How can i get protein if i am a vegeraterian?!
How can i get protein if i am a vegeraterian?
I tried tofu and it was kinda gross. but im not sure if i cooked it right. Any help?
Answers:
tofu comes in different amounts of firmness. The firm stuff is good to cook like a piece of meat. Fried, baked sauteed, etc. Also tofu is like a sponge and has very little flavor itself. So you can marinate it or brush sauces on it. It is good grilled or fried like that. Tofu is from soy beans so try other forms of soy to see if you like them. Cooked fresh soy beans are good salted and hot. There are tons of products with soy in them and you can get protein from them. Soy milk also.
You could eat peanut butter or beans, but that's all I know of.
beans nuts or supplements
Beans, legumes, nuts, peanut butter. A tablespoon of peanut butter equals a serving of protein.
You can take iron pills or eat cheese.
Read this: http://www.vegsoc.org/info/protein.html... :-)
eggs, cheese, beans, milk & diet supplements. try tofu in chinese and japanese restaurants, they cook it well (just to give you an idea how yummy it can be)!
your best bet is to take a daily whey protein shake. You can find this at any drug store. Stay away from soy protein tho, the body doesnt metabolize it quite aswell. Remember whey protein:) Then you dont have to worry about eating extra foods...you'll be all set for the day:)
try marinating your tofu in tamari, or making it into a dressing with coconut cream, ginger and mint and use to coat your vegetables.
chickpeas/hummus/besan flour are good protien sources
nuts/nut paste
cheeses
lentils and legumes
beans, tofu (which is made from soy beans) and nuts have protein.
Don't use supplements. Manyfoods contain protein. In the vegetable world, the foods with the highest protein amounts are beans, nuts, and grains. One serving of red beans and rice gives you all the protein you need (if you are an adult). Most Americans eat much more protein than they need. You didn't state you were vegan. If you're still eating dairy and/or eggs, these are excellent sources of protein.
I eat peanut butter everyday.... Usually with fruit.... yum.... I NEVER eat tofu that I have attempted to cook myself - not that confident yet... But a good grocery store should have pre-made mixes and such for you... I use those a bunch and even get my non-vegetarian family to eat it and guess what .... They like it...
You should try some other sources of soy. Like tofu burgers or sausages it hides the tofu taste. Also eat your legumes like kidney beans, garbanzo beans, navy beans, split peas. Eat your grains like brown rice, oatmeal, wild rice, wheat. Eat your veggies like artichokes (yum) broccoli, green peas, tomatoes, spinach, potatoes, cucumbers and fruits like apple banana, cantaloupe, grapes, oranges, pears, strawberries. Ok that's enough to get you started. Honestly with a varied diet with a good amount of calories you shouldn't have to worry about getting enough protein.
Most foods contain at least some protein. Good sources of protein for vegetarians include nuts and seeds, pulses, soya products (tofu, soya milk and textured soya protein such as soya mince), cereals (wheat, oats, and rice), free-range eggs and some dairy products (milk, cheese and yoghurt).
Tofu is gross, no matter how well it is cooked.
Make beans a part of every meal and add nuts to your snacks and salads.
There are lots of ways to get protein:
-cheese
-nuts
-milk
-peanut butter
-beans
-and some products that make stuff for vegetarians such as:
*Vegetarian deli slices
*Boca Burger
*Morning Star products
... these are full of protein =)
Proteins: Body's protein needs can be provided by either animal or plant sources. Mixed protein diet obtained from various plant sources is better than animal protein and is recommended in diabetes, renal diseases and liver diseases. Mixed protein diet from different plant sources has been the pattern of diet in India for all vegetarians.
Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates are mainly found in plant foods; like cereals, grains, fresh and dry fruits, legumes, vegetable, greens, nuts etc. plant carbohydrates include' large amounts of starches, sugar and fibers which are important for gut functions. The body is better suited to a high carbohydrate diet than a low carbohydrate diet. In fact 55% of the food intake should be carbohydrate. All animal products do not contain carbohydrate which is essential for body.
Fat: Plant fats differ from animal fats in two different ways 1) they are cholesterol free 2) they generally contain more polyunsaturated fat and less saturated fats. Plant fats usually have higher polyunsaturated fat value than animal fats.
A diet which is low in cholesterol and which contains fat of a high PIS value is associated with a lower incident of coronary health disease.
Vitamins and Minerals: plant foods are rich in many vitamins and minerals.
Vitamin D: Vitamin D is obtained by exposure of skin to sun light and this is not a problem in India.
Calcium: The vegetarians can meet their needs for calcium from dairy products. Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) Dark green vegetables are good sources of Riboflavin as are legumes and whole grain cereal.
Iron: The problem of iron deficiency is relatively common but vitamin C significantly enhances absorption of iron hence it is advisable for vegetarians to include with each meal a food high in vitamin C which as lime, citrus fruits or juices.
Zinc: Zinc is found in large number of plant foods.
Fiber: Fiber is found only in vegetarian food like whole grain cereals, legumes, greens, fruits, vegetable etc.
Thus in vegetarian foods all requirement of nutrition for body growth and maintenance is fulfilled. One can have a complete and balanced diet provided we take enough food which is as close to nature as possible in maintaining sturdy and disease free body. It is equally helpful in curing many diseases.
ADVANTAGES OF VEGETARIAN DIET:
More & more evidence is surfacing that directly links a prolonged non- vegetarian diet to diseases as cancers, heart diseases, diabetes, asthma just to name a few.
1. LOGEVITY: Vegetarian can expect to live 4-10 years longer then the non-vegetarians.
" Source: Seventh day Adventists study
2. LESS HEART DISEASE: Because of low fat, saturated fat and cholesterol content of the vegetarian diet the risk of heart disease is lowered. High blood cholesterol levels are associated with increased risk of heart disease.
3. LESS CANCER: Up to 40% of all cancers are diet related. Cancer death rates have been associated with obesity and high fat / low fiber diet. Vitamin A & C are thought to be protective against colon cancer. Low fat diets protect against prostrate and breast cancer. Indoles, lignans, isoflavones, protease inhibitors which are present in plant foods and shown to be potent anti carcinogens.
4. LESS BOWEL DISEASE: Diverticular disease and appendicitis occur more frequently with low fiber intake as in meat diet.
5. LEES OBESITY & LESS INCIDENCE OF DIABETES: It is easier to plan a low fat diet for a vegetarian then for a meat eater. The fiber in plant food dilutes the energy & provides a satisfying meal without all the calories. Diabetes over the age of 40 seems to be related to obesity.
CONLUSION:
When activists like M.K. Gandhi, sports personalities like Martina Novratilova & Carl Lewis, beauties like Brooke Shields & Kate Winslet, physists like Edison, Albert Einstein & A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, religious leaders & mystics like Jesus & Osho can be legendaries in there respective fields taking the advantage of being vegetarian, Is'nt it more prudent on our part to switch over to vegetarianism & enjoy better quality & longevity of life.
eat meat
beans, legumes, fruits, veggies, whole grains, nuts, seeds, whole grain rice. basically anything that is in its natural form (or as close to nature as possible) has protein in it.
i agree, i find tofus texture gross and the bland flavor is always there regardless of what i cook it with. soy has high amounts of estrogen which can cause breast cancer so i just stay away from soy as much as possible.