Sources for Protein

there are also various types of soy milk that have protein - some are an aquired taste, some agreat and some are just plain ewwww...
 
I don't eat any meat or dairy or eggs....ok no meat or meat by products.:)
do you have any health food stores around you? Maybe a food co-op? I don't mean places like GNC but my favorite place here in Arizona is Wild Oats, a place like that. Go there and peruse, you'd be suprised what you can find and will actually really like and is high in protein low in fat. Gotta be adventurous but a lot of times you are pleasantly suprised.

Here's some of my favorites:
lightlife (this is in the refrgierated aisle like by eggs and such) Smart BBQ its shredded veggie protein and its GOOD. No fat, 7 grams of protein per serving which is 1/4 cup.

Easier one to find is Morningstar Farms products in the frozen aisle I've found these almost everywhere including Wal-mart. My favorite is the Steak strips called Meal Starters but you might like the chicken strips. For 12 strips which I have yet to ever use that much is 23 grms of protein. I use these in stir fry's and things like Fajita's.......LOVE THEM! Low Fat too. Most MorningStar I can't eat but its the best low fat, high protein vegetarian meats out there. Some of it is really really good, give it a try for a change.

Don't forget beans, super high in protein and low in fat. My personal favorites are black beans in the ethnic aisle at any grocery store.

Try Amond Milk, I personally love it in cereal because its a natural sweetner and has some protein, little higher in fat 3 grams for 8 fl oz's but its a good fat. I buy Blue Dimaond Almond Breeze Original unsweetened. Its sweet enough on its on! Its boxed and in a side aisle not your dairy aisle BE SURE ITS COLD!! My son even like this stuff and he's picky.

Look for breads made with sprouted wheat or sometimes it will only say sprouted grain. These you will probably only find in places like Wild Oats. I use a sprouted Wheat Bagel that has a whopping 10 grams of protein per bagel. You know you'll have found the right bread types when you can read the ingredigients in three seconds and its a very large print....AKA VERY unrefined....but good IF TOASTED! :)

And don't forget brocolli!

You gotta think outside the box go check out Vegan and Vegetarian sites you will find tons of low fat healthy protein enriched ideas. Here's one for ya.
Thats my absolute favorite. If you go into the food area you will see people have tried items and rated them. Saves me tons of money and time and you can buy them there if you need too.

Hope I helped some!
 
Absolutely - soy bean products! You should see what they do with them here in Japan! I never knew they were so versatile. Have them as green as edamame, in miso soup, in tofu and, if you can bear the smell, the stringiness, the texture and the taste, have them rotted and fermented. It's called natto and it's supposed to be really good for your digestion.
 
Amen on the Smart BBQ - that stuff is GOOD. And the morningstar mealstarters. They also have some breakfast sausage thingys that have crazy protein.

MY FAVE: Seitan - this is wheat gluten and is soooooo good (at least 95% of brands are - I've had one that sucked). White wave brand has something like 22 grams of protein and either no or almost no fats and carbs. Pure vegetarian protein goodness. See if you can find it.

Same company that makes the Smart BBQ makes a whole line of "Smart Menu" and "Smart Deli" vegetarian options. The deli slices make high protein vegetarian sandwiches possible, which makes me happy.
 
It was so many decades ago when I tried meat that I don't even remember how it tastes. I read some of the suggestions here, which are really good. There are a lot of tasty grains like quinoa (easily found at a regular grocery store, at least in the midwest US) which I'd suggest, too. A big bowl of oatmeal with some milk or yogurt is high in fiber and protein. If you've never tried tofu, I'd suggest putting it in a casserole or stir-fry for the first time.
 
Tofu is great for protein, but if you're going to buy it and attempt to cook it look in the supermarket for the stuff that is vaccuum packed and really solid (often this stuff is pre-flavored too). You can buy the brick that sits in water (extra firm) but you're still going to need to press it to get the water out - and it takes a lot of pressing and is kind of hard to cook with!

Hummus is great, and beans are also a great source of protein.

I also buy a lot of soy products - boca or morningstar farms.
 
There is a difference between complete and incomplete proteins. And vegetables are not high in protein.
 
Not getting enough protein!

Hi, Ive been losing weight for a few months now, but it seems like the weight has started to slow down, and I think im experiencing another 'plateau'.

Ive looked at my routine and my diet, and the only thing I can think of improving on is my protein intake. Im vegetarian, so I cant eat chicken or meat etc, but wondered if it was worth starting with whey protien?

Ive had a quick look online at websites that sell whey protein, and they all seem to be mentioning how whey will add 'bulk' and mentioning how its perfect for body builders, but I dont want to look even bulkier and bigger than I already look lol so im pretty confused about it at the moment.
 
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You will not bulk up in muscle just from merely consuming protein. You also need to lift heavy weights and eat enough calories to grow your muscles at the same time. Are you sure you dont want your muscles to get bigger? I believe you're unhappy with your body because of the extra fat, NOT because of your muscle tone. You just have too much flab covering your muscles so you think you dont want to get any bigger but muscles increase your metabolism and make you look tighter.
 
You need to understand what basic nutrition and nutrients are, this would be a great start towards improving your program design. :)

Protein powder is simply protein in a powder from, thats it. If you dehydrated a lean chicken and then ground it up that technically would be a type of protein powder. Whey is the protein of milk processed in a powder form and flavored for taste.

The only way you can bulk up from using a protein powder is if you exceed your daily needed calories. To lose weight=less energy, to gain weight=more energy.

Do you take in dairy or eggs? This can be another source other than protein powder to get your protein intake up. Regardless I would need to see more detail of what is going on with your diet to give more opinion but my hunch is that you are stalling more because of caloric intake rather than protein amount. That being said I do suggest a complete protein source with every meal.
 
Solving the protein problem

I am a vegetarian and am always looking for ways to increase my protein intake. I read that 30 % of daily calorie intake should come from protein. Although I eat tofu, lowfat dairy, nuts, etc, I can't seem to get my protein percentage above 20 %. Does anyone have food suggestions that will help boost the amount of protein in my diet?
 
I won't sing the beans song -but beans are a good source of protein, not to mention fiber... and other good things - lentils are a quick cooking meat substitute.

Do you eat eggs or fish?
 
I know I should eat beans more often, I do try and work them into my diet, though on a college student's schedule its hard to make meals. Are there any quick solutions?

I do eat eggs once in a while, though I try to stick to egg whites. Is that okay as far as protein goes? I just don't like all the cholesterol that comes with the yolk.

I do eat fish, and try and throw tuna in my salad. I eat more at home, though, salmon is my meal of choice whenever I return. Are there any cheaper ways to get fish besides canned tuna?

My problem with getting protein from nuts is that because of the high fat content, I don't eat them in large quantities. So although they are high in protein, I don't eat enough.
 
First, I wouldn't go by % of total intake for determining how much of a specific macronutrient you need.

You are better going by absolute values.

That said, assuming you are dieting, shooting for 1 gram of protein per pound of lean body mass would be ideal. If you aren't too overweight, you could go by total body weight. If you are, just estimate your lean body mass.

If you eat fish, egg whites, nuts, dairy, etc.... you really shouldn't have a problem getting enough protein. You may need to start eating more of these things.

Oh yea, and dietary fat doesn't make you fat. The fat in nuts is good. Certainly more calorically dense than other foods.... but it's all about moderation and accounting for total cals.

Have you ever considered a protein supplement such as whey?
 
Thanks for the info,

How do I calculate my lean body mass?

I think whey protein would be a good idea, do you have any recommendations for what I should look for in a protein supplement? I would imagine one thats low in fat, but are there any other guidelines?
 
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