Vegetarian Low Sodium ways to meet daily protein

TeresaC79
TeresaC79 Posts: 316 Member
edited November 12 in Food and Nutrition
Title says it all. I am not vegetarian, but I eat vegetarian 80-90% of the time.

On days I eat no meat, I normally fall short on protein. I am not particularly interested in trying protein shakes or powders. Google searches are yielding me little.

What are some ways you meet protein daily with natural, non-meat foods.

Replies

  • bauer1971
    bauer1971 Posts: 70 Member
    Beans, greek yogurt
  • TeresaC79
    TeresaC79 Posts: 316 Member
    yogurt makes me gag :laugh:
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
    Hmm no meat, supplements (not even protein bars?) or yogurt, I think you're doomed! I can't think of any other efficient way of getting protein. Beans and nuts are mostly carbs and fat respectively. Of course there's always tofu... How much more protein are you looking to get?
  • firesoforion
    firesoforion Posts: 1,017 Member
    Low fat cottage cheese, low fat ricotta cheese (not quite as good but for some variety).

    Also with the yogurt, you don't have to eat it plain. You can do stuff with it, smoothies, or mix it with spinach and garlic and make a low fat high protein creamed spinach, etcetera.
  • BrownEyedJerseyGirl
    BrownEyedJerseyGirl Posts: 97 Member
    yogurt makes me gag :laugh:

    I have the same problem. I can eat regular yogurt but I can't handle greek yogurt - I've tried different brands and different flavors and I just can't do it. I eat alot of the vegeterian foods from MorningStar Farms but then I've heard alot of soy isn't good either.
  • TeresaC79
    TeresaC79 Posts: 316 Member
    I don't really care for any types of yogurt. I can sometimes....sometimes...eat a Chiobani Apple yogurt but it really is the texture that makes me gag.

    I do a lot of the soy products like Morning Star, etc. but they are so high in sodium usually.

    Today was a good day on protein because I actually had a little meat at lunch and the tempeh.

    But yeah, I'm not really looking to up my intake of real meat. Hmmmph.

    What about fish?
  • BrownEyedJerseyGirl
    BrownEyedJerseyGirl Posts: 97 Member
    Fish is good - I've increased my intake. Eating alot of baked/broiled flounder, tilapia, cod. Tuna salad when don't feel like cooking. High protein, lots of Omega 3. Also try to eat a handful of almonds. Yeah - the thickness of the greek yogurt is what gets me.
  • iheartyarn
    iheartyarn Posts: 141 Member
    Do you eat eggs? I love lentils, I make a pot and eat them with roasted/steamed veggies... Or my lentil or split pea soup has like 10 g per cup...
  • daffodilsoup
    daffodilsoup Posts: 1,972 Member
    Seitan is delicious, and has nutrition info comparable to grilled chicken. Otherwise, tempeh, tofu, lentils, and beans (make the dried kind) are all good protein sources.
  • HotKanye
    HotKanye Posts: 103 Member
    ^What daffodil said!
  • _VoV
    _VoV Posts: 1,494 Member
    I average less than 1500 mg sodium as a vegetarian, using some meat analogues most every day, which are fairly high sodium. But, I don't eat large portions of these and I balance things out by not salting my food, using low sodium bouillon cubes, and making my own soups and sauces. The only canned foods I use are no-salt Muir Glen diced tomatoes and Eden no-salt beans.

    Feel free to 'friend' me if you would like to see my food diary for specifics.
  • vjrose
    vjrose Posts: 809 Member
    Hemp hearts are tasty and can be added to most anything, kind of nutty flavor.
  • TeresaC79
    TeresaC79 Posts: 316 Member
    Haven't tried sieten. Had tempeh for dinner. All last week I had almonds every day for lunch. This wee my SO bought mixed nuts instead. :ohwell:

    I was doing chick peas for lunch for like two weeks but then got tired of eating them every day. LOL. I tried to have some kind of bean every day, but it hasn't been working out that way lately. Will try better
  • moonsforeyes
    moonsforeyes Posts: 228
    Kashi Go Lean cereal: 140 calories, 13g of protein, 1g of fat and 30g of carbs (10g is dietary fiber!) and it only has 85mg of sodium per CUP. Get it and have it with almond or soy milk. It is delicious and really satisfying.
  • kleighsamboer
    kleighsamboer Posts: 250
    dark leafy greens have a lot of protein. It is also easily digestible protein unlike meat.
  • AirCircleI
    AirCircleI Posts: 334 Member
    EGGS. Also, how about powdered hemp or similar? Check these out - http://www.linwoodshealthfoods.com/
    You can then add them into things you are eating to increase protein.
  • sparklepops
    sparklepops Posts: 3
    If you're eating a wide variety of healthy foods (including legumes/beans), getting enough protein from a vegetarian diet is not a problem. It's a widely-held myth that vegetarians struggle to get enough protein (I can look up the scientific papers for this if you like, don't have time right now). Even the idea of having to "combine proteins" in a meal is a myth (look up the wikipedia entry for 'protein combining').

    The only time you might need to supplement with high protein foods is if you are bodybuilding, endurance sports etc - hemp is a great source.

    I was surprised to learn this when I heard it, and still struggle to get my head to accept it after all the years of believing the "accepted wisdom" - but this is the latest thinking among experts in the know, based on recent scientific study.
  • sparklepops
    sparklepops Posts: 3
    .
  • sparklepops
    sparklepops Posts: 3
    DopeItUp - You can get sufficient protein from a solely plant-based diet. The idea that it might be otherwise is a myth (thankfully for vegans)!

    p.s. go NIN
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