Not a Meat Eater..?!
Answers: I don't eat red meat. I like chicken but its not like I eat a whole lot of that too. What can I substitute for these things to get the protein and iron that I need?
Nobody above mentioned leafy green vegetables. These are one of the best sources to obtain iron.
Some amount of protein is found in just about everything you eat, it is the building block of all life. But in America we believe we need more protein than we actually do. Don't worry so much about protein, you will get plenty on a vegetarian diet.
I have not had meat for over twenty years, unless you knew me you wouldn't even consider me to be a vegetarian.
beans
Beans and rice, tofu, nuts, cheese, eggs. Most people don't realize this but molasses is one of the best non-meat sources of iron.
Here's a good list of vegetarian foods that are high in protein and iron: http://www.tryveg.com/cfi/toc/?v=08sourc...
Increase eating beans, grains, seasonal vegetables, and fruits. If you have money you can buy faux meats too. but really beans and grains are the cheapest.
http://www.vegetariantimes.com
Beans and Rice make a complete protein
lentils and rice also make a complete protein
Lentils also have A LOT of iron and Molasseses also has a lot of Iron.
You can also Drink Milk (Best either Organic or Raw Organic milk. for more info on raw organic go to http://www.organicpastures.com)
Do Not I repeat DO NOT eat Meat substitutes made from Soy. You can't digest the protein within soy and do not drink "protein drinks" that have soy Isolate ANYTHING Isolated isn't good. its best to eat everything in its Whole form... you get the most benefit that way. If you want more info on soy do a google search on "The dangers of soy" and read up :-)
Also its good not to eat red meat due to all the processing it goes through and the antibiotics and hormones that are injected into them... Most meat on the market comes from Unhealthy cows/chickens/turkeys they grow them in Huge buildings where they never see the light of day and can't even walk around.. if you must have meat I would recommend Organic meats that say "free range" on it. and if you must have red meat get Grass fed organic.
I personally haven't had meat in awhile and I don't even desire to have it. Its best to have more Fruit and veggies anyway (i would be more worried about if I were getting enough of those then if I were getting enough protein.. Most Americans get way more protein then there body would ever need)
Hope that helps!
From my experience...alot of meat eaters make this big deal of protein. You don't need to worry about losing protein by not eating animals.
When I became a vegan I was obsessed with consuming as much protein as possible because all the workout magazines made such a big deal about it. Turns out I had a near kidney failure because of it. I put my blood under a microscope saw my bloodcells were tear dropped due to excessive protein and I had protein crystals bigger than my cells. I was "only" consuming 50g per day with an intense weightlifting and excercise schedule and it was still too much protein. When I went to see my nutritionist this is what he told me, "If your body needs protein, it will make protien from the other nutrients in your body, such as carbohydrates."
So whether it's beans, cereals, nuts, yeast or any other source, don't worry about losing protein by not eating animals. Have a balanced diet and exercise regularly. Eat ton's of leafy greans and ton's and ton's of fruits, and enought grains and nuts.
Peanut Butter :)