Vegetarian Protein

[Barbeegrrll]

So, I've been a vegetarian for 20 yrs and always thought I was doing the right thing. Today I went to a holistic practitioner for the first time and she told me that my number one problem ( with migraine and peri-menopausal symptoms) is not enough protein in my diet. She thinks that if I up my protein, my whole body will be in better shape in just a few weeks.
My question for you all is- if you are vegetarian, how do you get your protein? ( I really used to hate it when people asked me that question!) And don't worry about stating the obvious- I'm curious about it all!
I'm also looking for listings of foods and their protein content- to try to maximize my intake.

ETA- I should have noted that I'm trying to follow a vegan diet, not just vegetarian, so cheeses, etc. are out.

[weezil]

Spinach, nutritional yeast, beans, eggs, cheese. Mock meat in small quantities (I like Quorn best, and I try to eat it no more than three times a week). I don't usually do tofu or tempeh at home, but I eat them at restaurants.

I eat spinach just about every day. Like, standing in my kitchen shoving handfuls into my mouth as if I were an apatosaurus.

Nutritional yeast is easy to add to other things and use as a topping for salads or popcorn - the brand I have says it has 6g protein per 1.5 tbs serving.
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[carlee134]

chickpeas! Especially workandplay's infamous pasta e ceci recipe.
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[weezil]

This site has some charts with useful information!
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[anniebeegoode]

if you are into chickpeas, i'm loving this recipe- curried chickpeas with couscous!
use quinoa instead of couscous- 6 grams of protein per serving in the quinoa alone!
http://www.familycircle-digital.com/familycircle/201009?pg=228#pg228

also, wheat germ has protein and can be added to everything!
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[puck]

thanks weezil! i found the charts there useful, but the text really un-useful... to me, their example vegan diet is already including a lot of protein boosters (i.e., who eats oatmeal *and* a bagel for breakfast? adding almonds to meals randomly?) and is still, like, half as much protein as i need. so i can understand their caution against "omg eat all protein all the time," but i think that the obsession with protein is not unwarranted - because i know that a lot of us aren't getting as much as our bodies want.
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[gemma]

I am not a huge fan of quinoa, but I do love mixing it into other things. I make up a ton of it and dump it onto roasted veggies (the oils make it stick to the veggies, and it looks good and adds a nice crunch), mix it into guacamole, and put it in my green salads.


I eat a LOT of lentils. A lot. They're so full of protein! I eat them with a sort of honey mustard/red wine vinegar dressing that adds a nice bite and moisture to them. That mix is easy to plop on a bed of greens with avocado and tomato for a really filling meal.

I made a list of what things have the most of certain nutrients I know I need more of, as well as the serving sizes, so I can be sure that I'm really getting enough. I keep it taped in the cupboard. Super simple, but it works.

[vintagehybrid]

mmm, you all are making me hungry! popcorn with nutritional yeast is a favorite of mine. have any of you tried any vegan protein powders that you actually like? i've been trying to take this:
http://reviews.vitacost.com/4595/76328/lifetime-lifes-basic-plant-protein-chocolate-1-31-lbs-reviews/reviews.htm
which i like in theory, but i really dislike the flavor, i think because it's sweetened with stevia.

[midnightsky1686]

My mom's latest is obsessing over the fact that I might not be eating enough calcium since I don't drink milk (argh, possibly true, but I actually get quite a bit of calcium from the foods I eat).

Anyways.

Most of my protein comes from beans on the average day- mostly black beans and pinto beans right now. I also eat eggs, tofu (when eating out), and maybe once or twice a week some sort of fake meat- mostly fake taco meat.

As you might guess by that, my current food obsession is tacos with beans or taco meat. Add in some onion and peppers and it is a fast and easy meal. Costco sells huge packs of guacamole (actually it is divided in to smaller packs so it doesn't go bad quickly), so I have been eating even more black beans of late since it is just so good to eat a bowl of black beans with guacamole and pickled onions.
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[Barbeegrrll]

All great information and ideas!
I also found this website[url] http://www.fatfreekitchen.com/nutrition/high-protein-foods.html[/url], which looks like it will be helpful, too.
ETA- I don't know why the link takes you to the main page, but on the right hand side is the link for the high protein foods- if you click on that it takes you to the right page

[Barbeegrrll]

Also, what about Chia seed? Has anyone tried this before? I bought some ground chia seed on sale at my local co-op and I think I'm going to try to throw it into whatever I make. It sounds like it might be a good option to add some protein and other vitamins and minerals http://blog.thrivefoods.net/2009/07/chia-seeds-top-10-benefits.html

[checkersumthing]

Thank you for posting this!!! Protein is something I've been wondering about lately. I know that when I eat enough, I feel full and satisfied, but other than beans or meat, I wasn't really sure how much I was getting from different sources. While I'm far from a vegetarian or vegan, I don't eat a lot of meat, but have been slowly incorporating small amounts into my diet simply because it was an easy way to get protein. Now I'm going to hunker down with those lists and figure out what to sub to go meatless.

And Puck, I totally agree with you. Those meal plans aren't realistic (but the website overall is helpful). Plus, barely any veg! I feel like there has to be a balance between veg and protein, otherwise I get all plugged up.
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[PrickleyPete]

One easy way to sneak eggs in as protein in soups or veggie dishes is to make mock egg noodles.

Beat together however many eggs you want with a bit of water or milk like you were making scrambled eggs. Pour a thin layer of egg into a pan as if you were making a crepe and flip over when it's cooked on one side. Do not scramble.

Once you have made all your egg crepes, slice them into thin strips that you can add to whatever veggie dish you are making.

For protein I do beans, dairy, eggs, tofu, spinach and nuts. Sometimes a spirulina smoothie.

[super_nuova]

I try to eat Greek yogurt to up my protein intake. Plus, I think it just tastes better than regular yogurt.

PS: Another garbanzo rec in case anyone's into that sort of thing: this curry turned out to be really good. But this recipe makes A LOT. Just to warn you. I got it from Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian cookbook, which has a lot of awesome recipes divided by main ingredient (lots of legumes, beans, grains, etc. as well as veggies).
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[weezil]

I posted that site less for the meal plans, which didn't sound very good, and more for the second or third chart that has protein content listings. I should've made that clearer :)

(Continuing to shovel spinach into my face WHY IS IT SO DELICIOUS)
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