vegetarians and soy

W

wendypa

Cathlete
Just wondering if there are any vegetarians here and how you all go about getting your protein requirements in?
I have always relied on soy based products like tofu and gardenburger products. I've been reading so much online lately about soy being linked to various cancers and other disease. To tell the truth that scares me! As an oncology nurse i see so much cancer that I worry all the time.
I hate to give up my tofu!

Any other vegetarians, and what do you eat to get your protein? :9 :eek:
 
Vital wheat gluten and Precision Protein save the day for me. I use the vital wheat gluten, mixed with egg whites and oatmeal to make protein "cookies" that I snack on throughout the day.

Shari
 
I use eggs, protein powders (usually soy, but lately using rice protein), nuts, tempeh, tofu, fake meats, wheat germ, whole grains, brewers yeast, yogurt (soy and dairy). Spirulina in shakes. I eat a mostly vegan diet, but not entirely.
 
Hey ladies,

I have just commited to a vegetarian diet. I have always enjoyed cooking with legumes and grains, so the switch wans not difficult for me. However, my 15 yr. old and my 11 yr. old are both anti-meat and I wonder how I can best meet their nutrition needs. Do any of you have children who are also vegetarian?

By the way, Lisa Dorfman has a great book called The Vegetarian Athlete. Very interesting. Gives all kinds of information and profiles of different kinds of vegetarian diets and the athletes that follow them. ~Deb
 
I think a lot of the soy/cancer links are between isolated soy proteins (like in some burgers, protein powders and prepared foods) and cancer, and not whole soy foods (tofu, tempeh, black soy beans, soy milk), which may actually help reduce the risk of certain cancers.

Other sources of good protein are seitan (or "wheat meat"), quinoa (a grain that is said to be a complete protein) and hemp seed (also a complete protein).

Also, legumes like lentils and black beans are good sources of protein, especially combined with rice or grains (which don't have to be eaten at the same time, but which taste good together!).
 
I use Gary Null's protein powder (it's vegan) when I feel I'm not getting enough. I blend it with soy milk and fruit, a splash of apple juice and some ice.

And like the other posters above, I eat a lot of beans, legumes, nuts, seeds, tempeh, tofu and wheat gluten. I love it all!

Coming back to add: I don't worry about the cancer scare at all. I look at people whose diets are filled with fat, sugar and junk food and will take my chances with tofu and soy products any day! :D
 
I'm a vegan and I too was a little worried about the soy scare. However, I think in moderation (just like other foods) it is fine. I try to limit my soy-based protein to one meal a day. Other things I like are beans, nuts/seeds, and wheat gluten (seitan sp?). The seitan tastes a little like chicken.

I use a vegan protein shake that is rice based (no soy) - Nutribiotics makes it. I find it at a local health food store (Sun Harvest/Wild Oats). I know there's a couple others out there too.
 
2 Eggs for breakfast, lentils for lunch, beans (kidney, pinto in veg lasagna or refried beans in burritos my hubbie makes) or fish for dinner twice a week (salmon cooked with lemon marinade and sprinkled with herbs de provence -- sorry, but I have had to go back to fish, I wasn't thriving on a low protein diet), nuts to snack on (almonds, walnuts, peanuts), I make a mean nutroast, bloody delicious mate, I'll post the recipe if you want it) which makes an excellent dinner with collard greens and roast parsnips, cauliflower cheese, I akso eat cheese as snacks or lunchtime sandwiches, have hummous and pittas sometimes (chickpeas), and I regularly have a balance bar (15g's protein) if I am teaching and there's no time for breakfast.

In like a glass of milk to take to bed with me often too. But if you are vegan, you have to be more canny and way more organized than this.

I hate soy products, never eat them. I've tried soy milks and soy nuts......Yuck. Sorry.

CLare
 
We primarily combine plant proteins (grains/legumes/nuts & seeds) along with some dairy & eggs. We also eat of lot of soy products (tofu, tempah, fresh soy beans), but I've never developed much of a taste for fake meats or cheese. I guess Gardenburgers are the exception, don't like the Morningstar products.

We're semi-vegetarians, eating some fish & poultry.

Debra
 
It's made out of wheat and tastes like . . . well, wheat. The only real drawback is that it's a little (okay, a LOT) chewy--at least what I make is. I don't mind that at all, but some people do. My family thinks I'm a nut.

The cookie recipe I use varies daily, depending on the other food I eat, but something like this would work (Tthis "recipe" is very forgiving. Different combinations of ingredients give you a different texture and different ratios of protein to carbs, if you're interested in that:

1/4 C vital wheat gluten
1/2 C Quaker oats
3-4 eggs (make a "batter")
2 packets artificial sweetner (I like Splenda)

Mix all together with a fork and bake at 350 until "springy."

I like to put them in a bag and shake with a couple of packets of Splenda to coat the outsides. Good (okay, edible). Portable. High protein.

Shari
 
Hi Clare~

Reading your post here I find myself hungry. Wish you lived in my neigborhood!;-) Anyway, just my cute way of asking if you would pretty please post your nutroast recipe. I have two kids who have decided just before Christmas that they want to be vegetarians! My daughter is 15 and loves egg w/beans, veggies and toast for breakfast at least 3X's a week, however she has excluded all meat from her diet. Now, my 11yr. old son wants in on the veg. game....but, he is barely 60 lbs. dipping wet! I find myself hidding eggs in his pancake batter, adding additional fats to his foods and sending extra snacks with him to school. He is my sweet tooth in the house and would probably like your cookies if I added something sweet to them.

What to feed a family that is vegetarian. My DH is such a good sport and is eating mostly meatless w/us. I will roast a chicken or grill fish for him to have on the side. He does however agree that eating meatless and a more plant based diet is better for him, so he is good about the switch. ~Deb
 
Wow, I hear you about the soy scare. My kids love soymilk, especially the vanilla and choc. flavored. Not to mention the boca corn dogs, burgers, and sausages we down over here! Sigh!!! Man, I hope they dont find out anything funky about beans and grains or I will certainly weep and run around like my hair is on fire!

Well, so you have started me thinking ( a dangerous thing :) ) and will begin some research. For now, we will try to limit these products. You know, I think I am starting to understand that perhaps ANYTHING processed, even our beloved soy is not the best way to eat. Those products sure wouldn't be considered whole foods now would they? Shoot, I really liked throwing those things in the microwave for 2mins. and boila! ~Deb
 
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