How can I insure I get enough protein each day when on a vegetarian diet?

Answer 1

That's one of the down sides of being vegetarian; you really have to invest a lot of time and effort into food selection. You need about one gram of protein for every two pounds of body weight.

Tofu is a good basic, in that it has no taste on its own, and absorbs the flavors of what it's cooked with. You can add it to soups, stews, egg dishes, sauteed veggies, etc. I also like the pressed tofu, which comes in many flavors and can be snacked on.

Protein drinks (like Odwalla) can provide up to half your daily requirement.

There is protein in a lot of foods, and if you eat a balanced diet you should be able to get enough. Here's a list of foods with high protein:

http://www.happycow.net/vegetarian_protein.html

Answer 2

If you are a vegetarian that uses milk and eggs, you are called a lacto-ovo-vegetarian. Usually, an LOV will get plenty of protein each day because protein is found in almost every food.
8 gms = 1 cup milk
7 gms = 1 egg
7 gms = 1 oz cheese
6 gms = 3 slice of bread
4 gms = 1 cup starch
4 gms = 1 1/2 cup dry cereal
12-15 gms = 1 cup legumes
8 gms = 4 serving vege (1/2 cup each)
This would be 56 gm protein. If you add nuts, peanut butter, other foods, you will have more than enough. The body requires between 50-65 gms protein per day.

If you are a strict vegetarian, then you will need to use some more legumes, and probably include soy and meat analogs.

Good luck. Lenore Hodges, PhD, RD, LD

Answer 3

There is a simple answer to this question: combine legumes and grains. Grains lack the amino acid lysine, and legumes lack tryptophan and/or methionine. Separately, they are incomplete proteins. When you combine legumes and grains - beans and rice, beans and tortillas - you will get all the amino acids and have a high quality protein which is just as good as any meat.

Also, "fake meat" made from soy is high in protein. When you have a soy burger on a bun, you are again combining a legume and a grain. Note that soy meat is often high in sodium (2400 mg is the quantity one should stay at or below in a day), so it is not something that should be consumed in large quantities or extremely frequently.

I sometimes put soy protein powder in a smoothy in the morning to add protein. Also if you eat dairy, cheeses contain some protein. Eggs are high in protein, but also in cholesterol, so 1 a day should be the maximum consumed. Nuts also contain protein, but I am allergic so I tend to avoid them.

Hope this helps!

Answer 4

Honestly, vegetarians need to pay more attention to things like the B-complex vitamins. If you are still including dairy in your diet, chances are you'll meet your daily protein requirement without much effort. If not, foods like tofu, beans, and whole grains will do the trick.

Take a multivitamin every day, too, just to ensure you are getting the basic vitamins and minerals you need.

Answer 5

Eat other high protein foods like beans. I've also heard of protein pills but know nothing more than they might exist. Maybe check multi-vitamins for protein content? Try a web search. Terms as general as nutrition or diet might find what you're looking for.

Answer 6

Contrary to some of these answers it isnt necessary to take protein pills or a shake if you eat a well balanced veggie diet. Make sure you eat lots of wholegrains (rice, pasta, millet, quinoa buckwheat etc) and include grains for at least 2 meals a day. Quinoa is especially good to get hold of as it's very high in protein. Also eat lots of beans, lentils, chickpeas, soya products (although avoiding processed food as often as possible).Include dairy and eggs if you would like to, but it isn't necessary to eat them for protein - I don't. Also eat lots of nuts and seeds - I snack on cashew nut butter on bread to raise my protein intake. Seeds and nuts can also be added to smoothies and breakfast cereals. You can also buy fake meat, vegan cheese, vegan yoghurts, iccream and cream, as long as you don't rely too heavily on them.

There are plenty of vegetarian cookbooks and websites around to help you get creative with your meals, but dont think you need to resort to protein shakes because you don't as long as you're careful. Obviously you can buy a protein shake if you want as back up, but it shouldnt become a staple source of protein for you to rely on.

Answer 7

Your best bet is to drink whey protien shakes. I would recommend at least 2 shakes day between 30 to 40 grams of protien each, if your athletic. If your not then I would would recommend 2 shakes per day of about 20 grams of protien each. A good method to follow is to take your body weight divide it by 2.2 this will give you your weight in kilograms, then take that and multiply by 1.2 this will tell you how many grams of protien you should get each day.

Answer 8

there are protien suplements. but if you don't want those you can eat peanutbutter (YUM!), beans, tofu, soy products, and nuts.
for a snack have a trail mix of nuts. for a meal make somthing with tofu. drink soy milk, or use soy milk in replace of cow's milk.

the source link has some great recipies!

Answer 9

Protein is easy to get and is in everything. It's almost impossible not to get enough.

Answer 10

You should eat plenty of lentils and bean products. Also add tofu and soy to your diet.