tiredofgainingandlosing's Journal, 28 Sep 18

I am not a vegetarian but I do eat many vegetarian meals and know the diet well. Protein is not only found in meats but also in a variety of foods. Eggs, beans, and nuts are good sources of protein. Also, while quinoa is known best as a grain, it does contain some protein as well. 

I've been vegetarian for four years. I eat beans, tofu, and grains for protein. You actually need a lot less protein than you think. 

Non-strict vegetarian here... meaning, no I don't eat meat (or fish), but got no problem with hubby choosing a pepperoni pizza for dinner... I just pick off the pepperoni. :D I eat a lot of meat substitues... tonight was Quorn meatballs. I like "fake ham" in sarnies, etc. Never seen any need to fulfill any specific protein amount, seems to add up during the day, anyway. :) 

Pescatarian here! I use ally eat beans (garbanzo, black beans, lentils) and boiled eggs. Also a lowfat low sugar greek yogurt every day for breakfast/mid day snack ensures me at least 12-13 grams of protein, which is plenty already. If you are looking to loose weight as vegeterian research the calorie density based diets, they are very helpful. 

I don’t eat meat or chicken and also don’t have an issue with picking out chicken from a chicken soup ex. I avoid meat like products as it’s heavily processed. However tonight I had black bean chipotle crumbles. Delish. Most of my protein comes from eggs, plain Greek yoghurt mixed with protein powder, beans and tofu. 

Thank you for your advices. I was having boiled eggs or yoghurt for my breakfast. And mostly I eat lentils for my dinner. There are many tofu here. But I don't know how to cook them. I'll check online and try to eat more Tofu. 

Tofu, tempeh, all kinds of beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, quinoa, oats, pea protein powder (if you are into protein powders)...all are good sources of plant based protein. I found the best way to eat well as a vegetarian or vegan is to get comfortable cooking. You don't need to follow recipes, just experiment and find dishes you like.  

I had a heart attack in 2015 so I keep too a 40 carb a day and exercise daily.  

I'm not a vegetarian, but I am a weightlifter and as such I pay attention to my protein sources. Chickpeas, quinoa, soy, and chia seeds are all sources of complete proteins. Now, I don't know how much you know about proteins. I apologize if I'm telling you information you already know. Here's what "complete protein" means. Your body is almost entirely composed of proteins. Proteins are made out of building blocks called amino acids. There are 21 kinds that your body uses to build the proteins composing your muscle and organs. Your body can manufacture 12 of these, but the other 9 must come from outside sources—food. A complete protein supplies all of these amino acids. The vast majority of plant proteins are incomplete. Animal sources are a good source of complete proteins. Meat, fish, dairy, eggs. However, quinoa, chickpeas, soy, and chia are complete plant proteins. Soy would also include tofu as M S G mentioned. There are rumors that processed soy is estrogenic, but you'd have to eat TONS of it. Nuts are a good source too and they are rich in nutrients and beneficial fats, but they're also rich in calories. Coconut also has a very good amino acid profile and I bake with coconut flour regularly. I also use chickpea flour in a number of dishes. Unfortunately, plant proteins are less bioavailable than animal proteins, meaning that they're less efficiently used by the body—but you can do it! You can also make what are called "complementary proteins" which is combining two foods to make a complete amino acid profile. One of my staples is black beans and rice. Lastly, Semccraw1 is right in that most Americans (assuming you are one) do meet their daily recommended protein intake—but they're not telling you the whole story when they say you don't need as much protein as you think. That's only true of Americans who don't exercise regularly. If you do, eat more protein. Protein also promotes satiety, which helps you to eat less food overall, and if you're cutting calories, a high amount of protein helps prevent your body from cannibalizing muscle tissue. Don't worry—lots of protein won't harm your kidneys. They'll adapt. It's a myth that high protein causes kidney damage. It's normal for weightlifters and other athletes to eat hundreds of grams of protein a day. I hope this helps! 

I'm sorry about that all being one huge wall of text, I thought Fatsecret would let me post in paragraphs. Apparently not. 

Melonlord, it really helps. I appreciate for everything you have explained to me. This was exactly what I was looking for! You're great Thank you so much!