My parents are really worried about me not getting enough protein, since I don't eat meat. However, I do eat lots of Boca burgers and soymilk...about 2 or 3 Boca burgers a day, and about 3 glasses of soymilk. However, I am kind of worried about this...I am only getting protein from two different sources. Shouldn't I be having more different sources of protein? So, I recently bought some tofu, but I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH IT. Do people just eat it right out of the box? It seems kind of weird to me. Do any of you know any good recipes for tofu? Can you like, spread it on crackers? I'm not a real hard-core cook, so I'm just looking for easy solutions here.
humans only need between 15grams to 60 grams of protein a day most americans eat way too much protein.. too much is not good for you a serving size of most protein rich foods is about the size of a deck of playing cards, about 3 grams.
I discussed protein in detail on another thread. I suggest you give it a read as to further your understanding of what your dietary needs are. http://hipforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=129787&page=2&pp=10 If you and your parents have any questions or concerns, you can ask me and I'll help you out.
well, if all you are eating is boca burgers and soy milk, then you are actually only getting 1 source of protein - soy protein (and tofu is also soy). i'd say you should definitely vary your diet but "getting enough protein" as a vegetarian should never be a problem. If you want some easy solutions try peanut butter on whole wheat toast (for breakfast?), hummus on whole wheat pita, or tortillas and black bean dip. or just eat a few hand fulls of nuts/seeds during the day.
If your parents say you need to get more protein, from meat sources.... ask them this.. Where do the animals get the protein? Because a majority of the meat that we eat come from herbivores...
ack!! a quarter pounder? why on earth would anyone WANT to eat animal protien? it causes you to lose bone calcium.. not good!:H
Are you new to vegetarianism? [or veganism, whichever you are...] No offense, but I think you need to do a bit more research. I wouldn't say eating 2-3 Boca burgers a day is very healthy either. Like someone else said, yes, soymilk, Boca burgers [and other SOY burgers], and tofu, are only one protein: soy. Try to vary it.... get more protein from legumes, nuts, seeds, AND soy to make a healthier balance. This includes but is certainly not limited to: kidney beans, pinto beans, black beans, lentils, peanuts, cashews, walnuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, soy nuts, etc. And, of course soy protein is healthy too, but I wouldn't overwhelm my diet on it as you are. Soymilk is a good choice for other vitamins too though, so you're on track with that part, I think. Not to mention I wouldn't eat as much Boca burgers as you do, because they are insanely processed to hell, and if you're looking to be healthy, in my opinion, processed foods aren't exactly the way to go. They are great once and while. Or even a few times a WEEK, but everyday, and more than one everyday, isn't exactly healthy. You CAN be healthy and be vegan/vegetarian, you just have to learn a bit about it first. Don't forget you need other vitamins and nutrients as well, aside from protein. Protein is actually one of the least of your worries I'd say. Make sure you eat lots of veggies, fruits, and grains too!!!! Whole wheat bread, cereals, pastas, rice... all good for filling up and staying energized.
Very well said, Apples & Oranjes! I am so sick of the emphasis on protein! You're right, there are so many more nutrients that we need to focus on....a well balanced vegetarian diet is the key to good health!
"Actually, protein intakes above 20% are not recommended based on current research, even for weight lifters. High protein intakes stress your kidneys and do not result in greater muscle gain." I got this quote from a registered dietician's website. In fact, I did quite a bit of browsing around and didn't find any negative info about vegetarian diets and insufficient protein. Most info from "scholarly" resources was actually in support stating that a diet lower in animal proteins was better healthwise. This is a link to the American Dietetic Association: http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/SID-5303FFEA-D1166170/ada/hs.xsl/advocacy_933_ENU_HTML.htm As for other "scholarly" resources stating the distress from eating a "quarter pounder", reading John Robbins "Diet for a New America" was enough to convince me. I read it 11 years ago and haven't eaten a quarter pounder or anything like it since. I don't know if he's enough of a "scholarly" resource for you, but for a man who has dedicated his time (ever since leaving his company Baskin and Robbins) to research the devestating effects of a meat based diet....well it was word enough for me to start my own research.
i'm not arguing that high protein is good. Your average person doesn't need more than 20%. I know 20% of protein for me is 140 grams of protein. Thats a tad bit higher than the 15-60 that someone else recommended. I'm 180 pounds a need to eat 2800 calories to maintain my weight. Oh, btw, doctors and sports nutritionists disagree widely on what is acceptable protein level. But sports nutritionists gear their studies towards elite athletes... but, i want to know where the notion that animal protein cases calcium loss in the bone
Well, I'm sure the notion came from the theory that high protein diets contribute to a break down in calcium absorption but if anyone else is willing to look on the internet and read different articles on the matter, then they will see that there are many different theories on the subject. In your defense, Megara, I will agree that there is not enough evidence to suggest that a high protein diet is the direct cause of bone loss, although I'm sure it doesn't help. In fact, the thing that most theories point to is the consumption of soda. Yuck! But that's a whole other ballgame. Anyway, it has been proven that a diet without or low in animal protein has many health benefits, even if there is no concrete evidence that it is the direct cause of bone loss. With a high incidence of cancer these days, bone loss is not one of my main concerns.
BTW, I'm not trying to open up a whole other can of worms with my last comment on cancer and the health benefits of a vegetarian diet. I believe the original intent of this thread was RubyTuesday expressing worry over not getting enough vegetable protein, so I hardly think a quarter pounder justifies that. Anyway, RubyTuesday, if you look at the ADA website that I posted above there is an excellent chart with recommended nutrients. Maybe if you share some of the information with your parents, their worries will ease a bit.
