Meat free high protein meals?

[newfunahead]

So I need more protein but I'm not too keen on meat! I don't eat chicken or fish and don't like large amounts of meat!

How can I make yummy high protein meals? I'm thinking I need to start trying to use lentils but not sure where to start! I like tasty and spicy food any suggestions would be appreciated

[Blondie1984]

Lentils - and other beans and pulses like chickpeas - are a great place to start - things like chickpea curry (Indian or Thai) and lentil dahl are lovely but you can also switch half -or all - the meat in recipes like shepherds pie, moussaka or spaghetti bolognaise for lentils - and don't forget hummus!

Something to be aware of though with lentils and beans is that they aren't "complete proteins" - meaning that they don't contain all the amino acids needed to build and repair - and so you need to combine them with other foods to get the missing aminos - like wholegrains. So examples are chickpea curry and rice, hummus with oatcakes or pitta bread, veggie burgers on wholemeal buns etc

Other good sources are Quorn, tofu, dairy (especially Greek yoghurt or Skyr), eggs, quinoa, nuts and seeds

[Ricekrispie22]

Most beans are low in methionine and high in lysine, while rice is low in lysine and high in methionine. Together they have a protein content on par with meat. Therefore, vegetarian chilli, chickpea curries and lentil dahls are all good options.
www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/lentil-sweet-potato-curry
Lentil lasagne and black bean enchiladas are also popular in my house.
Eggs and dairy are both complete proteins, so a good old cheesy omelette or frittata is a high protein meal.
Tofu is a complete protein and I love scrambled tofu www.thespruceeats.com/easy-tofu-scramble-3378129

[AtleastitsnotMonday]

Use nuts, perfect for adding to salads in this hot weather.
Cashews in stirfries are also good, increase the protein again by adding strips of omelette or tofu.
Eggs also good, shakshuka is lovely, and fritata is my go to use up the leftover veg dish!
Jack Monroe’s carrot and kidney bean burgers are delicious.

[newfunahead]

Blondie - thank you for the reply! I'm glad you mentioned the beans etc aren't complete proteins as one of he main reasons I want to up my protein is in order to recover quicker from workouts.

So when you say add rice is white basmati ok? Or would it need to be brown?

Is quorn a complete protein? I quite like quorn

[newfunahead]

Rice - thank you for the links the tofu scramble looks lovely 😊 I'm not a massive fan of tofu as it normally looks bland but those look lovely! I will give the curry a try too thanks :)

[newfunahead]

Atleast - I'm not a massive fan of eggs either but love cashews so could add some to the curries etc :)

[WindandWuthering]

Something to be aware of though with lentils and beans is that they aren't "complete proteins" - meaning that they don't contain all the amino acids needed to build and repair - and so you need to combine them with other foods to get the missing aminos - like wholegrains.

This is an outdated belief which is not true.

www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/vegetarian-protein-complete-meat_us_5a90357ae4b01e9e56bb3224

[WindandWuthering]

Apologies for the formatting fail!

[Blondie1984]

It isn’t a misconception at all - if you eat a variety of foods then it isn’t something to worrying about however not all people who exclude animal products do that and so it’s important to point out

Quorn is indeed a complete protein and yes, basmati rice is fine

Do you know how much protein you are currently eating? And what your target is? Whilst it is an important nutrient - especially for those exercising - we don’t need a strong much as some people try and have us believe

[FourFriedChickensDryWhiteToast]

all proteins are 'complete' AFAIK

and Quorn is mould grown in a factory - I really wouldn't bother with it.

[Weedsnseeds1]

I recently discovered these, if you have a Chinese supermarket near you.
I know they look like rawhide chews for dogs, but they have an amazing texture and neutral flavour.
You soak them in cold water then use in soups, stir fry, hot pot etc. and they take up the flavour of the sauce.
They are absolutely delicious and I wish I'd picked up a few more bags now!
You can also get sticks and sheets as well as the knots.

[newfunahead]

Weeds - I have just seen your reply this morning and when I read it I thought you were saying they are dog chews

[kikashi]

Quinoa bowls are your friend. Add in quorn chicken pieces (as you like it), some beans and lovely veg . Make it asian syle with a peanut dressing, or mediterrean with a hummus or tahini dressing.