am i getting enough protein?

[it was electric]

ive been trying to stick to the vegan diet for 12 days (new years resolution) and i've been doing pretty well.. except for today when i got really mad and ate a big bowl of pasta w/ cheese sauce :tired: (yeah.. i eat like crazy when i've had a bad day... not a healthy habit.)


aaanyway... i took a record of all the protein i've been taking in (daily) and it wasnt enough! now im really confused because all the vegans say they have no problem getting enough protein.. and even on the day where i ate the most amount of protein i STILL wasnt enough!!

according to peta.. i need 47.2 grams of protein a day.

i ate a big pita stuffed with those falafel balls and vegetbles, *vegan* french toast (2 slices, wheat bread) and a big glass of chocolate soymilk. i was still 15.25 grams short of my daily protein requirement.

what am i doing wroing?? do i need supplements??

[Wolfie]

Do you like tofu, beans, lentils, quinoa? All are pretty high in protein.

[it was electric]

i do like tofu and beans.. havent tried the other 2.
but i dont eat them every day.

[epski]

How many calories do you eat per day?

[MollyGoat]

i do like tofu and beans.. havent tried the other 2.
but i dont eat them every day.
Well, you need to. You need to eat some kind of bean every day.

:) Beans are one of the most healthful foods out there and once you incorporate them into your daily diet you will have no problem meeting your protein requirements.

Is that food you posted all you ate in a WHOLE DAY? Oh man. You have bigger problems than protein, if so. Veggies, fruits, healthy fats!! Yargh!!

[beforewisdom]

Many vegans ( I am a vegan ), especially animal rights web sites are confused about protein.

I recommend that your read this article written by vegan Jack Norris of vegan outreach who is a Registered Dietitian:

http://www.veganhealth.org/shv/

Contrary to the word on the street humans do need to compliment their proteins, they just don't need to compliment them at every/or the same meal. If you do this your body will get a more usable set of amino acids.

It is simple:

Whole grains + legumes
seeds + legumes

Avoid getting nutrition information from AR sites, veg*n sites, or web mavens. These sources are often mistaken, outdated, or have intentional omissions.

Read the article above . It is written by a degreed health professional who is a vegan.

[it was electric]

i just read that article :]

the only beans i do eat are vegan refried beans in a can. and i only eat those in bean burritos.. which i eat around once or twice a month ;/

i dont know how to cook beans... or what they taste good with besides burritos.

[CountessKerouac]

Combine lots of beans, veggies and whole grains, plus some soy products and you should be set! Avoid too much processed and refined grains.

[MollyGoat]

I love your avatar, IWE!

Beans taste good in nearly everything. And you don't need to cook them really at all if you buy canned. Just rinse the yucky can water off and use in a recipe.

Check out the recipe section here on VB--and pm me if you would like some bean recipes that taste great.

[it was electric]

thanks about the avatar (assuming you were talking to me) :D

ive been drinking soymilk smoothies daily... theyre packed with protein.


Is that food you posted all you ate in a WHOLE DAY?

yeah.. i was on a 1000 calorie diet at the time. i put in on hold though because it was hard enough going vegan without worrying about dieting.
ive started to eat more.. but im still concerned about not getting enough of something because ive been feeling very irritable and lethargic lately. i dont know if its my diet or if its melatonin supplements ive been taking every night to help me sleep.

[MollyGoat]

Yes, I meant you :)

I don't think that a 1000 calorie a day diet is necessarily always insufficient, but eating that way it is. You were hardly getting any nutrients! My gosh!

If you want advice on how to improve your diet, post a typical day and everyone will tell you things, I'm sure--we love to do that around here :)

[it was electric]

ok... where do i post? anywhere?

i'd post what i ate today had i not ate fettucini alfredo :/

[MollyGoat]

You can just post here! As this is Your Own Thread. ;)

[Descentia]

To get enough prtein in my diet, I buy small cans of chickpeas, butter beans or other canned legumes, then just make a huge salad, rinse the beans and throw them in, add a balsamic dressing and you're ready to roll!

YOu can put beans in a lot of stuff. Also, make some hummus and eat it on bread instead of butter.