protein (I know, I know) question

I know you're all tired of the same questions about "where can I find veggie protein" and such. But I'm truly stuck here & wondering if anyone can take a peek at this & make a suggestion or two? My diet is fairly well balanced in everything BUT the protein area, and no matter what I do I find myself at the end of the day nowhere near where I *should* be.

My daily goals are:
1350-1700 calories
180-260g (I aim for 200-225) carbs
36-62g fat
and 60-140g (I'd be happy if I could REACH 60!) of protein.

And this is my "menu" for today.

Breakfast was Rice & Shine hot cereal with soymilk & 1/2 cup of baked apples.
295 calories
52g carbs
5g fat
11g protein

Lunch is going to be veggie sticks with a sour-cream & herb dip, tostitos corn chips & hummus, and 1/2 of a large pear.
399 calories
53g carbs
18g fat
9g protein

Dinner is going to be a "stuffed biscuit" kind of meal, and I'm working on how to approximate the nutritional info for that. It will be ABOUT 4-500 calories, 50-60 carbs & no more than a dozen grams of fat & protein though.

Snacks for today will be fresh strawberries and a peanut-butter bar.
156 calories
31g carbs
4g fat
3g protein

Now I can always just finish off the day with a cup of soymilk... and I've done that dozens of times to boost my protein intake. But I'd really like to find a better way to do it since I've just never really been fond of drinking tons of milk! Does anyone have any suggestions? This is a rather typical day for me so ANY ideas would be very much appreciated!
love,
mom

 

Ever since we moved to the south, a favorite protein-rich meal for me has been beans and rice. I usually do blackeyed peas, or black beans, or both... and cook brown rice and sometimes cornbread. It's inexpensive and between the beans and whole grains there's a LOT of protein there. Not sure on exact quantities... I haven't been into measuring such things in a very long time.

Nuts, and nut butters are a great snack-ey protein boost (but you know that!)
You might also take your veggie snacks into consideration; I'm a weirdo but sometimes I snack on spinach or broccoli a lot... I like the taste, and it's so nutrient-rich you get a lot for it.

 

homeschoolmama,

If I measured stuff out like you do, I think my head would fall off. It should never have come to this. I eat by instinct. Purely by instinct, and do very well.

Protein requirements in the west are a farce. Mainly because "they" want you to work hard in making money for "them". Too much protein is just as bad as not enough. General rule of thumb is if you're working hard physically, eat more protein. And when you're not, slack off.

Soups made from beans are always good. Lentils are a personal favorite. I eat soy based products like veggie burgers or granulated TVP about 2-3 times a week.

I run like a well balanced engine.



x

 

See if you can find a copy of the book "Diet for a Small Planet" by Frances Moore Lappe. This book goes into great detail about getting more/enough protein from vegetarian food, and how proteins can complement each other when foods are combined.

 

Would you believe I don't drink water? None. Since about 1979.

Only if there's nothing else available and I'm dehydrating.


x

 

I ended up tossing a handful of sunflower seeds into the hummus for lunch. After coming up with a FAIRLY accurate equivalent for our dinner, I realized I could do something like that & still keep all my "ducks in a row" for the day. When all was said & done, I still came up with 43g of protein for the day. I'd heard a few places that vegetarians should aim for 60-ish... have I been listening to the wrong people on this one?

Xexon, I wouldn't be charting things quite this closely... but I need to lose weight and listing everything is the easiest way to "keep myself honest" as far as diet. And since I'm doing it anyway, I'm letting the computer keep track of a few nutrients I know I don't always get enough of.

Beans & brown rice are on my plate about 5x per week. Black beans, white beans, garbanzo beans, lentils, soy... but I do try to eat other things at least a FEW times each week But yeah, it's on the days that I skip my beans that I tend to be low. (sigh) Maybe I should've had an almond muffin instead of that cereal for breakfast!
love,
mom

 

Are you vegan? If not, try drinking a fruit smoothie with whey protein everyday. Whey is an excellent source, and a scoop generally gives you about 20 grams of protein. If you're vegan, you can still use powders derived from rice, hemp, or soy; they usually give you about half that amount. It's a really easy way to meet your protein needs and you can usually play around with your blender and find some yummy smoothie recipes. Aside from that, I'd recommend cereal fortified with protein. Kashi Crunch is my fav. A bowl of that with 1/2 cup of soy milk in the morning will get you started with about 15 grams of protein. Quinoa is also a great source. Mixing about 1/4 a cup of Quinoa with 1/2 beans will get you in between 10-20 grams. Try adding a little TVP to get even more.

Have you read Diet For a Small Planet? It's a book from the 80s filled with easy recipes that combine various incomplete proteins.

 

I read Diet For A Small Planet when I first became a vegetarian in 1973. It was first published in 1971.

 

Thanks.

 

seems like you need lots more fruits...and more veggies.

As for the protien, black beans, patatoes, eggs, nuts, (brown) rice...

 

protein is the most important part of your diet. there are 8 essential amino acids, all of which are contained in soybeans. another winning combination is corn and beans - each contains four of the essentials. soy comes in so many forms... switch up tofu, miso, tempeh, edamame... eggplant and squash are awesome as well.

 

I've been to Moab. Interesting place. Woke up that morning to a hot air balloon slowly drifting across the valley as the rising sun was launching laser beams through the mist.

It was also the first time I ever had sticker shock over a motel room.


x

 

Xenon, what do you drink instead of water? I would feel like crap if I didn't drink enough everyday, and I live in the humid south.

 

Lots of juices and juice drinks. I've got some Jones sodas in the fridge too. I also have red wine before supper every day. Chocolate milk for breakfast as I don't drink coffee.

If I'm in the desert or biking alot, lots of sport drinks like Gatoraid.

x

 

^^couldn't do that. i hate sports drinks. i drink tons of water and hot tea. though i'll admit i love beer and wine.

 

Thanks everyone I'll definitely have to look into some proteins for breakfast but I think I'll stop worrying in general.

I drink a lot of tea too... and not nearly as much water as I ought to
love,
mom