Vegetarian: Getting Protein w/out Carbs?

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sullymanjohn
sullymanjohn Posts: 101
in Food and Nutrition
Being a vegetarian most of my protein comes from beans and grains and such. I can't eat nuts (if I do and kiss my wife at all she'll die a horrible death) and can only take so much whey and egg whites. Any suggestions on how to get my protein up from 135 a day to around 235 without massive amounts of bean/grain carbs involved?
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Replies

  • bholmes21
    bholmes21 Posts: 59 Member
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    I'm interested as well!
  • rmhand
    rmhand Posts: 1,067 Member
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    Cheese or Greek yogurt?
  • tcunbeliever
    tcunbeliever Posts: 8,219 Member
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    Mushrooms are an excellent source of protein. Though, I can't understand why anyone would want to jack up their protein to the levels you are trying to hit. A normal body doesn't need that much, not even when building muscle.
  • jts10
    jts10 Posts: 37
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    Eat two large salads every day. Not only do green vegetables have the highest amount of protein per calorie of any food, but they are also the healthiest thing our body can consume :). Kale/Spinach/Arugula/Collards/Watercress, etc. Also, tofu has a lot of great protein.
  • jackiesaurus
    jackiesaurus Posts: 42 Member
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    bump
  • steadk
    steadk Posts: 334 Member
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    cottage cheese and greek yogurt
  • bluefox9er
    bluefox9er Posts: 2,917 Member
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    Bump
  • kellybean14
    kellybean14 Posts: 237 Member
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    - Beans and rice together is a complete protein. There are some carbs for sure, but not enough to worry about.

    - Fish is great if you're a pescatarian.

    - If you're into fake meat products, boca burgers and other meatless "meat" products can be super low-cal and very high in protein.

    - Yogurt and bagels definitely have carbs, but are packed with protein too.

    - Cheese is also a great source of protein, but you (obviously) don't want to eat much of it.

    (Why are you worried about carb intake? They're great for you as long as it's not super-processed.)
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
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    Solution a) Convince yourself that a fish insulted your mother so you feel more inclined to eat them
    Solution b) Live off of protein powder and eggs

    If you're a vegetarian who can't eat nuts, protein is going to be a problem for you no matter how you slice it. You can't get too picky about carbs when you've eliminated almost two entire food groups. I really think you are going to have to supplement with protein powder if you're not getting enough.
  • jts10
    jts10 Posts: 37
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    Mushrooms are an excellent source of protein. Though, I can't understand why anyone would want to jack up their protein to the levels you are trying to hit. A normal body doesn't need that much, not even when building muscle.

    And yes, I agree with this. On average you only need 60 grams of protein a day. If you're building muscle I wouldn't go higher than 90. Just watch out. High levels of protein intake can cause significant damage to your kidneys in the long run. Good luck! :)
  • carolynbonacci
    carolynbonacci Posts: 14 Member
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    Help, me too! So many high protein foods have a ton of carbs and I can't find the right balance!
  • kmb1282
    kmb1282 Posts: 20 Member
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    I make a lot of tofu marinated in every way possible (Google marinades), I also eat the Shiratake noodles available at Whole Foods, and every once in a while will eat Morningstar's chipotle burger (Costco). Of course if you are a vegetarian that eats fish, that is a great way to get protein but it depends on what you do and don't eat. I'm not sure about carb intake but on the weekends I will make egg white omelets with avocado and morningstar sausage patties with a little bit of salsa on top. Other than that beans and ground flax seed and protein powder are great ways to boost your protein intake, but carbs will also be consumed although a low amount. Protein shakes are great ways to boost protein for breakfast and snacks. I hope this helps, I'm not a vegetarian but my better half is and I do the cooking!! :-D
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    Whole eggs
    other protein powders (egg, soy, etc)
    Edamame (has some carbs but less then legumes)
    Low fat cheeses
  • carolynbonacci
    carolynbonacci Posts: 14 Member
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    Also, I do eat a good amount of soy. However, as a woman I worry about it as my main protein source.
  • UrbanRunner81
    UrbanRunner81 Posts: 1,207 Member
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    The carbs from beans are good carbs, lots of fiber. I wouldn't worry about it. I eat lots of beans. Sometimes tofu. I do use protein powder, too.
  • ironanimal
    ironanimal Posts: 5,922 Member
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    Mushrooms are an excellent source of protein. Though, I can't understand why anyone would want to jack up their protein to the levels you are trying to hit. A normal body doesn't need that much, not even when building muscle.

    And yes, I agree with this. On average you only need 60 grams of protein a day. If you're building muscle I wouldn't go higher than 90. Just watch out. High levels of protein intake can cause significant damage to your kidneys in the long run. Good luck! :)

    Actually, 1g per lb of lean body weight is recommended if you're trying to build muscle.
  • snowsflake
    snowsflake Posts: 214 Member
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    Quinoa is a great way to get protein and it is a complete amino acid. You can always mix that with veggies.

    When I was eating dairy I would mix greek yogurt and cottage cheese with berries and granola for a complete meal as well.

    I do a lot of beans and grains and some eggs.
  • chicpeach
    chicpeach Posts: 302 Member
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    You may want to designate fish as honorary vegetables otherwise the volume of food you'll need to consume to get that much protein will have you eating all day.
  • sullymanjohn
    sullymanjohn Posts: 101
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    Thanks for all the advice guys. I try to eat greek yogurt almost every morning with whey and a multi-grain granola (that alone is almost 60g) and try to take more in from other substances throughout the day.
    The fish...I'm considering putting sashimi back in my diet for two reasons 1) health benefits 2) It's freaking delicious.

    And the reason I'm shooting for such high levels is because I know I'll never reach them, but if I can try to hit that high and finish my day at roughly 180g, then I'll fell super full all day (which is kind of what I need right now) and it'll help me maintain my muscle better.
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
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    The fish...I'm considering putting sashimi back in my diet for two reasons 1) health benefits 2) It's freaking delicious.

    I give you my heartiest blessing :)

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