Vegetarian protein

[alwaysfactor50]

Been reading that as a middle aged peri menopausal woman I need to up my protein. I'm trying to go vegetarian (am nearly there) but am struggling to get enough protein in my diet.

Any tips gratefully received

Depends on how much you like bowel cancer and high cholesterol, I suppose. Also completely irrelevant to the OP's question.

I'm veggie but my understanding is that small amounts of organic, high quality white meat and fish are healthier than ultra processed, high salt fake meats.

I’ve been vegetarian for thirty years. I think your best bet is to eat from cuisines that have a lot of vegetarian food - eg various Asian, Middle Eastern and African cuisines - rather than try to have a western diet without the meat.

I monitor my nutrition and get around 100g protein every day (this is more
than is required, but I am doing a fitness programme to increase my strength). When I first became vegetarian I saw a dietician to help me make sure I achieved a good diet when I was changing from what was then the norm.

I eat tofu, lentils, beans, nuts, eggs, cheese and of course vegetables and grains.I don’t really eat pretend meat unless at a BBQ.

Fortunately these are not one’s only choices. I rarely eat fake meat, and know nobody who only eats organic meat. I wonder if perhaps, in reality, people mostly make more middle of the ground choices?

One can make good choices as either a vegetarian/vegan or as a meat eater.

I am aware that fake meat is highly processed.. however isn't it all about moderation? I don't want to eat animals any more and having so many different substitute options is really helpful for me, particularly for certain recipes I might've made when I ate meat. I don't see the problem in incorporating it into an otherwise healthy diet.. food is about enjoyment as well as nourishment :)

"Lentils and beans on their own aren’t complete proteins. You need to pair them with whole grains in order to get all the amino acids that form a complete protein."

I thought that had been debunked though?
Having said that, I agree that it's difficult to get enough protein from a vegetarian diet so if someone really wants protein, I'd say eat a bit of fish and/or meat. Sounds like OP is not a fully fledged vegetarian anyway.

I'm the same.
Once you stop meat for a while, the idea of it can be disgusting.
I've been tracking my food intake with MFP and even on days when I was making a huge effort I was hardly ever getting enough iron or protein so I'm trying to re-incorporate meat and especially fish.

She's not vegan though.
There is B12 in milk and eggs.

Not irrelevant at all as OP is asking a question about nutrition and health.

"Completely unnecessary of you to plop it into a thread where the OP a) didn't ask and b) has done her research so doesn't need to be patronised about what is and isn't healthy."

OP never said the thread is only for vegetarians and she did ask for advice.

Eggs for breakfast, nuts for lunch, tofu, lentils, beans with sprinkled seeds on top for tea.

The OP did ask for advice, in this, the Chat topic. Last I heard there was no Mumsnet rule that omnivores are not allowed to comment on food and nutrition if there's no meat or fish involved. The issue of ultra-high processed foods is one that affects everybody, vegetarian or not, as it affects health and is implicated in obesity. That's why I mentioned it. Not a lecture, not telling anybody else what to do, not plopping, not patronising anybody, least of all the OP. Try reading a bit more carefully another time.

Firstly I know you posted ages ago
But I’m hoping you’re still a vegetarian
An excellent PROTEIN source you can make yourself from scratch is.
SEITAN ( pronounced satan 🤣🤣🤣🤣 guessing a meat eater named it 🤣)

Its an ancient food from the East
You can get ‘Vital wheat gluten’ at Holland and Barrett or online

If you make it yourself it’s 75% PROTEIN That’s huge !!
Also it’s delicious and chewy, which as a vegetarian or vegan you’ll have started to realise is in short supply. Attached is a recipe I use a lot.

Add to stir fry, salads, wraps, curries. Whatever.
ps really quick and easy to make, my kids make it as a snack

Tesco sell red lentil fusilli, its a great substitute for regular pasta, packed full of protein, and cooks more quickly than normal pasta too. I highly recommend

Babybels are low calorie and high protein! Great as a snack

I have a lowish carb diet so I have to think about protein a lot. Its been excellent for keeping appetite keen, killing cravings and losing weight and getting in shape. I eat tons too.
Full fat Greek yoghurt x 3 spoonfuls
Cottage cheese
(Silken tofu with pepper and a squeeze of lime is a 'vegan cottage cheese' substitute that's nice on ryvita)
If you have eggs then have three at a time (poached or hard boiled for example)
When you use tofu or tempeh try to have 2 x size of your palm
Beans and lentils you really need a whole tin but I tend to mix and match, so for example I make a chickpea curry and then put some tofu in and have a hard boiled egg on top.

Seitan is simply gluten. It has to be completely avoided by anyone with coeliac disease, and it also causes multiple symptoms (including abdominal pain, diarrhoea, bloating, headache, brain fog etc) in people with non coeliac gluten intolerance.
I wouldn’t recommend relying on it as a protein source - there are better options such as nuts, mushrooms, legumes (peas, beans, lentils) and for non vegans, eggs, milk and cheese.