Am I getting enough protein?!
Am I getting enough protein?
Am I getting enough protein~?
I am thinking of turning vegetarian, and the websites say to combine certain foods to get adequate protein. My bodybuild requires 70 grams of protein, milk contains 3.3 grams of protein per 100 mililitres ( 3.4 fl.oz ), would I be getting enough protein by drinking 2.1 litres of milk per day (71.4 fluid ounces), I am only using this as an example, I wouldn't really live off milk, yoghurts are also high in protein, as are some cereals, rice, tofu, beans, and eggs. I am just curious if you can simply add up the protein values on the box and see how much protein that I am taking in, or do I have to eat certain foods in order for the protein to take effect.
Thanks in advance to everyone who takes their time to answer this ~~~
Answers:
Are you 212 lbs? In my nutrition class and other things that I've read, you only need .33 grams protein per pound. However if you're working out a lot and you want to gain more muscle mass, then you need .45 grams of protein per pound. But normally, only .33 grams/lb. A lot of people think that they need MUCH more than that, but you really don't. In fact, Americans get TOO much protein. Protein has a lot of calories - more than carbohydrates - and it too can turn into fat and excess body weight. Also, eating too much protein (over 30 grams) per meal can cause gastro-intestinal pains in the tummy and gas.
I'm vegan and I get too much protein. I generally get 80 grams of protein a day or more, and I only need about 50 grams.
Don't drink milk! Drink soy milk. I've stopped drinking milk since it actually decreases your calcium absorption and other stuff and if you're thinking of going veg for animal rights reasons, you should also stop drinking milk since milk consumption just contributes to the beef and veal industry. Soy milk has as much protein (sometimes more) as cow milk, and it has just as much calcium (but is better absorbed by the body) and it also has a bunch of other vitamins (B12, D, etc.) and iron. Soy yogurt tastes good too.
Where do I get my protein? All over the place. It's not JUST soy products and beans. Regular veggies have protein too. Corn for example has 3 grams of protein per serving (a serving of corn isn't that much.. like a tiny little scoop) and there's tons of protein in pastas, whole wheat (and glutenous) breads, and there's some in rice. Check whole wheat pasta! I was so surprised to see HOW MUCH protein there is in one serving of pasta! The kinds that I have looked at, there have been about 7 grams per serving.. and well.. I sorta eat a lot, so I usually have like 2-3 servings of pasta! (one serving of pasta isn't that much either)
So... if you just have regular ol pasta with maranara sauce, and you eat a pretty good amount, that's like 15 grams of protein right there.
Then if you decide to add some soy meat (I use tofurky italian sausage) then that's like 17 grams more of protein.
Tons!!!
I wouldn't worry about the protein.
In fact most vegetarians (like 99%) get more than enough protein. I don't know any vegetarian or vegan who has a problem with getting enough of it. There's protein in just about any kinda food.
Oh also.. eggs has tons of cholesterol so I would stay away from them.. If you want, you can have egg beaters (taste like regular eggs, but it's mostly the egg white.. no cholesterol, but still all the flavor and protein)
Certain grains are complete proteins like quinoa. Quinoa is high in protein and iron, and can be eaten like rice. So if you want a high protein meal, you can have some quinoa, some beans (or soy product) and some high protein veggies like asparagus (5.3 grams per serving) or broccoli (4.5 grams and also one of the healthiest vegetables out there)
You do not have to eat certain foods in order for the protein to take effect. Protein is protein. However there are foods that are "incomplete proteins" and "complete proteins". Incomplete proteins will still give you all of the protein that it says that it has, but just not all of the amino acids. Some foods should be combined like red beans and rice if they are 'incomplete proteins.' However soy is a complete protein, which is why it is so popular among vegetarians. Also I had mentioned quinoa is a complete protein.
I hope this was helpful and not too confusing :)