Non Meat Protein sources, help please!

W

wendypa

Cathlete
In an effort to clean up my diet and build some muscle, I'm trying to increase my protein intake. The problem is, I dislike meat intensely.
I don't eat chicken, turkey or any beef.
I do eat fish, but not in large amounts. Once can only eat so much cottage cheese a day.
Does anyone have any other good suggestions for increasing protein intake?
I would sure appreciate it.
Thanks in advance ;-)
Wendy
 
Wendy,
You could try tofu and beans, which I don't see you mentioned in your post. Both are high in protein and very yummmy. Tofu works well in stir-frys and beans work well in fajitas and other mexican/spanish food.
Good luck.
Linda
 
How about eggs, or cheese? or peanut butter? They are good sources of protein.

Hope that helps.
 
I have problems with getting enough protein also and I usually reach for peanuts and/or soy nuts, but those have a lot of calories and I eat way too many of them.

Other suggestions:

Eggs or just egg whites

Vegetarian products such as Morningstar Farms, Boca or Gardenburger - they have a lot of tasty foods.

String cheese

Edamames - my kids love these


I'll be interested to see what other suggestions you get!

Erica
 
Almonds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, soy nuts are all great sources of protein; about 6 grams per serving. Get the unsalted kind. Also, dark leafy vegis have 1 gram of protein per cup. Not a lot but every little bit helps.

Someone said soy nuts will give you gas. I have not had that issue.

Good luck.
 
Everything else has been mentioned except tempeh: excellent marinated and grilled, or steamed and made into "chicken salad".

Also, brewer's yeast, protein powders, spirulina and the grain quinoa is high in protein.
 
Tempeh

Where do you buy tempeh? I see tofu at the grocery store, but no tempeh. Sounds good.
thanks for all the great ideas everyone!:)
 
Brewers yeast

What do you do with brewers yeast? Do you sprinkle it on anything or just take a spoonful down?
Lauren
 
RE: Brewers yeast

>What do you do with brewers yeast? Do you sprinkle it on
>anything or just take a spoonful down?
>Lauren


Brewers yeast (actually, what you want is "nutritional yeast", which is bright yellow and has a cheesy flavor, not "brewers yeast" which is tan and can be bitter) can be mixed in o.j., sprinkled in soups, used in recipes to make "cheesy" sauces. It also is good sprinkled on popcorn (I just had some today). There are probably some recipes available on-line at vegsource. com
 
RE: Brewers yeast

Yes, nutritional yeast is what you want. I mix it into protein shakes or sprinkle it on popcorn. Otherwise I think it's pretty yucky. I found Lewis Labs is the tastiest brand.

I get tempeh at Whole Foods or other health-food oriented supermarkets. It is an Indonesian cultured soy thing so it might be at Asian markets also, I have not looked.
 
FYI: Certain things--for example, beans and rice--have to be combined to get "complete" protein. If this is new to you, vegetarian cookbooks and health foods store employees can tell you more.
 
I don't know if you are interested in soy protein bars or not...but if you are, I eat a Revival bar every morning as breakfast, or as one of my snacks. I started them due to some "hot flash" issues, but have also noticed that my hair and fingernails are growing like crazy. Yay for extra protein!

I agree that edamame are delicious, too. HTH!
 
Another great protein powder is Genisoy. The plain one is free of sugar and fat. It also has 5 grams of fiber per scoop and each scoop gives you a whopping 25grams of protein for 100 cals. You can use it in baking, mix it up in savoury items as well, make a protein shake, stir it into your oatmeal. Its very convenient.
 
I am also trying to add more protein into my diet. Someone said Boca Burgers.....I love these. They have a cheese burger flavor. Very good. I put mine in a pan sprayed with Pam. It takes about 10 minutes to cook. I melt fat-free cheese on it and put a big slab of onion and pickles on it. It is very yummy. My kids also like them...so they can't be that bad. I recently tried the boca crumbler meat. It comes in a 12oz. box with 3 individually wrapped bags inside. I used it for taco meat. I have to add some extra water to it since there is no fat grease, but it was delicious. You couldn't even tell it was "fake" meat. I'm gonna try it in some other dishes as well. I've used tofu in lasagna before in place of ricotta cheese. Again, very yummy and you can't even tell. If you make smoothies or protein drinks, put some tofu in it. I've read alot of recipes that add tofu in the smoothies...but I admit...I have not been brave enough to try it. Good luck. Eating healthy is really a challenge at times.

Kim
 
Wendy:

I keep a pot of lentil soup or stew, thick with lentils and mixed veggies, in my fridge at all times, so if I have not had time to make anything else, at least, as a vegetarian, I can rely on this for some protein once a day.

I eat cheese like it's going out of fashion and salmon and sardines are my fave fish because you can keep them in the cupboard in tins and it's good to have as an emergency stock.

Have you ever tried sardines on toast with a salad and fresh tomatoes on the side? One of my fave quick lunches. Eat the bones too all mashed up, extra calcium. (Although this may be a British thing?....)

Keep yoghurt in your fridge too, eat one a day. All this plus good bread and a wide mix of veggies and some pulses several times per week, and several eggs per week, and you should be getting enough protein.

Clare
 
Actually, this was debunked several years ago. As long as you eat the beans and rice, or whatever, in the same day it's enough, they don't have to be in the same meal. I heard this on The Peoples Pharmacy some time ago.
 
I like sardines on a baked potato with a tiny bit of raw onion as a topping. They also make a great sandwich on crusty bread with lettuce and mustard.
 
The key to healthy vegetarian eating is to learn to combine plant proteins from different groups to "complete" the protein. Mogambo is correct, you don't have to complete the protein at one meal. The bean soup/chili you eat at lunch will combine with the oatmeal you ate at breakfast & the stir fry over brown rice you eat at dinner.

The 3 categories:
grains
legumes (includes soy products, peanuts)
nuts & seeds

If you eat dairy & eggs, they're complete proteins & will help you complete a plant protein. I believe soy is a unique plant protein that contains all of the essential amino acids (maybe someone else knows if this is accurate).

I'm not much for convenience or processed foods even if they're vegetarian so I don't use the fake meat products. Tempeh is an easy way to get a "meaty" texture. Bulgur (wheat) in chili tastes rather meaty too for another example.

The combining of plant proteins might seem complex, but it becomes second nature. It's very easy to meet your protein needs if you consume dairy & eggs along with the plant proteins. It does require more attention if one is vegan.

Debra
 
A lot of the protein combining combos are rather intuitive: beans and rice is a good basic one.


I believe soy is a unique plant
>protein that contains all of the essential amino acids (maybe
>someone else knows if this is accurate).
>
>>Debra


You're right, Debra. Soy is a complete protein. It was previously thought not to be, because protein adequacy studies were conducted on rats, and rats need more of a certain amino acid than humans do, which is lower in soy.
 
From my nutrition text, it says to combine foods from 2 or more of the categories below for complete protein:

Grains:
Barley, bulgur, cornmeal, oats, pasta, rice, whole-grain breads

Seeds + Nuts:
Cashews, nut butters, other nuts, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts

Legumes:
Dried beans, lentils, peas, peanuts, soy products

Veggies:
Broccoli, Leafy greens, other veggies

This is called mutual supplementation- 2 protein-rich foods are combined to yield complementary proteins. You don't need to eat them together, just in the same day. This is news to me, but I thought it was interesting that you could get enough protein from these foods. But I'm sure my *detailed* and current text is correct.
 
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