Any tips for a high protein vegetarian diet?

rockylucas
rockylucas Posts: 343 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I have a ton of faux-meats and garbanzo beans left over from my Whole Foods/Trader Joe's shopping spree a couple months ago, and I feel inspired to experiment with a vegetarian diet for a few weeks. However, as I am also planning starting an exercise routine soon to build muscle and grow stronger, I am also seeking to eat a diet high in protein. Any tips for how to combine these two? I plan on picking up some some quinoa, some protein-rich yogurt, some fiber bars and supplements, etc, so I think I got the general idea, but just wondering if anyone has actually done this kind of diet before and had any special tips?

Replies

  • dls06
    dls06 Posts: 6,774 Member
    I would google; Vegetarian recipes. There are a ton of sites. Good luck.
  • Kristhin
    Kristhin Posts: 442 Member
    Rice protein powder, superfoods powder, spirulina, lentils.
  • TubbsMcGee
    TubbsMcGee Posts: 1,058 Member
    quinoa mixed with brown rice, lentils and veggies,

    Greek yogurt mixed with fresh berries and organic flax-granola,

    broccoli salad with nuts,

    home made hummus with falafels in pita bread,

    endless possibilities :)
  • denzd
    denzd Posts: 4
    Hello,

    I am also new to vegetariaism and I found that I was very lethargic due to lack of protein. I now take a protein shake twice per day and this has helped me immensly. www.myprotein.com

    Try this vegetarian chilli http://community.cookinglight.com/showthread.php?t=53824 I eat it on a regular basis ;0)


    Good luck
  • voluptuous_veggie
    voluptuous_veggie Posts: 476 Member
    http://www.veganbodybuilding.com/

    This is an excellent site loaded with great food ideas. Good luck!
  • Kristhin
    Kristhin Posts: 442 Member
    Seeds! Sunflower seeds in your salad. And boiled peanuts, yum!!!
  • jiggs31
    jiggs31 Posts: 117
    I find it pretty hard to get protein into my diet as I don't eat meat or fish so I'm interested to see if theere are any good tips.....

    I eat a lot of Quorn products and have added eggs into my diet too to try and top it up.
  • KevDaniel
    KevDaniel Posts: 449 Member
    I posted this same thing except for I had the added challenge of wanting lower carbs too. Here is the thread if you are interested

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/343436-high-protein-and-low-carb-vegan-foods

    If you are not Vegan eggs may be your go to food.
  • live2dream
    live2dream Posts: 614 Member
    Easiest way to get a lot of protein is with a natural plant protein shake...ones I love... Vega Sequel, Life Basics, Garden of Life Raw Protein.

    I also eat a lot of beans and nuts.

    Feel free to add me and check out my diary- I've been vegetarian the past year and recently made the switch to vegan.

    www.nomeatathlete.com has great advice as well.

    good luck! :smile:
  • ablykins
    ablykins Posts: 200 Member
    Congrats on giving the vegetarian diet a try- I've had GREAT results on a vegetarian diet focusing primarily on plant based protein. Whole grains, beans, seeds (like quinoa), and tofu are great options. I have a cooking/recipe blog of my favorite recipes if you'd like to check it out- I updated frequently.

    http://squarepegs.typepad.com/whats_cooking/

    Best wishes- plant powered body building is awesome! ;-)
  • 16mixingbowls
    16mixingbowls Posts: 205 Member
    Okay so I'm not a vegetarian or a bodybuilder, but I'm conscious of what I eat. I just found out about peanut flour. They have it at Trader Joe's. One serving has 110 calories and 16 grams of protein. Not that I'm suggesting you turn into a baker, but you can definitely use it in sauces or as a seasoned coating to pan-fried tofu. I use it since it's gluten free and i have Celiac disease, but I thought of it when reading your post. It does have a nutty flavor, but that can be a really good thing:)

    In my lay-person understanding of nutrition, I know that beans and rice form a complete form of the important amino acids needed for muscle development.

    There is a super-duper vegetarian cookbook called Veganomicon that has some really great recipes. Cottage cheese and Greek yogurt are also two types of dairy that are high in protein, but you might already know that. Good luck!
  • ablykins
    ablykins Posts: 200 Member
    Live2dream- Bredan Brazier's Vega shakes are great! I use the PureTrim vegan shakes and am hooked on those. The No Meat Athlete site is also a favorite of mine! Great advice!
  • McPenguin
    McPenguin Posts: 67
    I use a little TVP in some recipes (texturized vegetable protein, look for it in health food stores, or the bulk food section - looks like a dry grain). It's used to substitute for "ground meats", it's made from soy I believe, and it's SUPER high in protein.

    My favourite way to eat it is with a little taco seasoning on it, in a soft whole grain tortilla, with veggies, cheese, etc. But it tastes great in sauces, too. (On it's own it's bland).
  • live2dream
    live2dream Posts: 614 Member
    Live2dream- Bredan Brazier's Vega shakes are great! I use the PureTrim vegan shakes and am hooked on those. The No Meat Athlete site is also a favorite of mine! Great advice!

    PureTrim? I'll have to check that out too! :)
  • rf1170
    rf1170 Posts: 180 Member
    Eggs, eggs, eggs, and eggs! If you want to incorporate them, that is! They're so versatile that you can add them to just about anything you eat - raw to smoothies, tempered and stirred into a warm milk steamer (with molasses, nutmeg, and cinnamon is my favorite), baked with veggies and/or cheese for a savory flan, as my Mexican friend describes it, and of course pan-cooked any which way for breakfast. And if you're into soup (let's be honest, cold weather is coming, and it's soup season), you can throw them in the pot - I live for homemade Egg Drop Soup (it's my all-time favorite breakfast), and Avgolemono is good too, if you're into lemon. Let me know if you would like any recipes; I'm happy to share! Good luck with your experiment!
  • JeremiahStone
    JeremiahStone Posts: 682 Member
    I just eat meat :] Bt try protein shakes too.
  • rockylucas
    rockylucas Posts: 343 Member
    Thank you guys for the ideas, and especially the website links, I have built up a little go-to database now with links for just this topic :)
  • Tree72
    Tree72 Posts: 942 Member
    Nothing to add, just wanted to thank everyone for sharing their great links and ideas. I've been wanting to add more non-meat protein into my diet, but was running out of ideas other than dairy and eggs.
  • lottycat
    lottycat Posts: 333 Member
    Lentils, quinoa, greek yoghurt, PEANUT BUTTER, cheese and lots of beans, nuts and seeds. I also have protein powder to top up on days when it seems a bit low and I don't feel like cooking. Mixed with greek yoghurt it's a really filling protein rich dessert. Nyom.

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