Would like to be a vegetarian, need about 70g of protein since I do triathlons, need help transitioning over..

Question

Admittedly I DO like some cheeses, and keeping the eggs are debatable at this time.
I just need to make sure I get the recommended amount of protein to ensure my body doesn't suffer, or lack with the workouts.

And good places for simple, sometimes quick recipes.
I'm also a single parent, and my schedule can sometimes be too long.

Answer 1

Protein is in everything that isn't junk food. If you don't already, I recommend that you start reading the nutrition facts on everything and look up anything without labeled packaging.
http://www.nutritiondata.com/
You may learn that protein can add up with nearly everything that you eat, even if some things contribute only a small amount. 70 grams does not sound high at all and could easily be reached on a veg diet.
http://www.veganhealth.org/articles/protein
If you still consume dairy, it will contribute a significant amount to your diet, but is not all necessary to meet your goals with ease.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you want to become a lacto-ovo vegetarian, the transition should be quite simple. Almost all meats have widely available commercial replacements. All that you have to do is replace any flesh in your diet (beef, pork, poultry, seafood) with meat analogs or just leave it out altogether.

You should keep in mind that a journey such as this can be quite short but should just be the beginning of a longer one to a plant-based diet with no animal products. This is because of the reality of factory farming in which animals that are kept alive to produce milk, eggs, etc suffer much more and longer than animals that are raised to a certain weight and then slaughtered.http://www.veganoutreach.org/whyvegan/
http://meat.org
Some people use the word "vegan" in reference to this idea, but be aware that applying that label to yourself should always come with the inclusion of wise activism and advocacy.http://www.veganoutreach.org/advocacy/index.html
Two extremely important examples of this are that you should never speak to someone about vegetarianism/veganism without their consent and genuine interest or as a comment on what they are eating AND your dietary beliefs should never be used as an introduction or explanation of who you are as a person. Veg*ism should be something that comes up AFTER people get to know you and they offer you a situation that makes it confusing to withhold the information/discussion. Also, if you are presented something that you choose not to eat or you are
ordering food/eating together somewhere/picking the best place to eat.

A responsible vegan ALWAYS studies the subject of their own health and how to keep their body completely provided for in every sense. http://www.veganhealth.org/sh
To neglect their body is to define a plant-based diet as unhealthy and is the opposite of helping the animals.

When you you hold off on the subject until it's necessary and then act like it isn't a big deal at all, people are usually surprised and WAY more interested and curious than if you were to bring it up when someone's eating or just using it as a conversation starter.

Just to clear things up, the vegetarian/vegan diet is not composed of salads, vegetables, fruit and fake meat.
A balanced plant-based diet includes grains(breads, pasta, rice,cereal), legumes(soy, beans, peas, lentils), fruit and vegetables.
http://www.pcrm.org/health/veginfo/vsk/food_groups.html
http://www.peta.org/accidentallyVegan/
http://www.veganoutreach.org/whyvegan/eating.html
Being vegan can be an art, one whose challenge is to take things that involve the suffering of the innocent and change them into something free of cruelty.

A vegan woman can create an ENTIRELY NEW,HEALTHY HUMAN BEING INSIDE OF HER. Many of these children stay vegan and grow up to be perfectly healthy adults. So just keep yourself educated about what you eat and don't let anyone tell you that a veg diet is lacking anything essential.

Technically the term "vegetarian" does imply that you don't consume anything that comes from the body of an animal that requires killing it. Many ingredients such as gelatin and glycerin are found in many candies, Fig-Newtons, and many of other foods as well as rennet found in many cheeses.
http://www.happycow.net/health-animal-ingredients.html
The best thing to remember is to take your time so that for example: when you are comfortable not eating beef and pork you can then give up chicken when you are sure you can make the commitment permanently.
Depending on your age or reliance on parents or regional options, it may not be best to give yourself a label. The important thing is to do your best to make progress and be committed to your compassion towards animals. Never put your focus onto what you or other people use to describe yourself.

If you meet someone that talks down to people for eating meat, dairy, etc or to you because they think they are "more veg" than you, laugh in their face and tell them they are a disgrace to the entire philosophy. People like this only hurt the idea of veg*ism AND the animals. The point of all of this is to live compassionately and and as free from cruelty as you can, all the while maintaining your health and a positive attitude. People who don't maintain either, need not open their mouths and represent our beliefs.

If you actually choose to read all of this, I hope it helps. If not, feel free to e-mail me if you have questions.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

I'm vegan and these are some of my favorite things to eat:

Breakfast: bananas, cream of wheat with brown sugar and soy butter, cereal, pancakes or french toast with real maple syrup, vegan "sausage" patties, smoothies.

Lunch: VEGAN "SAUSAGE" SANDWICHES, sandwiches with vegan deli slices(Tofurkey is the only one that's kinda funky), fruit, dinner leftovers, couscous salad, vegan sushi, potato or pasta salad.

Dinner: sloppy joes, "sausage" and gravy with homemade biscuits, Spaghetti and Trader Joe's "meatballs" or TVP, lasagna, Thai pad see ew, pad khi mao(drunkard's noodles), pad prig king, tofu+eggplant with basil sauce, yellow thai curry with tofu or vegan chikn and veggies and jasmine rice, Indian dal with homemade roti or dosai, channa masala, aloo gobi, vegetable or minestrone soup, pizza, STEAMED "PORK" BUNS with potstickers or spring rolls, sweet&sour/orange/lemon chikn, vegan pho or wonton soup

I use these sites to find recipes:
http://www.foodnetwork.com
http://vegweb.com
http://www.recipezaar.com

Answer 2

Some quick and easy protein sources:

Hummus and whole wheat pita bread - about 10 grams of protein for 1 serving

A veggie burger on a whole wheat bun - about 15 grams

1 cup soymilk - 6 grams

Whole wheat pasta tossed with veggies and sauce - about 12 grams

Most everything you eat has protein in it.

Answer 3

Well by definition vegetarians eat cheese and eggs, vegans don't, so if you want to be a vegetarian you theoretically could eat cheese and eggs. Whole grains and beans also have lots of protein.

Answer 4

I am a vegetarian and I drink a protien shake daily. Also check out some of the soy "meats." try a whole bunch becuase not everyone likes all of them, then you will know which ones you like and which to avoid. Also beans, quinoia and lentals + brown rice make a complete protien.
good luck and good job switching over !!!

Answer 5

Use whey or rice protein to supplement. Soy can cause health problems. Lentils, beans, avocados, and tons of other stuff have protein as well.

Answer 6

If you go to this web site: www.whfoods.org and find the link on the left for the list of healthiest foods, when you click on the vegetable or fruit etc. on this list it gives you a complete analysis of what this food has in it for the body and how it helps us nutritionally.

Answer 7

Drink milk, eat cheese, and drink smoothies with whey protein powder.