My wife is a vegetarian and has been for years. She’s not a strict vegetarian because she does eat seafood and dairy products. But she gave up red meat in the late 80′s and all meat products soon followed in the early 90′s. Her reasons aren’t so much health related as they are environmental, which is why she started with red meat. But when she got to college, there was always a vegetarian option in the cafeteria and so taking that next step was easy for her.
While non-vegetarians don’t usually worry about consuming enough protein, many vegetarians do. My wife is no exception here. In fact, since she’s become an elite athlete who commonly runs 60 miles/week, lifts weights, and attends yoga classes, she is always hungry and never satiated. In fact, she’s thinking about adding poultry to her diet in the hopes that the extra protein will fill her up and curb her appetite.
As the primary cook for a vegetarian, I have explored many of the commonly available meat alternatives for vegetarians. Below, is a list of the most commonly available options along with some information about each of them:
Soy Protein–Soy protein has been a staple in the Chinese diet for around 4000 years. It’s an excellent source of high quality protein and is low in both cholesterol and fat. There is some research (low incidence of breast and colon cancer in China and Japan) that points to soy protein as having anti-cancer properties. Soy protein has also been shown to lower cholesterol as well. Probably the most common type of vegetarian protein, soy comes in many familiar forms including: Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP), tofu, tempeh, miso, and soy dairy alternatives.
Mycoprotein–Mycoprotein is made by the fermentation of a fungus (Fusarium gramineurum). The fungus is grown in a tower with added glucose, oxygen, nitrogen, vitamins and minerals and then further processed with egg protein into a final product that has a texture that is very similar to many meats. Many vegetarians (our family included) swear by mycoprotein which goes by the brand name Quorn because the texture is so similar to real meat. It gets its texture because the fungus grows in long filamentous strands that resemble the structure of muscle fibers. Quorn comes in a variety of forms such as nuggets, patties, and cutlets as well as full meals such as curries, pastas and, pies and casseroles.
Wheat Protein–Our family has never tried wheat protein. Supposedly, it is supposed to have a texture more similar to real meat than Quorn’s. Wheat protein is sometimes called Seitan. It is derived from wheat gluten. The gluten is removed from wheat and then processed into a meat like product. Wheat protein is less commonly available than the other types of proteins described above and is found mostly in health food stores.
The above list is definitely not an all inclusive one. There are many, less processed sources of protein for vegetarians including beans, nuts, and seeds. My family eats its fair share of nuts and beans, and our favorite form of commercially available vegetarian protein is definitely the Quorn family of products. But I’m always looking for new ways to get more protein into my wife’s diet. Who knows, maybe she’ll flip the switch and start eating some more sources of animal protein in the near future.
{ 19 comments… read them below or add one }
This question always makes me laugh. Have you ever heard of anyone in Western civilization who has died of protein deficiency?
As a society, we are on a protein kick right now and eating way too much of it. Vegetarians get plenty of protein simply by eating what they eat. If you eat a generous helping of veggies at a meal, you can get 20g easily right there. I don’t know a single vegetarian (or vegan) who actually thinks about this stuff.
Ryan–I agree with you that the majority of people do get enough protein in their diets. But I have a few thoughts based on your comments.
I haven’t ever heard of anyone in Western civilization dying of protein deficiency. However, most of the people I know have loftier goals in life than simply avoiding death–they want to thrive. If adding a little bit of extra protein gives you extra energy and makes you feel better, then I say go for it.
I think it’s very important to eat a balanced diet complete with carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. However, if I were going to alter my intake to help me feel fuller, longer I would definitely be looking to cut out some carbs and fats (depending on the types) while increasing my protein consumption. In terms of satiety, you definitely get more bang for your buck from eating protein laden foods.
Remember this post was written with a very active, athletic vegetarian in mind. Running what she calls an “accidental 60 mile week” is commonplace for her. Throw in a couple of weightlifting sessions and a yoga class and she’s doing a lot of muscle tearing and rebuilding during a week which may be the cause of her constant hunger. Perhaps if she ate more protein, this problem would go away.
While I did say in the post that many vegetarians worry about how much protein they consume, perhaps I should have worded it differently. Maybe I should have expressed it in terms of variety of protein instead of quantity of protein. As the primary cook in our household, I’m constantly on the look out for new meatless recipes to put on my family dinner table. I hope this comment helps to clarify my position.
I lift weights regularly and, while not a vegetarian by any means, I do try to minimize my consumption of meat. I usually eat some type of meat around 2 times per week but I get most of my protein from other sources. Some great ones that work for me are:
1. Peanut Butter (Dark Chocolate Dreams by Peanut Butter Co is my favorite and it’s very healthy)
2. Hummus…I’m Middle Eastern haha
3. Lentils and other beans/legumes
4. Mozzerella Cheese
Another thing, if she is doing it for enviromental reasons, you could try convincing her to eat organic, grass-fed animal protein. Studies show that grass-fed, mom-and-pop raised animals have better quality meat without the bad environmental factors. In fact, cows grazing naturally is good for the soil! Also, more fish could be a good short-term solution. Salmon and shrimp are my bread and butter. Good luck and I hope I helped.
Farooq–Thanks for the advice. Regarding your grass fed beef: Pam has strongly considered adding this to her diet since we have easy access to the beef that actually grazes on our own pasture. She just hasn’t quite given in to the idea of eating beef after such a long time without it.
@Mac: Good point. Unless I missed where you said this, is your wife ovo-lacto?
Ryan–Actually, my wife is what we call an ovo-lacto-pesca-terian
If it has fur or feathers, she won’t eat it at this point. Though as mentioned earlier, she’s considering the cows in our pasture for upcoming holiday meals. We’ll see.
Fantastic post! I’ve been vegetarian (with one big exception, which I’ll explain soon) for almost 3 years now. I’m not a huge fan of the fake meat products; I really do enjoy meat, just not the health/environmental effects, so I’m not easily fooled by tofurkey and the like. Some of the biggest sources of protein for me are:
1. Oatmeal almost every morning. I throw in flax seed, wheat germ, fresh fruit, and sometimes peanut butter to pack in the protein.
2. Beans. My mom lived in Guatemala, so I’ve grown up with a pot of fresh black beans on the stove every week. If you combine them with brown rice, they’re a good, filling source of protein.
3. Hummus/chickpeas. Great veggie dip, sandwich spread, salad topper.
4. Almonds. I have a quarter cup of these every day for my snack.
That said, I had to let vegetarianism go during my pregnancy. I wasn’t gaining enough weight, and my energy level was always low. I work full-time, so I wasn’t able to spend the time REALLY plotting out my protein requirement every day. For me, it was an acceptable compromise to eat poultry to help my daughter grow enough. She was a healthy 7 lb, 11 oz! I’d imagine this is a similar situation to your wife’s: her body simply needs more protein. I COULD have kept up the vegetarianism during pregnancy, I just didn’t have the time to track my protein. Best wishes to her- it’s so worth it!
Liz–Thanks for the comment! And that’s a good list of high quality protein sources. We do our fair share of peanut butter consumption, as well as oatmeal.
I’m not a vegetarian, but I’m part of a 4-person lunch group at work – we take turns bringing a vegetarian meal for lunch, so I cook for one day and get meals three other days. It’s awesome.
Since it’s lunch and we need to be fueled to be productive and energized for our work, I’m careful to keep protein in mind. I am a huge fan of wheat berries – they’ve got a great nutty crunch, are easy to cook (boil, then simmer for ~45-60 minutes, then drain any excess water), and don’t get soggy like many other grains do. According to one web source, 1/2 cup of cooked wheat berries have: 151 calories; 1 g fat (0 g sat, 0 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 29 g carbohydrates; 6 g protein; 4 g fiber; 265 mg sodium; 2 mg potassium.
I also experiment with beans, cheese, spinach, and other grains like quinoa, but wheat berries have become my fallback. I buy them in bulk from a local store.
I will second what the first poster said. You really don’t have to worry about getting enough protein in your diet as long as you are eating enough non-processed products. Whole wheat bread/pasta, brown rice, dairy, vegetables – all of those have protein in them. I am extremely active, just like your wife (although not a runner, more hiking/backpacking/yoga) and have never had any protein problems.
Especially if you are consuming dairy products (like cheese, which has as much protein per ounce as meat) you shouldn’t have to worry about anything. And if she is feeling hungry and non satisfied, she probably just needs to eat and snack more. Try string cheese, a cliff bar, or trail mix. In my opinion, those foods taste better and fill me up longer than fake meat.
I’ve been vegetarian for almost 20 years, and am a personal trainer. Like your wife I do a LOT of exercise on any given week. I have no problem getting protein. Like all athletes you just need to watch your diet (that’s the difference here folks, his wife running 60 miles plus other weekly session IS an athlete and does need to make sure she takes in the protein for muscle repair). Anyway here is my usual day:
Breakfast – oatmeal, flaxmeal, soymilk & 1/2 banana
post workout shake – water, 1/2 banana, handfull berries, protein powder
lunch – some high fibre carb (usually wholewheat pasta with marinara), tofurkey sausage (if I recall they have 25g of protein), with salad veggies. Maybe occasionally a sprinkle of cheese.
mid afternoon snack – fruit, natural fat free greek yogurt, serving of almonds
dinner – depends if I am cutting or not. Usually some kind of protein with veggies.
Beth–Wheat berries huh? I’ll have to give them a shot, though they don’t seem to be very high in protein when you look at their carbs as well.
Cassie–Good ideas. She probably does need to eat more food. I wasn’t aware that dairy products had as much protein as meat.
Di–That sounds like a great menu with a lot of protein. But do you get bored with that meal plan? How do you mix it up?
@Mac: In that case, she should try the breakfast of champions: Oatmeal w/ peanut butter, egg whites (add hot sauce if you need to), and fruit. I know of plenty of professional athletes who eat oatmeal and egg whites for breakfast. Great as a breakfast or a pre-workout/race meal.
I like to avoid excessive dairy near a workout, as it seems to sit in my stomach a lot longer than other foods. (Meat included.)
I’m a vegetarian and I worry about protein!
I usually supplement as I don’t like Tofu. Hmm…I’ve never even heard of Quorn. I’ll have to see if we can get it here.
Andrew–Here’s the website for Quorn. They’re a British company and have been selling products in the UK since 1985. They only made it to the US in 2002. Their website says they are the #1 meat free brand of food in the world.
Ryan–We do eat a lot of oatmeal in our house, but we’ve never tried it with peanut butter. And unfortunately, it’s usually the instant kind with lots of added sugar masked as “maple” or “blueberry.” It’s something that both Pam and I are aware of and are working on. It’s just so easy!
Mac I generally eat that Mon-Fri then at the weekend I go on my ‘cheat’ days. Though honestly I like veggies and salads and pasta so it’s not a huge deal for me. I also like quorn and have that with potatoes or something for a change, or a wrap of some kind. Usually though I eat like this Monday – Friday. Then at the weekend for dinners we’ll eat out or something, usually Indian, chinese or souplantation. I do LOVE indian food though so that keeps me on track cos the stuff I like is quite fattening (shahi paneer)
Seitan/processed wheat gluton is my favorite meat substitute. It is good in stir-frys as well as any type of stew that you make (the longer it gets to be marinated/cooking in the juices of what you’re making, the better it will be). Some favorites include mulligatawny stew and stir-fried with vegetables in curry sauce.
Quinoa is also a great source of protein and, IMO, tastier than rice.
My best friend recently went through a vegan prenancy where she also had gestational diabetes and couldn’t have any processed carbs AT ALL because it made her so violently ill. She has a great blog with lots of recipes: http://thepalatialpalate.blogspot.com/
Oh, and I just wanted to comment here as well that the fact that Quorn products are not vegan is a HUGE disappointment to me, even though I’m not vegan myself.
For your wife, silken tofu can be blended with frozen fruit to make a smoothie. Also, scrambled tofu is IDENTICAL in taste to scrambled eggs, and if you use tumeric then it is even the same color. The So Delicious brand of products has a vegan yogurt that is amazing.