Protein when vegetarian?!


Question: I don't think i've gotten enough protein since i've stopped eating meat. I know peanut butter and stuff like that has a lot of protein but that also has a lot of sugar and fat. I was also wondering how much protein i should have a day. I am 14, am about 5 4' and weigh i dont 115lbs. So any help would be great :)


Answers: I don't think i've gotten enough protein since i've stopped eating meat. I know peanut butter and stuff like that has a lot of protein but that also has a lot of sugar and fat. I was also wondering how much protein i should have a day. I am 14, am about 5 4' and weigh i dont 115lbs. So any help would be great :)

I am a vegetarian (have been since i was around 13-14) and while I really dont follow a strict diet...I make sure to cook a lot of things with rice and beans in them. I am not a vegan, so I do eat cheese and yogurt. Both of those are good sources of protein.

You can think of the protein sources as being grains (pasta, rice, wheat, oats), nuts/ seeds, and legumes (beans, peas, peanuts and soy). Each of these foods are considered an incomplete protein, which means you arent getting all the amino acids (protein) that your body needs. Make sure to eat a combination of all three protein sources during the day. Doing this can be as simple as eating a bean based soup with a slice of whole wheat bread for one meal and a throw some sesame seeds on a salad for another meal. Humus is also another good source of protein!

Btw...on a completely unrelated note. You threw your weight in there, so I hope you are becoming vegetarian to be more healthy and not to lose weight. Your BMI is pretty much on the low side of normal and if you lose ~5 lbs you will be near 'underweight'. I am pretty sure this isnt the case, but I just had to mention it for your safety's sake. :-)

beans and nuts have protein. also try some soy milk

Well, some cool ways to get it are by using TVP (textured vegetable protein ) Sounds funny, but you can make just about any supper with it like Chili, Spagetti, just use that instead of meat and it tastes really good!
Theirs also tofu, thats very good if you cook it right. Tofu fried rice is the best! lol
And their are Tofurky deli slices to make sandwiches, those don't taste as good though...:/
Soy Milk, Soy yogurt, beans....:)

you can eat soy products...they have a lot of protein...i am on an edamame bean kick right now...it's a great snack...you can even try some soy chicken and veggie burgers and stuff like that...it's all meat free...take a look in the organic section of your grocery store!!

Avoid soy. It's toxic. I really wish people would do their research before consuming that junk and recommending that others do the same. The real info is out there, folks. It's not hard to find. Just because stores sell it, doesn't mean it's healthy or even safe.

It's estimated that most women need about .3 grams of protein per pound of body weight a day, and that will increase if she's an athlete or very physically active to about .5 grams. So you really don't need that much protein if you're 115 pounds. If you eat nut butters, try to find the ones that are made of only the nut and not the ones with lots of fillers. They'll be lower in sugar.

And I don't believe for a second that soy is toxic. The anti-soy stuff is put out by groups who are against vegetarianism. But do look for organic soy products to avoid GMOs. And eat it in moderation.

Eggs, Crimini Mushrooms, Soy/Tofu, Spiach, Musrtard Greens, Broccoli, Asparagus, Potatoes, Beans, Whole Grains, Nuts, Seeds, Cauliflower, Lentils and Split Pea all have protein.

But I think you haven't suffered from protein lost yet. But every other day I have two organic veggie fed eggs with some apples and other fruits for breakfast that way I never have to worry about protein.

Beans are a great source of protein. :)

According to the USDA, males need 56 grams of protein a day. (I'm assuming you're a guy from your icon)





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