What do I take to get more protein?

Question

I am vegetarian and i need to figure out how to get more protein. I already eat the vegetarian "meat" brands like morning star and boca. I also eat nuts, pulses, milk, and eggs, and fish.

But i want to know if i should start taking a multi-vitamin type thing?

What do you suggest?

Also, what are a few good ways to build more muscle when it comes to excercising?

Anything helps!

Thanks!

Answer 1

If you eat faux meats, along with nuts, legumes, dairy, eggs and fish, you do NOT need to get more protein.  Whatever gave you that idea?  You already have a wide variety of protein sources.  Make sure you're getting whole grains and plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, too.

A good multivitamin never hurt anyone, but that has zero to do with protein.

The only thing that builds muscle is challenging muscle.  You need to do resistance exercises that are challenging enough to force your muscles to respond, but not challenging enough to injure yourself.

You're not a vegetarian since you eat fish, but I recommend the book "The New Becoming Vegetarian" by Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina.  Both are registered dietitians and it's a good primer on vegetarian nutrition.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

You aren't a vegetarian because fish is also meat, but fish is nutritious and try it with rice too. Run a few laps around the neighborhood every once in a while. Don't eat too much eggs though, it might not be good for your heart or your health. A few vegetables such as carrots, celery, and potatoes are good.

Answer 4

Vegetarians DO NOT eat fish. Its an animal.

Vegetarian sources of protein

Sources of protein (single servings)

Chick peas (200g or 7oz) 16.0g

Brown rice (200g or 7oz) 4.4g

1 Carrot 0.4g

Baked beans (225g or 8oz) 11.5g

Broccoli (100g or 3½oz) 3.1g

1 Apple 0.3g

Tofu (140g or 5oz) 10.3g

Potatoes (200g or 7oz) 2.8g

Cream, double (20g or 2/3oz) 0.3g

Cow's milk (½ pint) 9.2g

Porridge [water] (160g or 6oz) 2.4g

Lentils (120g or 4¼oz) 9.1g

Soya milk (½ pint) 8.2g

Muesli (60g or 2¼oz) 7.7g

Egg, boiled 7.5g

Peanuts (30g or 1oz) 7.3g

Bread, (2 slices) 7.0g

Hard cheese (30g or 1oz) 6.8g

Vegan Sources of Protein

The foods which commonly supply the most protein in a vegan diet are pulses (peas, beans, lentils, soya products), grains (wheat, oats, rice, barley, buckwheat, millet, pasta, bread), nuts (brazils, hazels, almonds, cashews) and seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, sesame).

Examples of amounts of foods providing 10g of protein

Type of food Quantity providing 10g protein (g)

Soya flour 24

Peanuts 39

Pumpkin seeds 41

Almonds 47

Brazil Nuts 50

Sunflower seeds 51

Sesame seeds 55

Hazel Nuts 71

Wholemeal bread 95

Whole lentils dried & boiled 114

Chickpeas dried & boiled 119

Kidney beans dried & boiled 119

Wholemeal spaghetti boiled 213

Brown rice boiled 385

Answer 5

1.   You are getting plenty from what you already eat.  Why do you think you need more?  

2.   You are not a vegetarian.  vegetarians do not eat fish either.

3.   Strength training

Answer 6

As others have pointed out, vegetarians do not eat fish.  Fish are animals.  Vegetarians do not eat the flesh of animals.

Ever notice how most multivitamins don't contain protein?  I'm guessing it's because even a plant-based diet gets you all the protein you need, as long as you get enough calories and you don't eat too much junk food.

Beans and grains are excellent sources of protein.

Answer 7

Americans already eat far more protein than they need.   I don't understnd why people keep saying "we need to eat more protein" or "a high protein diet is best".

You don't need milk or eggs. If you'd lke to give them up, you can.  

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(from protein web site, source link is below):

Points to remember about protein:

1. The RDA of protein for a 79kg (174 lb.) adult male is about 63 Grams. Women (calculated for a 63kg or 138 lb. woman) need about 50 grams. (0.8 Grams protein per Kilogram of body weight.) Pregnant and nursing women require about 30% more. Children need as much as adults because they are growing. A rapidly growing child can require 2 to 3 times more protein than an adult by weight.

2. A safety factor was built into the RDA for protein and actually represents a little over twice as much as our bodies actually need.

3. Our body gets all but 1/6 of the protein it needs from recycling old body tissue. This amounts to 100-300 grams. The 1/6 we don't recycle must come from essential amino acids we eat.

4. Hard work does not require more protein!

5. Protein is required for growing, body repair, and maintenance. A person with serious physical injuries or illness requires much more protein.

6. If we do not get enough protein, our bodies will steal it from our muscles. This is also true when we are ill. We need more protein, but often can't eat it.

7. North Americans generally eat 3 to 5 times more protein than they need. The protein not needed is broken down further and most of it is used to make energy. However there is some left over product from this process which is not good for our bodies.

8. We can only absorb about 25 grams of protein at one time. The rest is broken down and burned or stored as fat.

9. Plant protein is absorbed at about 70-90%, animal protein at 85-100%. There is concern among some about plant protein not being absorbed as readily as animal protein. This is not a problem as we in North America presently eat 2 to 3 times the RDA for protein anyway.

10. North Americans have been brain washed into believing they must get their protein from meat. Third world nations all over the globe, who get enough calories in their diets, eat little or no meat yet many of them are in excellent health from eating only plant protein.

Answer 8

use a protein powder, the kind you put in drinks. =]

Answer 9

you should look up and figure out how much protein you really need. most people eating meat eat too much, which is bad too.... i'm a veg and i still get more than i need. from what you say you eat my guess is you are getting enough. if you exercise hard maybe you need a little more but on average you sound ok.  there's plenty online to figure out what you need.