I'm not a vegetarian and honestly I don't think I ever could be happily, but I am interested in eating a little less meat overall. I've been exercising more though, and protein is important to me...aside from drinks/powders/bars, what are some non-meat proteins that you enjoy?
--Any beans and rice combination makes a complete protein. --Lentils are great --Chia seeds --Beans and corn combination also counts as a complete protein --My sister swears by Spirulina, but I haven't tried it. I know that you didn't want any powders, but I do want to mention Hemp powder. It has a very delicious nutty flavor.
I use soya mince or TVP (textured vegetable protein, Quorn or tofu. Many companies make meat substitutes, you can find them in the deli section near hummus usually and they do tofu burgers or sausages. The only thing is with beans is that you need to balance the proteins together to get a complete protein and then there is the gas factor. I find beans can be bland at times ans you end up using so much seasoning which can be as bad for you.
Anything with beans, tofu in particular is great. I think a good middle ground is to also consume some dairy products like milk and cheese, since they will give you a lot of protein and fat which is lacking in most vegetarian fare.
As for drinks, straight cow's milk has the highest level of protein for any of the non-protein fortified drinks you can find at the grocery store (more than soy, more than almond or coconut milk). Peanut butter is one of my favorite sources of protein though. That and just nuts in general. Quinoa has protein in it if you can stand the taste. My favorite everyday protein bars are PowerBar Harvest bars which are good and filling. I like regular PowerBars for workout boosts, but not just for eating.
I would stay away from protein drinks and powders and anything made of soy that is not fermented. Unfermented soy is an estrogen imitator and it can really mess up your hormones if you eat too much of it. Some people are affected more than others. Beans and corn or beans and brown rice are the best combinations for complete protein. It's supposed to be even better if you can also eat a serving of squash with it. Canned pumpkin works great, or any squash you like.
Didn't seem like any person has wrote this very nutritional but stinky food created by Japanese people: Natto. It's made from soybeans fermented from a bacteria, and is renown for its distinct smell similar to pungent cheese, which is the main reason a lot of people do not eat it. However, Natto is factually one of the most abundant man-made foods in nutrients, containing no cholesterol, is a significant source of iron, calcium, magnesium, protein, potassium, vitamins B6, B2, E, K2 and some more. I like eating it.
As someone who takes an occasional protein shake, I believe that these problems only take place if you consume protein supplements from soy/whey in very large excess. I don't think that there are any implication for a vegetarian taking it once every two days or so, rather I would encourage it as protein deficiency might be much more serious.
If you do not want to have too much meat yourselves, you can acquire protein from the following food. They are rich in protein too. - eggs - any beans or lentils - tofu - soy milk - nuts (peanuts, almonds, cash chews, etc)
Thanks for all the responses guys, you've given me some ideas that I hadn't thought of before . I'm not big on tofu but I'm willing to try pretty much of all the other suggestions. I'm not familiar with the hemp powder, but I'll look into that, too.
I have heard of such things. However, I am not that interested because I think that they will not taste the same. I would love to cut back on my meat intake though because I know that eating too much is unhealthy and can cause different illnesses.
What you will eat to acquire protein depends on whether you are eating to nourish your body, or to please your taste buds. Most of the protein bars and even the shakes are tasty; but not nearly as healthy for you as actual protein foods. One thing that has not been mentioned here is greens. Greens are not only high in protein, they are also a virtual powerhouse of vitamins and minerals, and most can be eaten either raw or coooked. I like romaine lettuce or spinach in salads, and even just a little chicken or a hard boiled egg will add to the taste as well as increase the protein level. I also use greens in smoothies, and when you mix spinach in with raspberries, all you taste are raspberries, and it is a beautiful shade of green. You can also add protein powder to the green smoothie for an extra bit of protein.
Ah yes, I hadn't really given much thoughts to greens in terms of proteins. I am a fan of natural smoothies and such like that, and the raspberry sounds like a wonderful addition to it. Thank you for your thoughts .
Want the protein that's as high as those in meat? Peanuts, beans and egg white (not meat). They are significant source of protein. If you feel that you are lacking in protein, and don't like feed yourself a meat, then have a a 1/4 cup of peanuts or just boil and egg, throw away its yolk and indulge on its white. Because I am a vegetarian, I don't eat meat. I also rarely eat fish or any seafood. I find it too time-consuming to prepare and serve myself a dish out of beans, so basically there's nothing else I could get my protein. What I do instead is I eat a lot of egg-white. Probably 5 eggs in a meal.
You could try almonds, peanut butter, all kind of seeds and milk (but it has about 3% proteins, so you need to drink a lot of it in order to get a decent income of proteins). You can also use some protein powder if you want proteins that are non-meat, they are extracted from milk/soy or egg whites.
Fish is an excellent source of protein, so if you are not adverse to eating fish, then you could introduce more fish into your diet. Other options include beans, pulses, nuts and seeds. Just be experimental and try out lots of new recipes and flavours. You will soon build up a repertoire of meals that do not contain meat but meet your daily protein needs.
Eggs and milk are your best friends. Easy to consume and comes with lots of protein. Coupled with chicken breast and fish, you'll reach your daily protein requirement easily.
I have been vegan for over 10 years. The biggest source of non meat protein is lentils. Different nuts are also high in protein. Beans are also a good source of protein. Tempeh also has a high amount of protein in it. Protein is also found in soy milk and other soy products. Seitan is also high in protein. These are just a few. People tend to think and have the assumption that if you don't eat meat, you can't get enough protein and this is far from the truth. There are people all over the world who do not eat meat and are very healthy.
Ah, thanks for your input Serena, I was hoping to hear from a vegetarian or a vegan on the subject just because the sheer amount of personal experience pretty much guarantees some good ideas . I'm not adverse to eating meat or seafood myself, I just wouldn't mind eating a little less of it. I agree with you on the fact that it is a very common misconception.
Correct me if I'm wrong but fishes are good sources of protein too. I'm not an avid fish-eater but I do love fish fillet, fried boneless milk fish and buttered fish. There's also bean curd, which makes for a good meat substitute. We once bought a pack of substitute meat cuts that turned out to be bean curds molded to look like meat. Substitute meat has an aftertaste but it's relatively delicious. I don't mind eating bean curd in lieu of meat.
