil ) These have protein as well. Why not get yourself a vegetarian/ vegan books and for a beginner so you know what you need and where it comes from
I’ve looked for veggy cookbooks but found nothing that appealed to me as most dishes seem to be sandwiches, salads, buddhabowls with rice, veggies, and salad, or dishes with mushrooms. And local ones contain crap such as fake sausages, quorn and other convenience food. It looks like cookbook authors lack ideas as well.
If you are open to eating in different ways I'd recommend ethnic cookbooks for veggie ideas, like Indian vegetarian options. Tons of normal curries are vegetarian. Ethiopian food can easily be made vegan. Lots of Italian and Eastern Asian and Middle Eastern and Latin American staples are (or can be made) vegetarian.
This is a good site too: 101cookbooks.com
That said, I'm pretty fond of the buddha bowl and pasta with beans and salad with protein ideas too for no thought ease.2 -
angelexperiment wrote: »Fats would be : nuts walnuts, macadamia, pecan Brazil etc avacado any kind of olives seeds like sesame ( tahini is basically sesame butter) flaxseed, chia, hempseed, oils like olive oilavacado oil macadamia oil ) These have protein as well. Why not get yourself a vegetarian/ vegan books and for a beginner so you know what you need and where it comes from
I’ve looked for veggy cookbooks but found nothing that appealed to me as most dishes seem to be sandwiches, salads, buddhabowls with rice, veggies, and salad, or dishes with mushrooms. And local ones contain crap such as fake sausages, quorn and other convenience food. It looks like cookbook authors lack ideas as well.
If you are open to eating in different ways I'd recommend ethnic cookbooks for veggie ideas, like Indian vegetarian options. Tons of normal curries are vegetarian. Ethiopian food can easily be made vegan. Lots of Italian and Eastern Asian and Middle Eastern and Latin American staples are (or can be made) vegetarian.
This is a good site too: 101cookbooks.com
That said, I'm pretty fond of the buddha bowl and pasta with beans and salad with protein ideas too for no thought ease.
Oh yeah, I have a Sri Lankan and Ethiopian cookbook on my wishlist, from the Lotus and the Artichoke range. Difficult to find out how authentic they are, which is always my issue with cookbooks. I've been to both countries, and I make a rather good doro wat (without egg). And I do cook quite a bit of fairly authentic southern Indian and Sri Lankan food as I spent some time with cooks from that region while working offshore and waiting for my work to continue. Here I don't want a book with British Indian or similar recipes
thus finding the right one isn't easy. Though to be honest, I love, love, love The Spice Tree. Also still looking for an authentic Italien pastabook. I don't want to make my own pasta (no time or space) but to get good ideas for dishes, order of ingredients and how to treat them, etc. 1 -
I’m veggie and got advised by a nutritionist I saw a while ago to add 2-3 forms of protein to my salad at lunchtime to fuel me for the day. Her philosophy was you fuel for your day so larger breakfast and lunch then smaller dinner. So if I make a salad I’ll try to load on protein e.g quinoa and lentils or maybe a cheese or egg.
She also advised that if I have soup to think the same way so for example a lentil soup with a cracker with cheese or a nut butter.
It was a while ago but when I did follow her advise I found I wasn’t hungry later in the day and something like a bowl of soup or scrambled eggs was fine for dinner.0 -
I’m veggie and got advised by a nutritionist I saw a while ago to add 2-3 forms of protein to my salad at lunchtime to fuel me for the day. Her philosophy was you fuel for your day so larger breakfast and lunch then smaller dinner. So if I make a salad I’ll try to load on protein e.g quinoa and lentils or maybe a cheese or egg.
She also advised that if I have soup to think the same way so for example a lentil soup with a cracker with cheese or a nut butter.
It was a while ago but when I did follow her advise I found I wasn’t hungry later in the day and something like a bowl of soup or scrambled eggs was fine for dinner.I’m veggie and got advised by a nutritionist I saw a while ago to add 2-3 forms of protein to my salad at lunchtime to fuel me for the day. Her philosophy was you fuel for your day so larger breakfast and lunch then smaller dinner. So if I make a salad I’ll try to load on protein e.g quinoa and lentils or maybe a cheese or egg.
She also advised that if I have soup to think the same way so for example a lentil soup with a cracker with cheese or a nut butter.
It was a while ago but when I did follow her advise I found I wasn’t hungry later in the day and something like a bowl of soup or scrambled eggs was fine for dinner.
That won’t work for me. If I don’t have the main meal in the evening I go to bed hungry. Plus, good bread with eg cheese keeps me full at work while something bigger will make me fall into an after dinner dip.1 -
janejellyroll wrote: »Is making your own seitan an option? I know you said you don't want anything that is "trying to imitate meat," but it's been in use since the 6th century by people with a religious/ethical objection to meat and is very high protein. You can make your own, which allows you to add more fat (you can also heat it up in additional fat if that is desired). Depending on your location, the price of making your own is very affordable and it freezes well (so you can make it in batches and just take some out when you're ready to eat it).
I don’t know to be honest. Supermarkets don’t sell it and gluten is not something readily available either. It does sound quite disgusting though. Nothing I’d eat regularly Tempeh is something I should try. I can’t make it, but asia shops well it. Can I eat it? No idea.
My experience and the experience of those I know who've tried it: seitan is nowhere near as gross as it may sound.
That said, since it isn't easily available to you, that's a non-starter.
Where I live, tempeh is sold in rather small portions (8 ounces or so), so getting some and trying it would be a relatively small financial thing. No idea if that is the case where you are. Many people who struggle with digesting some foods do find that tempeh is easier for them to digest, probably due to the fact that tempeh production includes bacteria that help "pre-digest" the soybeans to some degree (I struggled with how to phrase that in the least gross way, but as a yogurt eater I figure you're okay with some live stuff in your food). If you can tolerate tofu, it's also got a fair amount of fat in it.2
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