Best source of protein ?

[HelenHanfe]

Look for some input....

I don't eat meat of any kind (no fish or poultry).

Not big on eggs - whilst I'll eat them in cooked food, find it hard to eat an actual egg - boiled, poached, etc.

With no eggs, meat, fish or poultry - what would you recommend to be the best, say, five sources of protein at my disposal ?

Going to WeightWatchers and currently under supervision of dietician (though not sure how long that's going to last !) and struggling to keep everyone happy....

I've read up stuff / looked up....but wanted to ask you guys what you thought... ?

Any suggestions/thoughts appreciated 🙂
HelenHanfe

 

[KookyCat]

Hi HelenHanfe
I was vegetarian for 20 plus years and these were the best sources of protein I found:

Nuts &seeds including nut and seed butter (also low carb)

Beans of any sort, you can buy most canned or dried (baked beans are quite high in protein but also in carbs because the sauce is sweetened)

Soya protein products (including soya milk, soya yoghurt a etc, but they can be high in sugar) and Quorn are very high in protein but are processed so may not be to your taste if you prefer whole foods

Greek yoghurt (sounds weird but yoghurt is a good source of protein and is good for the digestion, Greek is unsweetened but can be high fat, but low fat versions can also be lower protein)

Almond milk

Cheese

Hope some of that is helpful 🙂

 

[HelenHanfe]

Hi HelenHanfe
I was vegetarian for 20 plus years and these were the best sources of protein I found:

Nuts &seeds including nut and seed butter (also low carb)

Beans of any sort, you can buy most canned or dried (baked beans are quite high in protein but also in carbs because the sauce is sweetened)

Soya protein products (including soya milk, soya yoghurt a etc, but they can be high in sugar) and Quorn are very high in protein but are processed so may not be to your taste if you prefer whole foods

Greek yoghurt (sounds weird but yoghurt is a good source of protein and is good for the digestion, Greek is unsweetened but can be high fat, but low fat versions can also be lower protein)

Almond milk

Cheese

Hope some of that is helpful 🙂

Thanks for the input ! Very helpful.

I've got quite into the Greek yoghurt and eat nuts every day. I've tried the baked beans, but tends to put my readings up. And I've tried quorn - it's not the taste, but the sensation more than anything ! As a non-meat eater, I found it very difficult to enjoy, even knowing it's meat-free !

With regard to the almond milk...do I then count that as a dairy product - or a protein product - in my daily allowance ?

And the cheese..... I have been having one low fat / 'light' BabyBel each day, as a mid afternoon snack, to make a change from the nuts..... But the dietician is saying that that is too much - I can have no more than 3 'light' BabyBel's in any given week......

I'm losing the weight doing what I'm doing....but apparently eating the wrong things....so I'm trying to widen my options, to keep them all happy !

Helen

 

[zuludog]

There are lots of beans/pulses/lentils available, especially if you can get to an Asian or a decent health food shop; dried or canned. I like canned chick peas in a salad. My local shops sell 3 cans for £1

You could try the whey protein based powders aimed at body builders & athletes

 

[KookyCat]

Thanks for the input ! Very helpful.

I've got quite into the Greek yoghurt and eat nuts every day. I've tried the baked beans, but tends to put my readings up. And I've tried quorn - it's not the taste, but the sensation more than anything ! As a non-meat eater, I found it very difficult to enjoy, even knowing it's meat-free !

With regard to the almond milk...do I then count that as a dairy product - or a protein product - in my daily allowance ?

And the cheese..... I have been having one low fat / 'light' BabyBel each day, as a mid afternoon snack, to make a change from the nuts..... But the dietician is saying that that is too much - I can have no more than 3 'light' BabyBel's in any given week......

I'm losing the weight doing what I'm doing....but apparently eating the wrong things....so I'm trying to widen my options, to keep them all happy !

Helen

The almond milk is non dairy (milk is a bit misleading really) it's made out of ground almond and water, so protein I'm guessing, definitely not dairy though. It's a bit of an acquired taste, but it like it 🙂. Beans wise as zuludog says you can buy kidney beans, haricot, etc in cans without sauce so they shouldn't make you spike (baked beans are full of sugar that's why they make your blood glucose pop up) I have them in salads to add protein, if you can learn to like them they're great. I also make bean burgers which are high protein. Soya beans you can get frozen and they are lovely raw or cooked, very nutty . I never connected with Quorn really but quite like some of the soy products because it doesn't really have that meat like texture, randomly I love a soy hot dog despite never liking the real thing, and I like soy based vegi pate (holland and Barrett sell them) when I never liked meat pate. Snack wise I favour oat cakes (just a couple) with nut butter, cottage cheese (another high protein, but low fat option) or vegi pate. Holland and Barrett also sell nut butters without added sugar or salt, but you can make your own if you've got a good blender by just bunging nuts in the blender and drizzling in a little oil till you get a good consistency. If you like nuts and can deal with egg in things there are some brilliant nut and lentil roast recipes that are pretty low carb too. I'll stop waffling now!
Oh and forgot the most important bit, well done on the weight loss!

 

[HelenHanfe]

Thank you all for the advice - very helpful 🙂

Much appreciated.
HelenHanfe

 

[HelenHanfe]

A further query...on the same subject....

Which is better - low fat natural Greek yoghurt - or the FAT FREE version of same ?? I'm testing to see which does what to my readings, but would appreciate any input...

Thanks again !

 

[KookyCat]

A further query...on the same subject....

Which is better - low fat natural Greek yoghurt - or the FAT FREE version of same ?? I'm testing to see which does what to my readings, but would appreciate any input...

Thanks again !

I'm not sure, I don't do low fat yoghurt, I have the full fat version and it doesn't really affect my blood sugar much at all, I have a bit of stewed apple with mine (yum). I'm a bit suspicious of fat free dairy because some of the nutrients are fat soluble so without the fat I wonder how they're absorbed, and there's often sneaky sugar in there for extra taste. I'm rambling now, so I will say that if there's a bit of fat in there it will likely slow down the absorption of any fruit you have with it, but I'd do a bit of testing if you've got a blood glucose meter and see what difference it makes. Or another yoghurt fan might be along soon with a better answer 🙂

 

[DeusXM]

Low fat yoghurt is a con - the fat is always replaced with sugar. Stick with the regular yoghurts. Fat isn't actually bad for you.

 

[bill hopkinson]

Look for some input....
I don't eat meat of any kind (no fish or poultry).
Any suggestions/thoughts appreciated 🙂
HelenHanfe

You could do worse than read up on what Chinese, Japanese, Indians do. Some people love tofu and bean curd, others love dahl or dried mushrooms
Also, Mo Farrah likes Quorn, apparently.

 

[Annette]

BUT full fat yoghurts are quite high in carbs (its the additional flavourings/sweetenings that does it). This also applies to 'low fat' varieties. If you want low carb yoghurts, you need to go for the 'very low fat' versions - these don't have fat replaced with sugar so are lower (by more than half in some cases) in carbs.
[Doesn't obviously apply if you only get plain yoghurts.]

 

[HelenHanfe]

You could do worse than read up on what Chinese, Japanese, Indians do. Some people love tofu and bean curd, others love dahl or dried mushrooms
Also, Mo Farrah likes Quorn, apparently.

Yes, I heard a rumour Mo liked Quorn... 🙂 Unfortunately, I don't. Not the taste - just the sensation of the chewing. Couldn't get on with it.

Appreciate the suggestion above - thanks !

Helen

 

[HelenHanfe]

Thanks again for the input guys - all appreciated !

HelenHanfe