My dad keeps telling me that my veganism will never give me a "complete protein"...what is he talking about? He is a health nut and eats very well but he thinks that I need egg whites to make up for the lack of complete protein. Also....my carbs are out of control! I am eating about 200-300 carbs a day and have gained 11 pounds in a year! Can someone tell me what the normal carb intake is and a good sample menu?



Thanks!

Wow that is a lot of carbs!!

I had a bad day today and ate about 280 grams fo carbs but that is not normal for me.



How many you need I think depends on your body and how active you are.

I mean if you are super active and you can eat 300 gramsa day and not gain a pound YAY for you , I however gain if I eat to many and I eat about 100 grams a day.

Course I am lacto/ovo vegetarian and I pretty much shun fruits in favor of veggies and avoid starch veggies and things like pasta with a passion.



I have no idea what the "normal" amount it because like I said I think it compleatly depends on your lifestyle.

eat your greens, they will provide you with amino acids which build protein. Make a fruit smoothie, and add a handfull of greens(spinach, kale, w/e). You wont taste the greens, but will get all of their benefits

Here's a basic explanation of the complete protein theory, and I apologize if my numbers are off: A protein molecule is made of something like 21 amino acids. 12 are already made by your body. Soy beans and animal products contain the other 9. Everything else has 4 or 5 or 8 or however many but not all nine, so some people believe that you must complement foods to "build" a complete protein. For example, grains may have 5 certain amino acids but not the other 4, while legumes have the other four, so you eat a peanut butter sandwich or a bean burrito and it's a "complete" protein.



On the other hand, some people believe that you don't necessarily have to complement proteins at EVERY MEAL. This theory is that if you just eat a nice balance of grains and legumes throughout the day, your body combines the amino acids itself.



I suggest just seeing which of these approaches work for you. Try complementing proteins using the grain+legume approach, and then try just eating whatever you want but making sure your diet is very balanced. As long as you have enough energy, you typically have enough protein.



Google "complete protein". Like 10 million sites come up where you can read more about this.



And remember, advice from people on the Internet is NOT medical information.

your dad the 'health nut' needs to update his information.

http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg...3_ENU_HTML.htm



You don't have to have perfectly complete complement of proteins at each meal. The human body is sturdier than that. If it were true there would be far less people in the third world. If you eat a halfway reasonable diet you are almost certaint to get enough of each amino acid.



The reason this wrong theory arose was an early writer of a veg*n book (forget the name/author) put pages and pages into her book about combining proteins and it gave the impression that if you wanted to be vegan you'd have to spend hours meticulously planning meals. Then regular people got the impression veganism was dangerous and likely to result in protein deficiency, and the meat/egg/dairy industries were only too happy to keep that false theory in circulation. Even though it's been debunked it's still around. My mom tried to use it on me and she has a Ph.D. in biopsychopharmacology.

Your dad also sounds like the type who would listen to research or articles you find about complete proteins and whether or not they need to be combined in the same meal. Elibrown has the basic theory right, though - it's all about balancing out the amino acids so you get all the types you need to make a complete protein.



Some sites you might want to check include the www.pcrm.org (physician's council for responsible medicine), or the Vegetarian Resource Group's page on protein in the vegan diet. The book "Becoming Vegan" also has a lot of good nutritional information in it.

Just like everyone else said, you can easily get enough protein on a vegan diet. Green leafy vegs, whole grains, soy, beans, all contain protein. As long as you eat a variety, you will get enough protein. As far as the carbs go, I often find myself over doing carbs when I don't get enough protein and/or fat. Over processed (white) carbs also run through your system quicker than whole grains (I don't know which you eat), which would leave you feeling hungry more often, and cause you to eat more. Fat (good fats!) help the digestive process, and help you feel full. If you eat just carbs and veg, you will probably be hungry all the time. Anyway, here are some websites with pretty good vegan meus, and a lot of other good nutritional info.



Hmmm.... I'm new here and it won't let me post other websites until I've posted fifteen times. I'll PM you.

200-300 grams of carbohydrates isn't real high. 300 g figures out to be 1200 kcals from carbohydrates. How many calories do you consume/day? If I knew that figure I could calculate the percentage of calories from carbohydrates you're getting.

300 g figures out to be 1200 kcals from carbohydrates. How many calories do you consume/day? If I knew that figure I could calculate the percentage of calories from carbohydrates you're getting. That would tell us whether you're getting to many carbohydrates. Asuming that you are a full grown female, 200-300 grams of carbohydrates probably isn't too many.



People that put on too much weight need to be concerned about calories. Consuming more calories than your body uses is what causes weight gain. The solutons are:



1) consume fewer calories by eating less food



2) consume fewer calories by eating more lower calorie foods and less higher calorie foods



3) burn more calories by exercising more

That's true if you look at it in terms of protein/calorie. But don't expect to get a lot of protein from greens though because the calories are low. Anything low in calories/volume is also low in protein/volume.

I agree with what elibrown said. Just wanted to add that e.g. soy beans do contain complete protein, only that there is less complete protein in them than "incomplete". So combining amino acids still makes sense.



Oh, and I think there is prevalent consensus now that you don't have to combine amino acids in every single meal; it's sufficient to eat a balance throughout the day.

Quinoa is a wonderful seed that can be used like a grain and has 8 of the amino acids. I recommend trying some sometime.

Thanks for all the responses!

I tried fit day and it looks like I am getting 60% or more of my calories from carbs *yikes* I have been eating ALOT of whole grain pasta...like plate full of pasta not just a cup like it says on the package. Gee, maybe that is my problem??! I am going to try pasta once a week and a cup and see what happens! The whole protein thing is confusing but I think I am getting the basic idea. I just have to prepare more veggies and eat more legumes, beans. I eat a bowl of cereal every morning with fortified silk soy so I know that is a good start....it's all the foods in between breakfasts lol!!!



xoxo

Bragg's Liquid Aminos is a substance that tastes kind of like soy sauce and can be sprayed or dripped onto any food to add more amino acids.



Don't worry about being confused. We all were about something at one time. Just remember the basic rule of thumb: balance your diet.



I also recommend a book: Being Vegetarian For Dummies. Just what it sounds like.

60% of your cals from carbs is perfectly fine.



300g/day of carbs is perfectly fine.



100g/day of carbs is just about the bare minimum you would want to consume.

You might want to consult a registered dietician: See the following link from the American Dietetic Association:



http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg...3_ENU_HTML.htm



Note that what the American Dietetic Association says about protein:



"Plant protein can meet requirements when a variety of plant foods is consumed and energy needs are met. Research indicates that an assortment of plant foods eaten over the course of a day can provide all essential amino acids and ensure adequate nitrogen retention and use in healthy adults, thus complementary proteins do not need to be consumed at the same meal "

From what I've seen, nutritionists recommend a MINIMUM of 55% calories from carbohydrates. 60% is NOT high. If you leave alcohol out of the equation:



% calories from fat + % calories from carbohydrates + % calories from protein = 100



The recommended calories from fat is <= 30% (and usually >= 15%)



The recommended calories from protein is usually 15% (but needs may be 20% for those replacing tissue)



The remaining calories are from carbohydrates



If you get 15% calories from protein and 30% calories from fat then you will get 55% calories from carbohydrates. If you get 15% calories from protein and 15% calories from fat then you will get 70% calories from carbohydrates. For most people, 70% calories from carbohydrates is high but within range.



And low-carb diets are fad diets. It's unhealthy to reduce carbohydrates to unnaturally low levels. People lose weight by cutting calories. They don't have to go on a unhealthy diet to lose/maintain weight. Low-carbers have created the myth that carbohydrates make you fat but don't believe it.



If you go to the ADA website like veggiefriend suggested, I'm sure you'll be able to find information on recommend levels of carbohydrates/protein/fat there.

It's pretty simple. Complex carbs like beans and whole grains have protein in them. You don't even have to include them in the same meals, but they make great meal bases. Eat whole foods as much as possible, and don't overdo the fat and you'll be fine.

Somebody once asked me if that's how I got my protein. I just laughed and said that it was only a seasoning to me. The food had plenty of protein and the seasoning probably did not have enough to make much difference.

Omnis complaining to veg's about Protein and Calcium. Its beating a dead horse.



Protien </> Meat -- Calcium </> Cows Milk

I must say....my dad is very healthy and when he does consume "flesh" it is free roaming and only twice a week. He does not consume any dairy either. Not that he is going to influence me to stop being vegan at all but the whole "your never going to get a complete protein being vegan" scared me a little. I didn't even know what a "complete protein" was until a few days ago. You all have helped alot, I appreciate it. He also told me to have oatmeal with fruit in the morning and vegetables, rice, beans, grains, and more fruit like watermelon throughout the day but never in excess which is what I do best (eat to much). I need to shrink my stomach. He has been in the health scene for as long as I can remember so I will take some of his advice...just not going to eat the egg white like he advised! The carbs, I get it....I do eat to many and I am gaining weight.

I will try Braggs, he mentioned Bragg and his daughter also. Plus I will do as I said before...watch my portions!



Thanks everyone!!!

Here's my data from FitDay. Over the last month, I've averaged:

1683 calories (meets my personal goal of no more than 1800/day)

68 g fat (38% of calories) (doesn't meet my goal of no more than 30%)

213 g carbs (48%)

56 g protein (14%)



I strive for 30% fat, 55-60% carbs, and 10-15% protein. So you can see that 200 g of carbs is by no means an outrageous number. On this diet, I've lost a couple of pounds, and I'm not consistently losing weight, but neither am I gaining. I think it's less about total intake of carbs, than what KIND of carbs you're eating, with the goal being to eat mostly carbs from relatively unprocessed foods like the whole wheat pasta you mentioned. I think this is an OK diet for weight maintenance, but for weight loss, I need to cut my fat a bit and make sure as many of my carbs as possible are from good whole grain sources. (I eat too much white flour! Eep!) Not to mention exercising every day. Urg.



Some examples of complete protein combinations:

Red beans and rice

Hummus and lavash bread

Chickpeas and couscous

Split pea soup and bread

Bean salad and tabouli

Dhal and pita bread

Peanut butter and toast

Lentil burger on bread

Falafel and pita bread

Pinto beans and corn chips

Baked beans on toast

Source: The Essential Vegetarian Cookbook



And no, you don't have to combine these in one meal. Just eat different sources of protein throughout the day. But you can certainly combine them if you want-- those are some great combos!



Some of my my better days lately look like this:



Breakfast: PB and fruit spread on 1 slice whole wheat bread, Bolthouse Farms Perfectly Protein

Lunch: Pad thai with carrots, onions, and tofu

Snack: Lemon pudding

Supper: Lentil/bulghur wheat burgers on onions rolls with fixins and oven fries

(1622 calories, 29% fat, 58% carbs, 13% protein)



Breakfast: Health Valley chocolate tart with Silk Soylatte

Snack: Larabar

Lunch: Frozen bean and rice burrito

Snack: Annie's Cheddar Bunnies

Supper: Pad thai, spicy stir-fried broccoli with hoisin sauce, tofu egg roll

Dessert: Piece of dark chocolate

(1652 calories, 31% fat, 57% carbs, 12% protein)



Breakfast: Health Valley chocolate tart with BF Perfectly Protein

Lunch: Gardenburger Riblet on whole wheat bread, potato salad

Supper: Ribbolita soup with ciabbata bread

Dessert: Piece of dark chocolate

(1532 calories, 29% fat, 54% carbs, 16% protein)



Breakfast: PB and fruit spread on 1 slice whole wheat bread, Silk Unsweetened

Snack: Granola bar

Lunch: Swedish "meatballs" over whole wheat noodles

Snack: Annie's Cheddar Bunnies

Supper: Tomatoes Rockefeller (stuffed with spinach), brown rice pilaf with mushrooms, roasted asparagus

(1724 calories, 31% fat, 48% carbs, 20% protein)



All of these days had over 200 grams of carbs.

Mmmmmmm...... Corn chip pie.

hi there, in a nutshell, i would suggest geting more protein from beans, lentils and soy products- apparently we dont actually need that much protein in our diets. I find GoVeg.com to be really useful for any info a vegan may need- good luck!

I know this is none of my business, and since I do not know you or your particulars, I may be WAY off base here, but unless you are morbidly obese (i.e. a BMI well over 35) you do not need to "shrink your stomach". (And even then, the merits of bariatric surgery are questionable) Stop worrying about the scale, or how you look, or what other people (i.e. media influences, anyone???) think you should look like.



You don't let the milk and meat industry dictate what you eat, do you? Why should you let society decide how you should look!!!



Stop looking in the mirror and ask yourself how you FEEL? Do you have energy, or do you feel sluggish? Are you happy inside? Is obsessing about food a way of avoiding more important problems or issues in your life? Focus on being HEALTHY --- Are you in a HEALTHY weight range? If so, RELAX, stop looking at the scale, get plenty of fresh air and exercise, and ENJOY LIFE. Believing that somehow losing weight is going to make a huge difference in your life is a prime example of "magical thinking" (Everything will be great if only....)



Although nutrition is important, and can make a world of difference in how you feel, obsessing over weight issues is not attractive! (IMO it smacks of the self-absorption and immaturity that have become a real pandemic in Western societies today, but I digress....)

Becoming a genuine, thoughtful, and respectful individual who cares about others and the world around her is a much better goal than becoming like the waif-ish, shallow, egocentric role-models the media expects us to buy into and emulate. (But hey, that's just my opinion....)

I wouldnt suggest many processed foods such that are on tesseracts list. try to make your own food and stay away from isolated soy protein.

I thought Tess had some great suggestions, frankly. Most of what she mentioned was not that processed. A million times better than the Standard American Diet for sure.



But, you have a good point, Penny. The less processed food you eat, the better. However, the occasional Clif Bar, Boca Burger, or Spaghetti sauce with TVP does little harm.

i dont think we should compare our diets to the worst possible diet there is and strive for just better than that. we should strive for the best we can do!

I have to clear something up here! I weigh 116 and by shrinking my stomach I didn't mean "literally" like with surgery! I just mean that my portion sizes are huge! I am happy and I am happy with people. I don't obsess with others problems because if your not happy with yourself, it's going to show in the persons attitude. I don't judge people