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More protein rich vegetarian food
Dear Friends,
It had been over six months every since I became vegetarian. But my concerns has raised as I had lost my weight quite a bit. I am only 50 Kg now, I use to be 56 Kg. The diets I am having is normal vegetarian indian curries, rice and chapatis [as I am Indian by origon ].
I really want to find out, more healthy food and protein and calcium enrich food, so that I can regain my weight and become more healthier.
I will be very much thankful for your responses and support.
Best wishes,
Deepak
First of all, I really recommend you to read Becoming Vegan to clear health issues up
http://books.google.nl/books?id=7Np8oDorPswC&printsec=frontcover&dq=becoming+vegan&hl=nl&ei=QU3rTf3SG4GhOr62vIwB&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CC8Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false
As a vegetarian you should replace your protein sources, not just exclude them. That means you need to eat beans and other protein rich foods.
Hi Deepak,
first of all: are you sure you are lacking protein? are you losing muscle mass, fat or what? are you feeling weak and sluggish? do you have any cravings?
I would say that you should first replace your staple with whole grains. White basmati rice that is most common in Indian cooking is mostly devoid of any real nutrition (beside taste: that's why people eat it with meat or curry). You can try whole basmati or other tropical long-grain rice, but since you do not live in a tropical climate, it's better to eat a hearty, short-grain European rice: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_rice
Other grains like millet and especially buckwheat are good for the winter. But remember to always eat enough beans and pulses with your grains so that you get a complete protein profile.
If you want to increase muscle mass, tempeh is probably the best choice. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tempeh
Cook it in a hearty, savoury way, deep-fried and marinated in soya sauce, and I swear there is nothing more satisfying than that. Tofu, on the other hand, is very rich in protein but it's also weakening food. Not the best for physically active people and not good to be eaten as a dish in itself (in Japan it's always used as an accompaniment to stronger foods such as fish).
Peanuts and peanut butter are among the protein-richest foods. And cheap. Many people have to be careful with them, but if you really need it, you can try.
Minerals: most people forget that if you are worried about bone density, there are so many other minerals beside calcium that you need. most of them, and especially calcium, are found in green leafy vegetables. Eat plenty of broccoli, all sorts of cabbage, carrot greens, pakchoy, etc. Blanch them very short time in hot boiling water until the green colour comes out, or quick-sautée them in a wok pan. Don't let them overcook otherwise they're useless.
Bon appetit!
since you are turning vegetarian, you should be able to eat a lot of paneer. Make sure you add mushrooms, capsicum, beans[rajma] and stuff like that to your diet. You could also drink a glass of daal[lentils] after your lunch!
since you are turning vegetarian, you should be able to eat a lot of paneer. Make sure you add mushrooms, capsicum, beans[rajma] and stuff like that to your diet. You could also drink a glass of daal[lentils] after your lunch!
Often when folks go veg, they unknowingly cut a lot of fat from their diet... that is more often the cause of problems than protein, which you really don't need much of (10-12% of your calories, if you're eating enough calories for your body's needs-- or 0.36 grams of protein per pound of body weight per day)... try adding healthy fats to your diet: on cold salads, wraps, & sandwiches, drizzle with flax/ olive/ hemp/ sesame/ almond/ walnut oil; eat avocados, walnuts, almonds, cashews, pecans, brazil nuts, peanuts, or sunflower seeds-- either alone or in salads, stir-fries, stuffings, etc; make nut cheez with raw cashews, to eat as dip/ on crackers or as a sandwich spread; add healthy oils to soups, stews, casseroles, such as walnut, olive, sesame, almond, avocado, & walnut oil... betcha that'll turn the trick! Usually it's not protein that's the problem, when you have unwanted weight loss or feel like your diet isn't 'hearty' enough: it's fat. A lot of veggie foods are naturally low fat-- which is good, overall! But you do need a certain amount of it, and if you cut out animal fat/ don't replace it with healthier options, you'll lose weight & may feel unsatisfied. Also, be sure you are eating enough calories for your body size & activity level... many healthy veg foods are naturally low-calorie, so if you don't eat large servings you may need to add more calorie-dense foods (like nuts, seeds, healthy oils, & avocados).
Hope that's helpful! :-)
Cheers,
Tanya
The key is to get variety!!! For example, some beans provide certain types of amino acids (the building blocks of protein) whereas others contain different ones. By getting your protein from different sources (beans, nuts, legumes, etc.), you can ensure you are getting complete protein.
More on that here: http://vegetariansupplementsguide.com/protein-and-amino-acids
The same goes for fats, minerals and vitamins. Try to eat the rainbow. Also, make sure that every meal has some protein in it.
My advice is to start experimenting with different foods of the world. For example, you can make a killer bean burrito. Ethiopian lentils are also amazing.
This post has been removed by the user.
This post has been removed by the user.
You can also google "protein myth" to find out that You dont have to stress the protein issue particularly.
I and others claim that we really dont need more amino acids than what (preferably raw) fruits, veggies and green leafs supply us.
Check this for example: http://youtu.be/ae-dlHOmwk4
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from Rotterdam, Netherlands (Permalink)
