I can't eat meat. I'm picky about what I eat. I eat beans and veggies. I'm pregnant. How do I get more protein

Answer 1

Rice and beans contain all essential amino acids but getting iron in the correct form is not easy without eating meat. Also need to have folic acid - very important when pregnant.

Answer 2

Well, beans are a good start. They have a lot of protein. Nuts, tofu and other soy products, cheese, and avocado also have a lot of protein. Some people don't like the idea of eating tofu, but there are tons of tasty ways to enjoy soy. Have you ever had edamame? They are immature soybeans served at Japanese restaurants. You can get them frozen in the grocery store, and they are delicious, especially salted! I've never met someone who doesn't like them. If you want to try tofu, make sure you get extra-firm tofu. You can eat it raw in a wrap or cooked in stir-fry. If you eat the way a vegetarian should eat, you won't have a problem getting enough protein.

Answer 3

See if you can get a copy of _Diet For a Small Planet_ by Frances Moore Lappe. She includes a chart of which proteins complete which other proteins, and she includes a number of recipes.

Some tofu products claim to contain all 8 amino acids. Either this is due to some genetic engineering, or there are grain ingredients added to the tofu in the process of preparing it for market. :-)

If you don't think there are enough recipes, there is also a book by the same author called _Recipes for a Small Planet_.

I found a book somewhere which has the somewhat funky title _Zen Macrobiotic Cooking_.

I found a book in a local university library by Louis I. Berman called _Vegetarianism and the Jewish Tradition_. I am not Jewish, but it is interesting to see how foods within one set of restrictions can be adapted to fit another set of restrictions. This book mentions that vegans tend to be short on protein and iron, and recommends making something the author called "Mary Jane," after a peanut-butter candy of his youth. (I have since seen this candy; it is rather peanut-buttery. I presume it does have peanut butter in it, but I don't know what the binding agent is.) The author mixed peanut butter and molasses to get something a bit more solid than peanut butter (keep it in the fridge) but not as solid as salt-water taffy (it is still spreadable and can be used for peanut butter sandwiches). He mentions that molasses is rich in iron, which I had not known before I read the book.

I did manage to make some of the stuff without gluing the whole kitchen together, but molasses is very sticky and the peanut butter/molasses combination has great potential for making a mess.

Answer 4

shakes head... listen dear... if you were a vegetarian you'd know that you most likely don't have a protein problem.

READ UP on PROTEIN in veggies, legums and fruits in GOOGLE.COM

or research yahoo answers for replied pertaining to this particular question.

Answer 5

you already got the answer from the community. what do I say ? Yes. they are all right. don't worry about the protein. you'll have it all the way when you take your meal.
Too much protein will flush out from our body and that no good for kidney, and to proceed the use of protein we taken, we need more calcium. did you take enough calcium while eat much protein? if no, they take from the calcium bank calls bone. and that cause osteoporosis. So, eat in ballance.

Answer 6

OMG! If you are pregnant go to a doctor for advice about what you should eat!!! Being prego is such a huge responsibility you need to make sure you do things right! Go to a doctor and don't fool around with our advice.

Your doctor knows what is best for you and your baby. Tell her or him you wan to be a veggie-head and avoid meat. He or she will help you with a good solid diet.

Answer 7

You can eat dairy or eggs if you don't restrict those in your diet. You can also make fruit smoothies by adding some type of protein powder.

Answer 8

Check out "The Vegetarian Mother's Cookbook" by Cathe Olson and "Raising Vegetarian Children" by Joanne Stepaniak and Vesanto Melina. Both have great info on nutritional requirements for vegetarian pregnancies and for lactating veg mothers. Plus, loads of good recipes.

Answer 9

Beans combined with whole grain is very good protein-e.g. beans and rice, beans and cornbread, bean burritos, hummus with bread or crackers. Soy of course is quality protein.
You didn't mention dairy or eggs-lowfat dairy/eggs provide quality protein.

Answer 10

beans, peanut butter (eat some PBJs and put peanut butter on your pancakes or waffles), veggiee meats.

Just increase your intake of those things and you'll be fine.