Vegetarians/Vegans -How much protein do I REALLY need?
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I have been working toward eliminating animal-based foods from my diet. Of course now I am quite low on protein. I have added quinoa, but the protein to calorie ratio is not good. I'd have to eat only quinoa to meet my protein requirement, and I would be over on calories. So obviously that is not the answer.
I suspect that I don't really need as much protein as MFP recommends, especially if the recommendation is based on the USDA recommendations, since they represent and are funded by the animal protein industry. But my question is how much protein do I really need?
I ordered a body fat analyzer which should arrive next week. That should tell me what percentage of my weight loss is fat vs. lean mass. I am doing a lot of cardio 6 days/week and weight lifting 3 days/week, with one rest day.
Any insight you can provide would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
The USDA is a federally funded program with programs involved in all parts of farming, crop and animal, other things such as logging, and MANY OTHER areas. Not to hi-jack your thread, but I think it’s funny because the paleo dieters claim that the USDA's food pyramid is warped because it suggests a high portion of grain for which they subsidize, and here you claim that the USDA recommendations are warped because of their involvement in animal farming.0 -
Ok. I did the math... If I consume 1200 calories/day, and 15% of my calories need to come from protein, that means I need to consume 180 calories worth of protein daily. Since 1 gram of protein = 4 calories, that means I need a minimum if 45 grams of protein daily (20% would be 60 grams of protein)... I ordered 4 lbs of spirulina powder which provides 4g protein per tablespoon. That should get me through until I figure out how to get it strictly from whole foods. Thank you for your help!
I try to mix two protein sources with a goal of 20-30g per meal. For example, slow cooked chili made with red kidney beans (8g per 105 cal, about 1/2 cup) and soy crumbles (10g per 80 cal) plus whatever vegetables and grains I add, it usually comes out to at least 25g a meal sized serving.
Some other high protein vegetarian food that hasn't been mentioned: Seitan - I think it's 20g per 100 calories. Also, soy nuts 11g for 130 calories (about 2 TBL), 1/2 cup 1% cottage cheese 14g for 81 calories. If you have the time to cook them, dried beans usually have more protein per ounce than canned.
Hope that helps!0 -
45-50 or so grams of protein per day is ideal for an average woman. I have been a vegetarian for over a year and I eat around 50-65g (leaning towards the higher end when I am working out) per day between raw almonds, greek yogurt, cheese, whole grains, peanut butter, beans, chick peas, hummus, tofu and other soy subs, etc etc. I would eat eggs or egg-whites more if I wasn't mildly intolerant to them. Occasionally I will have a soy protein shake or protein bar if I need to boost my protein, but they are both higher in sugar. The more physically active you are, the more your daily protein intake should be increased, but at least 45g per day is recommended.
Here is a really good article about the difference between animal and plant based proteins, complete/incomplete proteins, and amino acids:
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/14563169/ns/today-today_health/t/protein-how-much-do-you-need/
Good luck!!
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I had this same question. My personal trainer told me that he recommends that I eat around 45 grams of protein per day (I am on a 1,200 calorie diet). Many people think that you have to eat a ton of protein after a workout; however, they do not realize that eating too much is a complete waste as your body can only process a certain amount at a time.
I am not a vegetarian, just a picky eater; however, I do not eat meat. I get the majority of my protein from cheese, whole grains, nuts, edamame, and greek yogurt. Also, EAS has a french vanilla protein shake that is only 100 calories, 3 carbs and 17 grams of protein. It's actually very tasty, and convenient as it is already mixed.
I will say that on the days I have increased my protein, I have noticed a drop in my weight. However, unless you are lifting like crazy and attempting to get into body builder shape, I think most of the posts are right in line with saying you should consume between 45-50 grams of protein.0 -
below is a raw foodest,
Who IS this?????????
Yeah... I wanna know who this is... OMG...Nom Nom Nom on him... ;90 -
MFP says I have to eat 45g a day, and I usually meet that (or fall JUST short of it). Veggie meat products have a LOT of protein. That's how I get mine every day. They're very low in calories as well. Also, almonds. They're a great snack and have lots of protein. 0
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I try to hit 50g everyday with my 1500/day allowance ( per my doc). I get it from whole foods, dairy, some eggs and the occasional Luna bar after workouts. I try to combo my proteins to make them complete ( eg. legumes and whole grain together). Some days I get up to 70g when I am really focused on it. Brussels sprouts have a surprising amount of protein, who knew??0
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Thanks!... *runs to google Mr. Anderson*
... Yes! Found him on Facebook... Stalk, Stalk, Stalk! :P 0 -
My nutritionist says that we only need 15% of our calories to come from protein. The new rules of lifting book that I just read said that this is a minimum, and that it is better if we eat more, especially if we are trying to gain muscle - so I've been shooting for about 20%. I used to advocate an "it doesn't matter" approach, but right now I'm trying higher protein levels to see how it works. I absolutely do not recommend animal protein no matter what, though - I've read the China Study.
I eat a lot of tofu, black beans, sprouted mung beans, lentils, and protein powder. My favorite protein powder is Spirutein - tastes like candy (which means it probably isn't the healthiest, but it's vegan and full of protein). I also have hemp protein powder and a rice protein powder that I add to my green smoothies. Let me know if you have questions or want more info!
The China Study is excellent! My son hates it because I stopped buying milk after I read it. I hadn't really given a thought to how much protein I was getting, but I guess I should figure out a minimum for myself. I eat a lot of veggie burgers, almonds and peanut butter, and I do eat eggs and fish, and occasionally chicken. Need to start adding beans to my diet, and open my box of quinoa already! Thanks for the post!0 -
from all the studies I read a women your size needs 45 to 60 g per day. So glad to see other people providing the same info. I'm really sick of hearing I need 100 to 200 g of protein to build muscle...0
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Geez, I seem to be getting around 100 pretty much every day.0
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Thanks!... *runs to google Mr. Anderson*... Yes! Found him on Facebook... Stalk, Stalk, Stalk! :P
LMAO!0 -
After reading this http://www.ntptalk.com/articles/protein-how-much-is-too-much.php I am going to look at revamping my meal plan. Not to include more meat, just to reduce the amount of protein. When I was on Medifast, they gave us a range for protein intake of 70-110 g.0
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