I have decided to be a vegetarian.What are foods, ways to ensure getting enough protein?

Question

I do not really feel one needs to eat meat, and want to avoid it. It is high in calories, and I am overweight, 25 lbs. Part of being a vegeterian is getting away from the idea that meat has to be the center of a meal. This can be unhealtful in especially that pork, larger portions of red meat have large number of calories. We develop habits. I do not see the reason to have meat as the center of the meal.

But one does have to get sufficient protein and vitamins. I am taking vitamins. My father got very anti-meat, and despite being otherwise healthy, got anemia. Also, one has to watch for veggies that have too high calories. For example, last night I fixed macroni and used no fat "butter" spray and no fat milk.

Suggestions on diet would be much appreciated.

Answer 1

Google the Vegetarian food pyramid. Veggies are not high in calories in general and macaroni is not a vegetable.

I eat whole wheat breads, whole wheat pasta, brown rice, beans, dark leafy greens, soya and quorn products etc.

Just avoid white bread and regular pasta and you will lose weight pretty quick.

Answer 2

I was a vegetarian for 5 years and I'm glad you're asking this question and glad to help answer it for you. I had to learn a healthy diet by trial and error. The best form of protein for a meatless diet is soy beans(soy beans are very high in protein). You can find many many foods made with soybeans that even taste the same as meat. You can get tofu, tempeh, "sausage", "burger", cheese, and milk all made from soy containing no meat and no dairy. The best fudge sicle I've ever eaten was non dairy! A great magazine to look for that contains recipes is the Vegetarian Times. I also bought many vegetarian cookbooks in which I learned a great deal about a healthy vegetarian diet. Simply quitting meat will greatly decrease your caloric and fat intake. Use soy bean oil, olive oil, or canola oil for the healthiest cooking aid. Eat whole grains such as bran muffins, wheat bread, and brown rice instead of the 'refined" stuff. Vegetarian foods are often widely available at any local grocery store. They are located in produce, natural/organic foods, and the freezer aisle to name a few. Eat a wide variety of vegetables (this will ensure proper vitamin intake)and it helps to shop at "natural foods" stores. The availability of soy products makes it easy to dish up meals that taste great and are so much like the real thing, no one will even miss the meat! You'll be amazed how much weight you lose when you quit eating meat. I lost 40 pounds! One thing you will most likely need to do is take Vitamin B12 supplement because it's only found in animal products. I took a B complex vitamin. I also drink rice milk, which I think tastes better than soy milk. Soymilk makes a great smoothie when mixed with juice and/or fruit in a blender. It's very versatile.

Answer 3

Beans, nuts, and seeds are going to be your best source of protein. Vegetarian meals can be very fun to prepare, and most of the time you won't even miss the meat! Try homemade soups and chilis, fun exotic salads, and even ready-made dishes. Amy's is a good brand that's vegetarian, organic, and usually pretty low in fat. The internet is also a great source for vegetarian recipes (Google!). Vegetarian or Asian cookbooks are also a good place to look. Oh, and if you're going completely veg, make sure to read your ingredient labels, some manufacturers are really sneaky about putting meat products into foods (like some snackfoods have powdered chicken in them). As long as you're eating healthy, your protein and iron levels should be fine.
Hope this helps!!

Answer 4

Any legume like beans ,peanuts,soy products with brown rice some are not complete proteins so you'll have to check that out but macaroni isn't a veggie.
There aren't any veggies that you would need to worry about if in moderation.
Leafy green veggies have iron in them so eat plenty and don't over cook them.Tomatoes and broccoli may be the best foods on the world. They say tomatoes cooked have more Lycopien than raw so you will really have to look some things up to get the full benefit.

Answer 5

Beans and a mixture of grains are a good way for a vegetarian to get needed protein. If you decide to allow dairy and eggs into your diet, ones that are raised free-range or organic tend to be higher in the good cholesterol, and lower in the bad cholesterol.

Anemia could also be from a lack of iron in your blood. Pastas and leafy, green vegetables are a good source of iron.

However, those with type 'O' blood may be not fair well with a meat-free diet. There are some studies that suggest if you eat as your ancestors did (type 'O' are traditionally meat eaters), you will fair better.

Eggplant tends to be veggie that is very high in fat. Most other veggies, particularly raw or steamed, seem to do well.

Answer 6

It sounds like you aren't really against meat except that it has high fat and/or calories. Why not cut out red meat, eat turkey once a week and seafood once a week? that way you are still getting a little protein from meat. Also, peanut butter is a non-meat item that has protein. Although I suspect peanut butter might be worse for you than most seafood. I've heard seafood and poultry is better for you than beef and other red meats. Make spaghetti with just a little bit of meat, or make meatless chili by using tomato sauce, elbow macaroni, kidney beans, fresh chopped onions, fresh chopped celery and spices. Just some ideas to get you started.

Answer 7

make sure you get enough protein from other foods. Try eating peanuts, whole grain breads, and other foods high in protein. Since you made tihs decision you are going to have to work very hard to make up for the lack of protein. If you do not take in a sufficent amount of protein, this copuld prove to be a hazard to your health. See a doctor!!!! ask his opinion on what to do. You cant really listen to what we say but a doctor or nutritionist is certified to answer this question.

Answer 8

It's not the amount of protein, but the kind. There are a myriad of different amino acids, but the right mix of them is important for your diet.

Your body uses 8 to 10 "essential" amino acids to combine to create the proteins in the body, and they can't synthesize these particular ones from any other raw materials. If you need three of one and one of another to create a particular protein you need, it doesn't matter if you keep eating from sources where you get the first, they're wasted without the second one to work with them.

Make sure you get your proteins from a variety of sources to insure a mix of the essential amino acids. For instance, instead of a lot of tofu, some tofu, some bean, some brown rice, etc.

As far as avoiding anemia - get enough iron. Leafy green foods are high in iron, as are almonds, avocados, beets, blackstrap molasses, dates, kelp, kidney and lima beans, lentils, millet, parsley, peaches, pears, dried prunes, pumpkins, raisins, rice, wheat bran, sesame seeds and soy beans.

Apparently iron is absorbed easier when there's not a lot of calcium mixed in, so the recommendation is to separate intake of high concentration calcium foods by a couple of hours, if possible.

Answer 9

Beans would give you the protein you needed. Pinto, garbanzo, peas, etc. As for all of the no fat stuff you're doing, I mean, if you like it that way, cool. If not, you're setting yourself up to quit your diet. Try low fat things instead. That way you can still have stuff that tastes good! Try 2% milk instead. I actually perfer it to whole milk. As for low fat veggies? I really don't know.

Answer 10

Good protein sources are: beans, lentils, tofu, nuts, seeds, tempeh, chickpeas, peas... Many common foods, such as whole grain bread, greens, potatoes, and corn, quickly add to protein intake.
The Vegetarian Resource Group (VRG)
P.O. Box 1463, Dept. IN
Baltimore, MD 21203
(410) 366-VEGE

www.vrg.org/nutrition