Vegetarians and Protein

mylittlerainbow
mylittlerainbow Posts: 822 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I have started working with a personal trainer. (I'm in maintenance now but really need to recomp.) She suggested that I have 100g of protein each day. I told her that's what MFP has suggested, too, but it's really hard for me to achieve that as a vegetarian. I find myself adding protein powder to everything and still fall short!

She said Oh, as a vegetarian, she'd be happy for me to get 60-80g per day (which I do).

That is surprising to me. Why would your requirement for protein, especially to maintain and to build muscle rather than fat, diminish so drastically just because you are a vegetarian??

Replies

  • nooshi713
    nooshi713 Posts: 4,877 Member
    Many sources overestimate protein requirements.
  • HealAndHonor
    HealAndHonor Posts: 12 Member
    It's the different types of protein and it seems like the nutritionist you have is worried about you getting all your 'complete proteins' or BCAAs (Branched-Chain Amino Acids). That is one thing I learned when I first went plant-based (vegan for animals). So most people will say a 'complete protein' is beans with rice and in a way, this is true and false.

    True for the fact you get more specific amino types on beans than rice and vice versa, but, false because all plant-based foods contain all the protein we need without needing to worry about eggs, dairy, animal-based 'foods'.

    I suggest you watch the documentary 'The Game Changers' on Netflix you have it. :)

    I can't see your diary so I am not sure what types of sources you are for 'protein' since most vegetarians will rely on dairy or eggs. If you're wanting more? I suggest making soups or other things (example a loaf) with lentils, or make a 3 bean chili!

    This one I recommend by Dr. Michael Greger. His website also has a lot of helpful resources and info on it (he recommends kidney beans which as name suggests is good for the kidneys, black beans, and lentils, you could also swap it for pinto which is also nice, especially at the end if you sprinkle some nutritional yeast on top, it gives that 'savory' flavor that some people find in cheese, the Bragg's brand is best I had when I still lived in USA)!

    https://nutritionfacts.org/recipe/three-bean-chili/

    If you ever need someone to talk to, I am always a message away. I will say somedays I am over on calories, sometimes under and I am doing what works well for my body as I keep progressing to lose (and sometimes like today, gain back 0.5lbs, but, losing many inches as my scale tracks body fat and it went down where body muscle composition went up)!

    Have a lovely day ahead! :)

    - Heather
  • MikePfirrman
    MikePfirrman Posts: 3,307 Member
    100g of protein seems like a lot for a female. I'm a 195 lb male and train hard and I shoot for a little over 100g a day, maybe 120g. Trainers can give absurdly high numbers for protein. I had a trainer tell me I need 200g a day. If I was an NFL lineman, sure, I could buy that. But I'm not.

    Just a couple of plant based cheats. I add soy milk to my vegan protein drinks. Another 10g or so of protein. I use tofu a lot. I cook with quinoa at least once a week. You can cook a bag of lentils and have it in the fridge for a quick snack. Kind is even making some nice vegan protein bars now (all plant based) with like 10g of protein for something quick. Eat more leafy greens as well. They boost your protein some. Raw nuts as snacks. Hummus too.

    Most of your snacks can't be processed, sugary or fried. If you plan around your protein first, then you should be able to get close to your goals pretty easily. If I have a particularly hard training day, I might have a frozen protein drink as my nighttime snack. During the day I'll add a frozen banana and even some nut butter if I've burned a lot of calories, but at night I keep it to ice, low carb vegan milk and protein powder (I like Orgain).
  • HealAndHonor
    HealAndHonor Posts: 12 Member
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    It doesn't. Vegetarians aren't a different species.

    Many people have found that personal trainers aren't an especially good resource for nutritional information.

    I will also say I agree with this. It all depends on the person too. Some just feel you 'must get enough protein' which let's be honest, all plants contain protein. - I will say that again: All, plants, have, protein. :smiley:
  • MikePfirrman
    MikePfirrman Posts: 3,307 Member
    I love this guy. I'm not vegan but he makes some great points. There are many, many more vegan body builders out there as well that are eating less than 100g of protein a day. And they are ripped.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hedyGdwh48&feature=emb_rel_pause
  • mylittlerainbow
    mylittlerainbow Posts: 822 Member
    Having done away with mammals almost 30 years ago and other meats a little more recently, I consider myself fairly well educated on what to eat. But I hadn't focused on macros (since as you say every food contains some protein) in any specific way until MFP. It just seemed counterintuitive that you would need less protein just because of the form in which you mostly got it! For me, mostly nuts and seeds and legumes (incl a lot of soy). I did step up my dairy on this program and I do eat eggs (when I think of it). I live largely on salads with stuff in them and grains and the dairy or eggs have to be something I remember about.

    Thank you all! I will blunder along on my own and not expect a certified personal trainer also to be a trained expert nutritionist.
  • BahstenB10
    BahstenB10 Posts: 227 Member
    I will say, eat your peas!!! :smiley:
  • HealAndHonor
    HealAndHonor Posts: 12 Member
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    HealAndHonor wrote: »
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    It doesn't. Vegetarians aren't a different species.

    Many people have found that personal trainers aren't an especially good resource for nutritional information.

    I will also say I agree with this. It all depends on the person too. Some just feel you 'must get enough protein' which let's be honest, all plants contain protein. - I will say that again: All, plants, have, protein. :smiley:

    Plants do have protein, but some don't have a lot of it. It still will benefit some people to plan their meals around protein-rich foods, especially if they're limiting calories overall or looking to specifically build muscle.

    That's what I said in my previous post. Different plants have different forms of protein. (Aminos). :)
  • HealAndHonor
    HealAndHonor Posts: 12 Member
    mylittlerainbow wrote: »
    Having done away with mammals almost 30 years ago and other meats a little more recently, I consider myself fairly well educated on what to eat. But I hadn't focused on macros (since as you say every food contains some protein) in any specific way until MFP. It just seemed counterintuitive that you would need less protein just because of the form in which you mostly got it! For me, mostly nuts and seeds and legumes (incl a lot of soy). I did step up my dairy on this program and I do eat eggs (when I think of it). I live largely on salads with stuff in them and grains and the dairy or eggs have to be something I remember about.

    Thank you all! I will blunder along on my own and not expect a certified personal trainer also to be a trained expert nutritionist.

    That's great to hear that you're well informed on the legumes + nuts&seeds front. As for salads, it would be awesome if you had a dressing made with nuts or seeds mixed up to add more if you felt you're lacking something. Such an avocado tahini dressing! I wish you a lovely day ahead! :smiley:
  • MikePfirrman
    MikePfirrman Posts: 3,307 Member
    Chickpea pasta! I'm eating a huge bowl of it now. I love it. Also, if you can't do soy (or don't want to do more), Silk has a Cashew/Almond with 10g of protein as well. Sounds like you're doing good.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    HealAndHonor wrote: »
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    HealAndHonor wrote: »
    janejellyroll wrote: »
    It doesn't. Vegetarians aren't a different species.

    Many people have found that personal trainers aren't an especially good resource for nutritional information.

    I will also say I agree with this. It all depends on the person too. Some just feel you 'must get enough protein' which let's be honest, all plants contain protein. - I will say that again: All, plants, have, protein. :smiley:

    Plants do have protein, but some don't have a lot of it. It still will benefit some people to plan their meals around protein-rich foods, especially if they're limiting calories overall or looking to specifically build muscle.

    That's what I said in my previous post. Different plants have different forms of protein. (Aminos). :)

    I'm not talking about "different forms," I'm talking about the fact that some people might need to focus on eating specifically protein-rich foods to meet their goal and that's okay. All plants have protein, but this doesn't mean that a diet of just plants will wind up meeting everyone's protein needs. Some people might naturally gravitate towards lower protein foods without some planning and it's okay to readjust and add some more protein-rich plants to meet a specific goal.
  • ZenDream
    ZenDream Posts: 208 Member
    So I stopped eating meat around 2011 but continue to eat fish, eggs, and dairy. I'm considering transitioning entirely to plant based. I was searching around the forums and found this thread so I'm following this with interest.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,163 Member
    mylittlerainbow wrote: »
    I have started working with a personal trainer. (I'm in maintenance now but really need to recomp.) She suggested that I have 100g of protein each day. I told her that's what MFP has suggested, too, but it's really hard for me to achieve that as a vegetarian. I find myself adding protein powder to everything and still fall short!

    She said Oh, as a vegetarian, she'd be happy for me to get 60-80g per day (which I do).

    That is surprising to me. Why would your requirement for protein, especially to maintain and to build muscle rather than fat, diminish so drastically just because you are a vegetarian??

    I know I'm repeating others, but there's been some misleading stuff posted on the thread, IMO.

    If any thing, people who get much of their protein from plants, if in any way different from omnivores, ought to get somewhat MORE protein grams. (It helps out a little in the overall EAA balance game, as insurance.) Certainly, we don't need LESS than others (though some advocacy sites will claim that).

    On a quick re-skim, I didn't see where you mentioned your calorie goal, or what specific type of vegetarian you are (apologies if I missed it).

    As an ovo-lacto veg in maintenance (5'5", 125 pounds lately, age 64), I aim for minimum 100g protein daily, and it's super rare to miss it (usually exceed it). While losing, it was more in the 80s-90s, though, just to manage balance of calories/nutrients. I don't find protein powder, protein bars, or most commercial faux meats tasty or satisfying (although I don't think there's anything wrong with those nutritionally, for those who do like them). I eat quite a bit of dairy, very few eggs (a dozen lasts for many weeks, usually). I think I could hit the 100g fully plant-based, but I don't want to.

    What helped me, when first reducing calories, was to review my diary regularly, and find foods that were "costing" a lot of calories for the nutrition, satiation or enjoyment they were bringing me, reducing or eliminating those, and replacing the calories with other foods I enjoy that better met my nutritional goals. It took some time and attention for a while, but it was pretty painless.

    I still strive for one big protein item in each meal, but then fill in around that with sides, condiments, etc., that contribute a bit of protein. There are many foods in nearly every category (veggies, fruits, grains, beverages, baked goods, etc.) that contain more protein than others. Those little bits throughout the day, add up, and help. They do tend to be less EAA complete, but using a diverse variety of sources can help round things out.
  • VeryKatie
    VeryKatie Posts: 5,961 Member
    It doesnt diminish. She is just trying to set you up for mental success. If you always feel like you are falling short thats not good either. Start with trying to get her new recommendation and try to increase after that.

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