I want to stop eating meat: which filling, protein ladden foods can I eat instead to maintain a balanced diet?

Question

I've read that wheat germ has more protein than most meats, so if I substitute a healthy amount of it into my diet without eating any other type of protein, will that be healthy and sufficient enough? Which other grains, foods, etc can I replace meat with? I want to eat vegetarian, but I'm not sure how to slowly wean myself off of meat products while substituting other protein foods - any advice? Also, during this time, how can I avoid turning to carbs after excluding meat from my diet? Meat has been my main source of food for years, so I'm sure it will take a while to get used to not having it. I know a few vegitarians whose main diet consists of carbs - I would not want to become dependant on carbs to feel full after eliminating meat from my diet, because I'm trying to slim down, so what else can I eat instead that's filling but healthy? The thing is, vegetables don't really fill me up. Thanks for the advice in advance, guys.

Answer 1

Wheat germ should only be a part of your diet, not the only source of protein in it!!!You better do your homework!! going vegetarian is a wonderful thing, but you have to really read up on it...but just off the top of my head, beans are always a good source of protein and very filling, and there are so many varieties to choose from!! I add chick peas to all my salads (also known as Garbanzo beans) and to any soups I eat...usally about 1/4 or 1/2 a can, depending on how hungry I am..I'm not a vegetarian, but probably could be; I only eat meat 1 or 2 times a week, at the most...otherwise it's fresh/frozen fruit,veggies, low fat cottage cheese, etc....as for carbs, remember there are 'good' & 'bad' carbs; you want the good ones, which means they must come from plant sources..no refined carbs!! since you were a meat eater, it's probably best you 'ease into' this new eating plan as your body will take a while to get used to it..I suggest starting with one meal per week, of only raw foods take your favorite fruit and have it for breakfast; fresh/frozen only not canned...eat until you are satisfied...then next week, the same, after about 4 weeks of the 1 meal a week, try having 2 meals like that for about a month..you must ease into this slowly!!!! your body will 'rebel' if you don't!! this non-meat meal can be any one you wish, but most people like to start with breakfast to get into the habit...you could make it lunch with a huge salad of at least three types of vegetables, etc...but again, you HAVE TO READ UP ON THIS... check websites on vegetarianism, etc....I congratulate you on your decision and wish you every success!!

Answer 2

Beans are a fantastic source of protein, as are nuts and tofu. Get reduced-fat peanut butter if you're trying to slim down. The Moosewood Cookbook is a fantastic veggie resource. You can also try faux meat products - I love the Morningstar Farms stuff.

You're not going to starve to death as a veggie - far from it. I've been vegetarian for years and I love food and always eat well. Don't think about replacing meat - just think of this transition as a broadening of your gastronomic horizons!

Try spelt instead of pasta - few carbs than the traditional stuff.

Don't forget cheese - paneer is particularly good, and very easy to make.

Finally, most people eat waaaaay to much protein. You won't miss it as much as you think.

Even though you say veggies don't fill you up, you might consider having salads with your meals - even though the salad itself won't necessarily fill you up, it will keep you from overdoing it on the carbs. Also, if you mix your veggies with bulgher or pasta (you can go light on the pasta), you can have a great lunch that's very health conscious.

Good luck to you!

Answer 3

You do not even need to think about loosing protein by becoming vegetarian.

Most veggies have more protien than meat, its proven facts, just do a quick search over the past 2 days on this subject on this site. We've had a rash of these protien questions

Its a shame peole put some much thought into something when its just a myth.

Answer 4

The WHO (World Health Organization) says humans need about 5% of their daily calories to come from protein to be healthy. The USDA puts this figure at 6.5%. On average, fruits have about 5% of their calories from protein. Vegetables have from 20-50% of their calories from protein. Sprouted seeds, beans, and grains contain from 10-25% of their calories from protein. So if you are eating any variety of living plant foods, you are getting more than adequate protein. Numerous scientific studies have shown the daily need for protein to be about 25-35 grams per day. So if you ate 2,000 calories per day, and ate raw plant foods that had an average of 10% of their calories from protein, you would get 200 calories worth of protein, or 50 grams. This is more than adequate to support optimal well-being. Other studies have shown that heat treating a protein (such as with cooking) makes about half of it unusable to the human body. So raw plant food protein is even a better source than cooked plant foods or animal foods. There is still a huge, foolish, misguided idea that plant protein is not "complete". This is based on studies done on rats in the 1940's. This false conclusion was drawn before we discovered the bodies protein recycling mechanism and its ability to "complete" any amino acid mix from our bodies amino acid pool, no matter what the amino acid composition of a meal consumed. This false idea is still perpetuated by the meat and dairy industries, in an attempt to influence people to continue consuming their truly health destroying products.

Answer 5

You should definitely look into Wheat Gluten, Tofu, Seitan....Try these products from your local grocery store as they're full of protein and taste great and vegetarian:

From Morningstar Farms (freezer section):
Breakfast patties
Breakfast links
Any of the veggie burgers...I like the spicy black bean
Meatless Buffalo wings
Corn dogs or mini corn dogs

From Gardenburger:
Riblets...like the mcRib <---quite possibly the tastiest veggie item ever created.

Answer 6

Change all your recipes with meat and put beans in them instead. Kidney beans, garbonzo beans, you name it. I dont' usually have wheat germ, i go for whole wheat barley, whole wheat couscous(with flax seed), or bulgar(like in tabouli). Make sure you drink lots of milk, have yogurt, cottage cheese, and lots of dairy products. I like to drink enriched soy milk too, to get some more minerals and protein. (If you can't stand the taste of soy milk, try Very Vanilla Silk, you won't realize you aren't drinking a milkshake!) Also, don't be afraid to throw in tofu, but never make tofu loaf, its disgusting. They have tofu kabobs and so much more.

Look for vegetarian cookbooks. They have great delicious meals that will get you the nutrients you need. Make sure you eat your fruits and veggies though.

Good luck!

Answer 7

My suggestion is that you go to the local bookstore and read up on the huge amounts of information in the veggie section. A good start would be "Eat to Live" by Joel Fuhrman, M.D. and "The China Study" by T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D. as well as anything by Neal Barnard M.D.

Amino acids, aka protein, are deemed the "building blocks of life." Everything has some protein in it. The United State's obsession of protein is based on an outdated experiment done on rats in the early 1900s. If you look at nutrient dense foods - which foods are going to give you the most nutrients per calorie (this is how people lose weight and stay thin, too) -meaning more nutrient bang for the caloric buck - fruits and veggies outdo anything. Consider this: 100 calories of cow has around 5 grams of protein while 100 calories of broccoli has around 11.

Vegans - the most strict form of vegetarian - actually get twice the amount of protein the body truly needs. The makeup of plants - fat content and everything - is perfectly in sync with what our bodies need.

The average American diet contains meat and dairy products. As a result, it is often too high in protein. This can lead to a number of serious health problems:

Kidney Disease: When people eat too much protein, they take in more nitrogen than they need. This places a strain on the kidneys, which must expel the extra nitrogen through urine. People with kidney disease are encouraged to eat low-protein diets. Such a diet reduces the excess levels of nitrogen and can also help prevent kidney disease.
Cancer: Although fat is the dietary substance most often singled out for increasing cancer risk, protein also plays a role. Populations who eat meat regularly are at increased risk for colon cancer, and researchers believe that the fat, protein, natural carcinogens, and absence of fiber in meat all play roles. The 1997 report of the World Cancer Research Fund and American Institute for Cancer Research, Food, Nutrition, and the Prevention of Cancer, noted that meaty, high-protein diets were linked with some types of cancer.
Osteoporosis and Kidney Stones: Diets that are rich in animal protein cause people to excrete more calcium than normal through their kidneys and increase the risk of osteoporosis. Countries with lower-protein diets have lower rates of osteoporosis and hip fractures.
Increased calcium excretion increases risk for kidney stones. Researchers in England found that when people added about 5 ounces of fish (about 34 grams of protein) to a normal diet, the risk of forming urinary tract stones increased by as much as 250 percent.

For a long time it was thought that athletes needed much more protein than other people. The truth is that athletes, even those who strength-train, need only slightly more protein, which is easily obtained in the larger servings athletes require for their higher caloric intake. Vegetarian diets are great for athletes.

To consume a diet that contains enough, but not too much, protein, simply replace animal products with grains, vegetables, legumes (peas, beans, and lentils), and fruits. As long as one is eating a variety of plant foods in sufficient quantity to maintain one’s weight, the body gets plenty of protein.

Answer 8

here is some websites that explains how a vegan can get adequate protein....
Protein In The Vegan Diet
http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/protein.htm

Protein Charts for Vegan Diet (scroll down to see all the charts)
http://www.vegparadise.com/protein.html#Charts

How do Vegans get their Protein?
http://www.vegparadise.com/protein.html

Plant Protein VS Animal Protein Chart - (scroll down until you see the chart)
http://www.soystache.com/plant.htm#Source

hope these help you out

Answer 9

Protein is the least of your concerns, if you're eatting rice and vegtables you're getting enough. Protein is simply an non issue really.

Potatos will fill you up.

Answer 10

Protein laden? Why? You don't need as much as you think at all. Most every food has protein....even veggies. Eat whole grains, legumes and nuts and your protein needs will be met.