How much protein should we be eating? Non-meat lover...

[Peasandyoghurt]

So I'm what my meat-loving dp calls a 'recovering veggie' - I was a vegetarian from aged 7-27, then 'sold out' and have been eating a bit of meat for the last few years, but never really got used to it - I love a nice chicken caesar or chicken in a pasta and, shamefully, bacon, but outside of that nothing very much.

Since I've become pregnant it's only got worse as I can't get my normal M&S caesar wrap or anything like that because read that cold chicken is dangerous, and anything hot I'm always terrified it isn't cooked through properly - especially when we eat out, I just don't trust anything. My meat always used to have to be incinerated, but now I'm doubly put off; not just by taste but also doing anything to damage baby.

Has anybody got any advice on a) how much protein is absolutely necessary for baby, and b) any tips of creative ways of tricking some extra sources into my diet?

I have asthma and so I'm going with the NHS's 'old' advice about avoiding peanuts, which I absolutely love, but definitely not worth risking a nut allergy in little one, which would be just terrible. I'm currently 11 weeks (not sure if more/ less protein is required at different stages of pregnancy?)

Hi Pease don't know how much we need, but quinoa is my new thing. lots of healthy protein and minerals. I cook it for bfast, cook in cold water 25 mins and then water will have gone, add rice milk and sultanas or dried fruit and a bit of orange peel or something and cook for a little bit. then eat on its own or with yog and fruit. some info on it here
www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?dbid=142&tname=foodspice

Cold chicken is dangerous? That's a new one on me...

If you eat a normal healthy vegetarian diet, I don't see what you would have to change (provided your not being sick and can actually eat properly).

Pulses are protein. Quinoa porrideg is a very good idea. Also hummus. Eat a lot of lentils and beans and your sorted.

Also, there are plenty of other nuts besides peanuts that you could snack on.

What on earth is wrong with cold chicken?

Quorn, if you like it, is an excellent source of protein. One of the main benefits of Quorn is the fact that it is rich in complete, vegetarian protein. According to thedailyplate.com, one 90-gram serving of Quorn Grounds contains 13 grams of protein. This is comparable to ground beef, at 15 grams of protein per 90-gram serving. Quorn Chicken Style Pieces are not quite as protein-rich as actual chicken breast, with 12 grams and 18 grams, respectively.
One of my fav meals is Quorn spagbol with wholemeal pasta. It's a vey good source of dietary fibre too. :)

Women have been having babies for years, if it was so treacherous then the human race would have died out by now.

I have never heard that cooked chicken is prohibited for pregnant women, but apart from that the biggest risk to pregnant women is food poisoning and how many people do you know that have been poisoned by a chicken caesar wrap.

I was told that a piece of protein the size of a matchbox is ample.
Never heard about cold chicken being dangerous though.

i've gone right off meat altogether but bringing the protein with fish and eggs

Cold chicken is apparently a big listeria risk. I'm not sure where I got the info from as got my super-blase dp to look it up when I was about to pick up a wrap and was unsure - he googled and told me definitely not to have it due to listeria risk seemed to be the consensus (and it must have seemed like a pretty solid consensus as he's normally very much of the 'it'll be FINE' school of thought)

As for nuts, I too thought it was only peanuts, and had a whole bag of cashews last week on to then see a couple of people on a 'confessional' thread on here mentioning cashews as something they knew they shouldn't have!

Thanks so much for all your ideas about Quorn etc - I'd strangely forgotten about all that wonderful stuff I used to eat when I was a proper veggie. Linda McCartney stuff as well - not sure whether that exists/ how protein rich it actually is, but I remember the 'pretend meat' pies etc were absolutely lovely!

ps, kreecher, was that per meal or per day? I'll be over the moon if the latter!

Per day. I was told this by a Dutch nutritonist/dietician when I was PG with DD. I wasnt' eating meat then and the Obstetrician was concerned.
Dutch lady said everyone over estimates the amount of protein you need. She suggested tofu and beetroot. Together.

I'm fairly certain the advice has changed regarding nuts so if they're an important source of protein in your diet, keep on eating them.

I don't eat meat or fish and didn't change my diet when I was pregnant with DD. I found myself having mild cravings for dairy products, which contain protein and of course eggs are a good source too. Quinoa is brilliant (although I quite like Quorn, I'm a bit suspicious about how processed it is, among other things) and if you put grains together with pulses (beans on toast, for example) you will have complete protein in your meal.

Adult humans don't actually need as much protein in their diet as most people seem to think anyhow. You will find your body is good at taking what nutrients it needs to nourish your baby, even if your diet is not ideal (but it sounds like it's probably fine).

The number of proteins we all consume needs to be nicely balanced, because consuming a lot of proteins and also using them in very low concentrations may lead to really serious health problems. On the other hand, if you wish to have a very good muscles, we must be sure of the particular proteins we eat. Through the next few lines we're going to try and answer the particular concern : What amount of protein we need to have a day?

Source: www.thevitaminmag.com/how-much-protein-do-i-need/

If we compare and contrast the number of calories we get as well as the number of proteins we require, there's a easy formula which says that proteins must make 20% of the whole number of calories each day. This means if an individual really needs 2000 calories on a daily basis, 400 calories should originate from proteins. Nonetheless, this specific formula isn't good as the amount of calories can vary in kids. To be even more accurate 400 calories is actually equivalent to 100 gr of proteins, and it's really way too much.

Additionally there is an additional formula, that takes under consideration the person's body weight. You simply divide your current weight (measured in pounds of weight) by 2 and afterwards take 10 out of that number. We can easily mention that this specific formula is a little improved, however it doesn?t take into consideration the life-style. Physically dynamic individuals need far more proteins, such as, weight lifters. This is due to muscle tissues have a tendency to are damaged when individuals do exercises. Proteins are consequently necessary to revive the muscle tissue.

Source: www.thevitaminmag.com/how-much-protein-do-i-need/

The muscle stimulation performs a vital part in the quantity of proteins we require every day. Essentially, the number could vary from 0.4 to 1.8 gr a kg of your entire body weight. Thus if a man or woman weights 100 kilos the needs for proteins will probably be from 40 to 180 gr according to the diet and lifestyle. You might suppose, 40 gr intended for exercise-free style, and 180 gr for individuals who are incredibly physically active. Each of the levels between those two numbers tend to be for those who are in the standard way of life. As a result it would be the best to keep the amounts somewhere within 50 up to 80 g of proteins each and every day. Having said that, it won?t be negative for you to have a quick discussion with your personal doctor.

I think your DP might have got a bit confused - the chicken advice I have read relates to not eating the rottiserie style chicken you can buy hot in a deli or Sainsburys etc as the risk of listeria is higher because it's being kept warm.

Cold chicken in "normal" M&S or Pret sandwiches or whatever is fine. I am eating them nearly every day!

Don't quote me on this completely but, I used to write a lot about food illnesses and bacteria as a journalist a few years back, and listeria was only a problem on meats where it was present as slaughter. If chicken is thoroughly cooked then the bacteria is killed, it can only be present on cooked meats through cross-contamination. Supermarkets go through a hugely rigorous food-testing routine BUT if you're still worried, then why not make your own and take it to work with you. If you cook your chicken thoroughly then you have nothing to worry about :)

Cold chicken is fine, nuts are fine (all nuts - only avoid peanuts if you have a strong allergic reaction to them yourself and even then it is doubtful if you have to totally abstain). So much crazy food advice out there. I find nuts really curb my cravings for sweet stuff. Miracle food.