Protein for vegetarians

[CV Athletic]

Could someone please help? I'm trying to help out a friend of mine who is trying to lose weight and she wants to change her way of eating. Only problem is she's a vegetarian and I've only ever created meal plans including meat!!! She's not a big fan of cottage cheese, non fat yogurt still has a lot of carbs.....I'm lost!! She is 26 years old, 125 pounds, 5'5, and slightly active (she tries to fit in about a 20 minute walk three times a week. I calculated here BMR as 1803 so I would start her around 1500 cals. Advice please????

[Aurora]

Honestly if she really wants to change her way of eating the first thing she needs to learn is that food is not a reward. To get results you eat for sustanance, not pleasure.

Im not a fan of chicken. In fact i pretty much despise chicken. But guess what? Im eating it 3-4x a day for the next 3 months.

I would not go with a soy-based protein for dieting but thats me. Some vegitarians still eat things like fish and eggs. If not that then protein shakes are really the only option she has left you. And if she still doesnt "like" any of that then forget it, shes not serious enough.

[sherdi]

Vegetarian sources for protein that she could use are:

Beans - (high in protein and carbs) such as kidney beans, chickpeas, black beans, pinto beans all can be made into nice veggie burgers etc.
Soy - and it's derivatives such as soy protein powder, tofu, soy burgers/dogs etc, tempeh, soy milk, soy nuts, soy cheese, soy flour.
Eggs - if she eats them, egg white powder.
Dairy products - I know you said she isn't a fan of cottage cheese but she could use caesen protein. Of course you have whey protein too. Non fat yogurt (those are good carbs so don't be afraid of them), non fat milk, lf riccota cheese, lf hard cheese.
Nuts - of course these are high in fat but good fat, almonds, brazil nuts, walnuts, peanut butter (a legume but still), cashews, pecans etc.


Hope some of these suggestions help! :)

[ChocoChick]

She is 26 years old, 125 pounds, 5'5... Advice please????

Doesn't sound like she needs to lose weight.

[Adi]

Doesn't sound like she needs to lose weight.

My thoughts exactly! Is she following a workout program other than the walking? Lifting weights would be a great compliment to adjustments in her diet.

[CV Athletic]

Doesn't sound like she needs to lose weight.

Yeah...I know by her stats it sounds like she doesn't need to lose weight....to be honest.....she doesn't look 125lbs....but everyone carries their weight differently. She definitely has a lot of bodyfat and I asked her to give me her true weight since it won't help for her to lie.

She is starting with walking...I don't think she's ever really worked out before. I'd love for her to get in the weight room....I have to keep working on it....I'm sure she views lifting as a lot of women do...(it will make her look big like a guy)....how many times can I try to convince her it won't ya know?

[britt20]

i';m a vegetarian, i eat brown rice, beans protein powder cottage chees eand eggs....and also milk for protein as well. as mnay others suggested you get used to eating thse foods and evetually they end up tasting really good, cotage cheese and bananas or something like that are like a desert to me!

[CV Athletic]

Vegetarian sources for protein that she could use are:

Beans - (high in protein and carbs) such as kidney beans, chickpeas, black beans, pinto beans all can be made into nice veggie burgers etc.
Soy - and it's derivatives such as soy protein powder, tofu, soy burgers/dogs etc, tempeh, soy milk, soy nuts, soy cheese, soy flour.
Eggs - if she eats them, egg white powder.
Dairy products - I know you said she isn't a fan of cottage cheese but she could use caesen protein. Of course you have whey protein too. Non fat yogurt (those are good carbs so don't be afraid of them), non fat milk, lf riccota cheese, lf hard cheese.
Nuts - of course these are high in fat but good fat, almonds, brazil nuts, walnuts, peanut butter (a legume but still), cashews, pecans etc.


Hope some of these suggestions help! :)

Sherdi...Thank you so much!!!! How much should she have in one serving? Do you know of any vegetarians here on bb with journals where I can take a peak?

[sherdi]

I would say she needs at least 20grams protein per serving. For example I am 5'5" and weigh 128 with 15% bf and I aim for about 33gms of protein and carbs per meal with approx 6-8 grams fat (40/40/20 split). It depends on her macro of choice and how she deals with carbs, protein etc. I don't know of any vegetarians that have a journal. Good luck. :)

[stinglikebee]

protein shakes and egg whites! there u go,if she doesnt like that tell her to go f%ck herself

[bluebird]

There are plenty of ways your friend can get good sources of proten without meat. I've been a vegetarian for over 15 years and I currently eat about 170-200 grams of protein a day. Egg whites, whey, legumes, soy milk and other soy-based products, tofu, natural PB, etc.. there are plenty of foods out there like some of the posts here suggested.

As far as being "serious" enough, I can only speak for myself. Certain diet choices are very personal and it's not really fair to say a person isn't serious just because they don't want to include animal protein in their diet. In my case, I've gone from close to 25% b/f down to under 15% and I've dramatically increased my lean mass on a vegetarian diet that does not include fish. I do include a lot of soy-based protein in my diet and have had good results. But everyone is different in what they prefer.

I WOULD keep trying to convince her to start lifting. If she wants to raise her metabolism and burn fat, she needs to put on some muscle. And she won't get bulky. That doesn't happen accidentally.

[CV Athletic]

Honestly if she really wants to change her way of eating the first thing she needs to learn is that food is not a reward. To get results you eat for sustanance, not pleasure.

Im not a fan of chicken. In fact i pretty much despise chicken. But guess what? Im eating it 3-4x a day for the next 3 months.

I would not go with a soy-based protein for dieting but thats me. Some vegitarians still eat things like fish and eggs. If not that then protein shakes are really the only option she has left you. And if she still doesnt "like" any of that then forget it, shes not serious enough.

Thanks Aurora...Yes, she understands that she won't be eating for pleasure....she may not be a big fan of cottage cheese but she will eat it. I was just trying to find more proteins that she would like. She'll definitely be eating cottage cheese and she'll deal with it :) You don't like chicken??...I think I LIVE on chicken lol!! I didn't want to tell her too many protein shakes in one day because I know that real food is better than anything and is definitely more filling than a shake.

[CV Athletic]

There are plenty of ways your friend can get good sources of proten without meat. I've been a vegetarian for over 15 years and I currently eat about 170-200 grams of protein a day. Egg whites, whey, legumes, soy milk and other soy-based products, tofu, natural PB, etc.. there are plenty of foods out there like some of the posts here suggested.

As far as being "serious" enough, I can only speak for myself. Certain diet choices are very personal and it's not really fair to say a person isn't serious just because they don't want to include animal protein in their diet. In my case, I've gone from close to 25% b/f down to under 15% and I've dramatically increased my lean mass on a vegetarian diet that does not include fish. I do include a lot of soy-based protein in my diet and have had good results. But everyone is different in what they prefer.

I WOULD keep trying to convince her to start lifting. If she wants to raise her metabolism and burn fat, she needs to put on some muscle. And she won't get bulky. That doesn't happen accidentally.

I think she can definitely handle soy based products...she was asking about soy milk, etc..and mentioned she eats egg whites only once a month. I'll have to see how she feels about eating them more often. If not, I can fill it in with beans, tofu, etc.

I'll keep bugging her...It will sink in sometime!!!! :O)

BTW - Do you have a journal on here I could check out??

[bluebird]

I think she can definitely handle soy based products...she was asking about soy milk, etc..and mentioned she eats egg whites only once a month. I'll have to see how she feels about eating them more often. If not, I can fill it in with beans, tofu, etc.

I'll keep bugging her...It will sink in sometime!!!! :O)

BTW - Do you have a journal on here I could check out??

Soy milk is great but check the label. Some have way more sugar than others. if she's willing to do the egg whites more often, that's also a very good way to sneak some extra protein in.

Sorry, I don't have a journal on here yet. I keep meaning to start one but I'm a bit lazy. Lol. I'd be more than willing to share some samples of my diet if you'd like.

[Aurora]

The thing about soy is it always has carbs. So suddenly you reduce total food volume. Plus soy has been proven to increase estrogen levels which will fight the fat loss effort.

[bluebird]

The phyto-estrogen in soy is not high enough to make any marked increase in actual estrogen levels. Plus it's progesterone that is more responsible for storing fat than estrogen. Emma-Leigh explains it better than I can:


http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=259694&highlight=soy+estrogen

[CV Athletic]

Soy milk is great but check the label. Some have way more sugar than others. if she's willing to do the egg whites more often, that's also a very good way to sneak some extra protein in.

Sorry, I don't have a journal on here yet. I keep meaning to start one but I'm a bit lazy. Lol. I'd be more than willing to share some samples of my diet if you'd like.

Yes, I would LOVE to see some samples of your diet....Thanks! :)

[CV Athletic]

The thing about soy is it always has carbs. So suddenly you reduce total food volume. Plus soy has been proven to increase estrogen levels which will fight the fat loss effort.

I think basically all foods for vegetarians have carbs though, whether soy based or not...tofu, beans, egg whites carry a little, whey protein has a couple grams, etc. I just have to monitor them....

I don't know much about the effects of soy on weight loss so I can't say one way or another. In my opinion I think it can work differently for different people. Maybe it could not have an effect on one person but slow the fat burning process in another. I think a good mix for my friend for now couldn't hurt....she'll let me know how she's feeling and what is working or not working for her....Thanks :)

[fee]

hey, I'm vegetarian and get protein from,

cottage cheese
soy dogs(or simular macros)
tofu
soymilk
protein powder
eggs
... also you can get protein from stuff like almond butter/peanut butter, yogurt etc.

I generally don't eat beans 'cause my stomach doesn't do too well on them, and I'm to lazy to cook them :rolleyes:

[Fitprincess1983]

Hey i'm a vegaterian also, and i get my protein from the same sources u do, except i do eat beans. i also love boca bugers, have u tried those??? they have like 15-20 grams of protein and they are really tasty:)

[CV Athletic]

Hey i'm a vegaterian also, and i get my protein from the same sources u do, except i do eat beans. i also love boca bugers, have u tried those??? they have like 15-20 grams of protein and they are really tasty:)

Thank you both!!!! Fitprin....the Boca soy and veggie burgers?? If so, yes, I've seen them...:O) Great suggestion

[Fitprincess1983]

yep, thoses boca bugers are good, and they now have boca pizza and chili!! they are pretty good and i also eat kashi go lean cereal, it has 15 grams of protein and is really good, so are their energy bars:)

[ChocoChick]

the Boca soy and veggie burgers?? If so, yes, I've seen them

These are good but a word of caution: all the meat analogs are heavily processed and typically loaded with sodium. Vegetarians should follow the same basic principle as everyone else, which is to eat clean (i.e., minimally processed, whole foods). Not to say that you can't have the occasional Boca Burger or veggie dog, etc., but I wouldn't make these the centerpiece of your diet. Tofu or seitan that you make yourself are good choices. Beans, quinoa, and eggs are all good, too.

[CV Athletic]

These are good but a word of caution: all the meat analogs are heavily processed and typically loaded with sodium. Vegetarians should follow the same basic principle as everyone else, which is to eat clean (i.e., minimally processed, whole foods). Not to say that you can't have the occasional Boca Burger or veggie dog, etc., but I wouldn't make these the centerpiece of your diet. Tofu or seitan that you make yourself are good choices. Beans, quinoa, and eggs are all good, too.

What is seitan and quinoa?

[ChocoChick]

What is seitan and quinoa?

Seitan is a "mock meat" made from wheat gluten. It is pretty easy to make and you can flavor it however you like. Bryanna Grogan has some good cookbooks that include lots of recipes for tofu, seiten and the like (also a yummy tofu "mousse" that I make with protein powder instead of cocoa for a non-cheat dessert :) )

Quinoa is a grain. It is quite high in protein compared to other grains. I get mine at Whole Foods.

[CV Athletic]

Seitan is a "mock meat" made from wheat gluten. It is pretty easy to make and you can flavor it however you like. Bryanna Grogan has some good cookbooks that include lots of recipes for tofu, seiten and the like (also a yummy tofu "mousse" that I make with protein powder instead of cocoa for a non-cheat dessert :) )

Quinoa is a grain. It is quite high in protein compared to other grains. I get mine at Whole Foods.

Great information!!! Thanks so much!!!!!! This is all so helpful!! :)

[djrocstar]

wanna go vegan think italian! i found this article n i have been eating up a storm and stayin thin! the food is great!

http://www.associatedcontent.com/content.cfm?content_type=article&content_type_id=4312