I am vegetarian, how to complete protein requirement of 150 gram

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  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,478 Member
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    Why 150 gram? That does sound very excessive. Can you tell us a bit more about yourself, your goal, current stats, gender, and where this number comes from?
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,656 Member
    edited January 5
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    I'd usually type a long answer, but your question isn't very nuanced, so I'm not going to be expansive.

    Some relatively high protein vegetarian foods: Tofu, tempeh, edamame, seitan, legumes generally. If you eat dairy, cottage cheese, other calorie efficient cheese, skim milk, nonfat Greek yogurt. If you eat eggs, eggs.

    Find others in this thread:

    https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10247171/carbs-and-fats-are-cheap-heres-a-guide-to-getting-your-proteins-worth-fiber-also

    You'll need to scroll past a lot of mostly meaty/fishy stuff at the top of the linked spreadsheet there, but you'll find plant sources further down. Pay attention to completeness (essential amino acids, EAAs) and bioavailability, which can be less with some plant sources or preparations/combinations.

    Get a little protein from most everything you eat: Find breads with more protein, high

    protein pasta, grains with more protein, veggies with more protein. Even some fruits have protein. There are flavoring ingredients that add some protein, such as miso, defatted peanut/almond powder, nutritional yeast. Little bits through the day will add up.

    Don't cut calories aggressively low for fast weight loss. That's generally a counter-productive idea for many people, but it also makes it harder to get enough protein from vegetarian sources.
    yirara wrote: »
    Why 150 gram? That does sound very excessive. Can you tell us a bit more about yourself, your goal, current stats, gender, and where this number comes from?
    Profile says he's male. 150g isn't super high for an average guy, even for some women depending on size/goals. USDA/WHO and similar others tend to lowball the numbers, focusing on minimums for average people to avoid deficiency, not on optimal amounts for specific situations.

  • EliseTK1
    EliseTK1 Posts: 483 Member
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    @AnnPT77 I am a big fan of the term “calorie efficient.” Thanks for that!
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,656 Member
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    EliseTK1 wrote: »
    @AnnPT77 I am a big fan of the term “calorie efficient.” Thanks for that!

    Thanks!

    For personal use, "calorie efficient protein" has a sort of definition. I have rough rule-of-thumb metrics for evaluating foods (from their labels) when I'm considering something new at the store. I look at total calories (from all sources) per gram of protein.

    I figure a single food/ingredient (not prepared dish/recipe) with 10 calories per gram of protein or fewer is a reasonably good vegetarian protein source. For prepared dishes/recipes, I figure 20-30 calories per gram of protein is reasonable (with the variability depending on how many other good attributes the dish has, like nutrition density or tastiness).

    Example: Babybel light cheese has 50 calories for 5 grams of protein, 10 calories per gram so that's a decent snack. My peanut butter has 190 calories for 8 grams of protein, so around 24 calories per gram of protein, not a great protein source (but worth eating sometimes for healthy fats, tastiness, etc.).

    This isn't the only thing I look at when deciding about a new food, but it's part of the thought process. I can do the rough math in my head at the store.

    Other people trying to get more protein on limited calories might consider similar personal rough rules of thumb. The exact numbers used to evaluate would likely vary depending on calorie goal and eating style.
  • 4Phoenix
    4Phoenix Posts: 236 Member
    edited January 6
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    I'm plant based and this is a challenge. But with planning and dedication I meet my macro/micro goals and post on chronometer daily. Tofu, legumes, beans, quinoa, nutritional yeast, plant protein shake w/plant milk daily after workout, small amounts nuts/seeds....it all adds up (even the additional veggies - treat is protein pasta with lots of fresh veggies -I eat a lot of fresh produce). Intention, motivation, and consistency are required. It can be done, I'm healthy and love my lifestyle!