Vegetarian: Getting Protein w/out Carbs?

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
    I'm interested as well!
  • rmhand
    rmhand Posts: 1,067 Member
    Cheese or Greek yogurt?
  • tcunbeliever
    tcunbeliever Posts: 8,219 Member
    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
    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
    bump
  • steadk
    steadk Posts: 334 Member
    cottage cheese and greek yogurt
  • bluefox9er
    bluefox9er Posts: 2,917 Member
    Bump
  • kellybean14
    kellybean14 Posts: 237 Member
    - 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
    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
    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
    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
    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: 12,294 Member
    Whole eggs
    other protein powders (egg, soy, etc)
    Edamame (has some carbs but less then legumes)
    Low fat cheeses
  • carolynbonacci
    carolynbonacci Posts: 14 Member
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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
    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 :)
  • sullymanjohn
    sullymanjohn Posts: 101
    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 :)

    Hahaha you wouldn't BELIEVE how much fish I used to have in my life back when I lived in Japan (for five years). Didn't discover the awesomeness of sashimi untill 2 years in and all that rice had made me crazy fat already lol
  • superstankazz
    superstankazz Posts: 193
    Avocados!!! They have lots of healthy fat, they're full of fiber, they have more potassium than a banana , more protein than cow's milk and barely any net carbs:) There's a million and one ways to eat an avocado. I eat one every day!
  • TKHappy
    TKHappy Posts: 659 Member
    I'm not a huge fan of eggs and I get bored with nuts sooo other than your typical beans and grains (quinoa being my fav) I add in cottage cheese, protein powder and ricotta cheese (LOVE IT). I have a recipe for pancakes that adds cottage cheese and I often have a dessert of ricotta cheese with fresh berries and a dash of cinnamon or I will make a noodle free/veggie lasagna (eggplant slices and zuchini slices replace noodles). :)
  • sullymanjohn
    sullymanjohn Posts: 101
    Bump
  • JennetteMac
    JennetteMac Posts: 763 Member
    Bump.

    THis is my problem too
  • sullymanjohn
    sullymanjohn Posts: 101
    bump
  • Jujubebee
    Jujubebee Posts: 4
    I'm a grain-free vegetarian that dislikes beans, so I've had the same problem. I second the leafy greens suggestion. Greens actually contain alot of protein. Cooked spinach has DOUBLE the protein per calorie as kidney beans, for example (Table 2 on this page: http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/protein.htm)
  • MoreBean13
    MoreBean13 Posts: 8,701 Member
    You can do protein shakes. Whey protein is a dairy product, if you eat dairy. If you are vegan there are vegan protein powders made from spirulina, soy, pea and even hemp protein.

    Greek yogurt is a favorite of mine, and mozzarella string cheese is a great protein packed snack.

    There are tons of meat substitutes, mostly made with soy. If you are hesitant about too much soy, the Brand "Quorn" makes soy-free high protein meat substitutes primarily from egg protein. And they are delicious.

    Eggs are another good option. I have an (irrational - I know) fear that I'm going to crack open a dead baby chicken so I mostly stick with egg beaters.

    If you've never tried it, try Tempeh. Its easy to cook- easier than tofu, and I think much tastier. You can google some tempeh recipies, or use it as a meat substitute in any asian recipe.
  • fatavatar
    fatavatar Posts: 7 Member
    1. Get divorced
    2. Find an excuse to be a less strict vegetarian (fish?/game?)
    3. Take supplements, and eat foods which come from far away and you don't know what to do with.

    My choice would be 2!
  • willyzification
    willyzification Posts: 95 Member
    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.

    ^ almost correct. Its actually 1-1.5g per lb. The value of 60-90g of protein are for those who do absolutely NO EXERCISE (sedentary) and sit around all day. That is the value for most people because, you have to be honest, most people dont exercise and sit around all day.

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