Protein in a vegetarian diet (I'm a newb, help plz)

HUNTERMANIA

HUNTERMANIA

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Any vegetarians in here? I'm gonna be starting soon and I have no idea about anything. Any sources or links would be appreciated. Thanks!


I know I love eating fruit and vegetables, so whatever, I just need to know what the main things I need to get since I won't be eating meat.
 
according to last time i googled about that: you can find protein in:

nuts/peanuts + whole grain bread = complete protein
eggs = complete protein
milk
yogurt
black beans + quinoa = complete protein
chickpeas
i guess cottage cheese = complete protein. it's also low in calories compared to nuts etc
 
I've been vegetarian since 1992. The switch over was a bit difficult because I didn't cook much for myself yet. So I ate a lot of salads full of beans, nuts, and cheese. And bread with cheese. And more cheese. Haha. But you figure it out. Beans, nuts, dairy if you do that, eggs if you do them, tofu/tempeh (try to stay away from the highly processed mock meat stuff like veggie burgers, though). You don't have to worry about the mixing of foods to get complete proteins. That was incorrect information put forth in a popular book (Diet For A Small Planet) that somehow came to be regarded as a truth.
 
If you're going to be vegetarian but not vegan you can still eat eggs, which are loaded with protein. As are dairy foods. If you're going to be vegan, the highest protein foods are tofu, beans, lentils, nuts, and seeds. There are also delicious vegan protein powders on the market. Mix them with soy milk or nut milk in the morning. When you shake it up in the milk it makes a delicious "milkshake". Other high-protein foods to consider are tempeh, edamame, peas, quinoa, and peanut butter. Veggies that are high in protein (compared to other veggies) are spinach, kale, broccoli, brussels sprouts, corn, and especially sprouts. Mushrooms have some, and my wife believes that if you eat 3 different kinds of mushrooms at the same time that creates a synergistic protein explosion, or something like that. Not sure if that's true, but it can't hurt, and mushrooms are delicious. Oats also are an OK source of protein.
 
nastyElbows also avirgin said:
according to last time i googled about that: you can find protein in:

nuts/peanuts + whole grain bread = complete protein
eggs = complete protein
milk
yogurt
black beans + quinoa = complete protein
chickpeas
i guess cottage cheese = complete protein. it's also low in calories compared to nuts etc
Click to expand...

bigkick said:
I've been vegetarian since 1992. The switch over was a bit difficult because I didn't cook much for myself yet. So I ate a lot of salads full of beans, nuts, and cheese. And bread with cheese. And more cheese. Haha. But you figure it out. Beans, nuts, dairy if you do that, eggs if you do them, tofu/tempeh (try to stay away from the highly processed mock meat stuff like veggie burgers, though). You don't have to worry about the mixing of foods to get complete proteins. That was incorrect information put forth in a popular book (Diet For A Small Planet) that somehow came to be regarded as a truth.
Click to expand...

Leonard Haid said:
If you're going to be vegetarian but not vegan you can still eat eggs, which are loaded with protein. As are dairy foods. If you're going to be vegan, the highest protein foods are tofu, beans, lentils, nuts, and seeds. There are also delicious vegan protein powders on the market. Mix them with soy milk or nut milk in the morning. When you shake it up in the milk it makes a delicious "milkshake". Other high-protein foods to consider are tempeh, edamame, peas, quinoa, and peanut butter. Veggies that are high in protein (compared to other veggies) are spinach, kale, broccoli, brussels sprouts, corn, and especially sprouts. Mushrooms have some, and my wife believes that if you eat 3 different kinds of mushrooms at the same time that creates a synergistic protein explosion, or something like that. Not sure if that's true, but it can't hurt, and mushrooms are delicious. Oats also are an OK source of protein.
Click to expand...

Thanks !!!

Right now literally all I have are avocados, apples, bananas, eggs, yogurt, and chia seeds and hemp seeds.

Nothing else to eat, at all, lol. Fortunately I do drink a protein supplement every day. But I threw out all my meat and it was like all my food. I have a lot to learn but I'm ready :)
 
Beans, lentils, quinoa, nuts, tempeh, tofu (though don't overdo it with soy), oats are a decent source, and even bread has a solid amount. The aforementioned veggies as well - there's a surprising amount of foods that are decent to good sources of brotein.

As someone before said, don't worry about getting "complete" brotein.

Also, a big thing that I didn't do at first - make sure you eat enough. You're going to need to eat more and more often as plant foods burn off pretty quick and aren't as calorie dense as meat.
 
deviake said:
Beans, lentils, quinoa, nuts, tempeh, tofu (though don't overdo it with soy), oats are a decent source, and even bread has a solid amount. The aforementioned veggies as well - there's a surprising amount of foods that are decent to good sources of brotein.

As someone before said, don't worry about getting "complete" brotein.

Also, a big thing that I didn't do at first - make sure you eat enough. You're going to need to eat more and more often as plant foods burn off pretty quick and aren't as calorie dense as meat.
Click to expand...

It's funny you mention that because I'm actually eating a lot less now (I think, I haven't been adding up calories, but it feels like less for sure - I'm used to eating big meals at once and now I'm eating big salads which I feel are way less calories). I'm kind of torn bc I could probably lose 10lbs or so and that be a good thing, but I'm still trying to put on muscle (and I've been doing that, I've been trying to gain weight for a while), so I'm like uhh.. lol. I bought a carb/calorie heavy supplement today to use for another month or so to help me out until I have this down. I'm definitely looking forward to my veggie 6-pack tho :)
 
HUNTERMANIA said:
It's funny you mention that because I'm actually eating a lot less now (I think, I haven't been adding up calories, but it feels like less for sure - I'm used to eating big meals at once and now I'm eating big salads which I feel are way less calories). I'm kind of torn bc I could probably lose 10lbs or so and that be a good thing, but I'm still trying to put on muscle (and I've been doing that, I've been trying to gain weight for a while), so I'm like uhh.. lol. I bought a carb/calorie heavy supplement today to use for another month or so to help me out until I have this down. I'm definitely looking forward to my veggie 6-pack tho :)
Click to expand...

Sounds like you're doing things right. I think it's a good idea to keep track of your calories, particularly at the start. I wasn't super well researched and I mainly ate nuts, eggs, beans, and salad at the start but didn't eat enough so I felt weak and fell off. I did more research later and gave it another go, eating much more, then went vegan after 8-9 months-ish.

Good luck! As long as you keep reading up on it you should be fine. I highly recommend taking a B12 supplement. A lot of people are B12 deficient, and it's more prevalent among vegetarians and vegans.
 
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HUNTERMANIA said:
Any vegetarians in here? I'm gonna be starting soon and I have no idea about anything. Any sources or links would be appreciated. Thanks!


I know I love eating fruit and vegetables, so whatever, I just need to know what the main things I need to get since I won't be eating meat.
Click to expand...

Right now, North American experts recommend 0.8 grams per 1 kilogram of body weight (1 kilogram equals approximately 2.2 pounds). For the average adult, this would translate to about 50 to 60 grams a day, or 10% of our daily caloric intake.
All plant foods contain protein in them. Some plant foods contain just a trace amount while others have an abundance. Protein is comprised of amino acids, eight of which are not created by the human body. These eight “essential” amino acids, therefore, must come from our food, and they can easily be obtained from a wholesome, varied vegetarian diet. Examples include dhal with rice and veggies, nut butter on whole grain bread, muesli or cereal with milk or yogurt, cheese with healthy crackers, and black beans with tortilla and salad. Tempeh, tofu, sprouts, amaranth, quinoa, broccoli, collard greens, and shiitake and oyster mushrooms are also excellent sources, with a range of 10% to 50% protein—well over the 10% recommended by the FDA.
 
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