Alirb1213

Monday, January 11, 2010

Protien

I am a vegitarian and in need of more protien. any recipy ideas?

Ps. im picky 

 clpblank

Friday, January 15, 2010

Re: Protien

It really depends on what items u are using for protiens. What type of vegitarian are you? Understand that I am pure carnivor, but as a Chef I have had to learn to cook all styles of cusine.  I enjoy legumes as i stay away from tofu like the plague.

 chefka

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Re: Protien

Are you a strict vegetarian?  Does your diet include fish, eggs, milk, poultry, any dairy?  There are manu vegetarians who allow fish in their diet and some dairy.  Knowing this will help so you can be guided in the right direction.

 HiltonHeadIsland

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Re: Protien

My intuition tells me that you recently chose vegetarianism. "im picky" means you have not experimented much with international foods, so you fear being grossed out. However, most of the interesting and delicious protein alternatives come from other cultures that have developed vegetarian cuisine for thousands of years.

A mixture of legumes and grains will provide the complete set of amino acids your body needs to make proteins.  Examples are: rice and beans, bread and hummus, minestrone soup made with pasta and beans, rice and lentils.  These examples of Italian, Mexican, Indian and Middle Eastern foods illustrate the fact that great vegetarian dishes can be found in most cultures.

If you want to play it safe, you can substitute TVP (textured vegetable protein) for ground meat in a pot of chili or a spaghetti sauce.  You'll have to invest in some special shopping trips to find the right ingredients such as this one.  Morningside makes a pretty nice line of frozen meat substitutes such as veggie bacon and sausage, all of which are variants on TVP.

Smoothies made with soy milk and frozen fruits are great for vegetarians young and old alike.  One of those and a peanut butter sandwich will give you a great shot of protein.

I agree with clpblank about staying away from tofu because it is pretty boring, with one exception: spicy Asian tofu. It's delicious, has a firm texture and a really long shelf life.  You'll find it in 8 ounce packages at asian supermarkets.  Stir it in with some rice noodles, Napa Cabbage and Pad Thai sauce, and you should be pleasantly surprised.

The Indian cultures have developed vegetarianism to a high level, so try going to a good all-you-can eat Indian lunch buffet.  There you can sample at least ten different dishes, such as naan bread and dal (lentils).

Now, my advice here has assumed that you are looking for a vegan (non-dairy) diet.  If you allow dairy into your diet, you can get plenty of protein from milk, yogurt and cheese.  However, getting your protein from dairy can introduce more fat into your diet than getting it from meats.  So, fat-conscious vegetarians should try to get lots of protein from combinations of legumes and grains.

I hope this helps you to enjoy your healthy vegetarian lifestyle.

[edited January-20-2010]

 Sherri

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Re: Protien

What may suprize you is that there are many sources of protein in places you would not expect. I would recommend a book that I read many years ago called "Diet for a Small Planet" by Frances Morre Lappe. Granted it contains many subjects that may not interest you, but Section 3 teaches how to make "complimentary proteins" by combining certain foods together, such as rice and beans, seeds and wheat, milk and rice, etc... It's fascinating really and good for anyone to know, not just vegetarians. The book also contains many recipes. Now my book is very old, printed back in the 1970's. There may be a more current version, and I expect there is, but I do not know what it contains. I'm sure you will be able to locate an old copy, if you desire, online at an out of print bookseller like Alibris or Powells. Hope this helps!