Gettin’ Me Protein

Every vegetarian hears it: “But, where do you get your protein?”

I’m sure plenty of them don’t have a good answer. I know that the first time I tried cutting out meat, I did it totally wrong. Living on veggie subs, spaghetti and scrambled eggs does not a good vegetarian make. Living on salads isn’t a good idea either.

Nope. Folks who eat no meat need to load up on beans, nuts, quinoa, meat substitutes like tofu and tempeh, and, if one is not vegan, animal proteins like eggs and dairy.

I’ve mentioned before that I’m technically pescetarian. This means that I eat seafood occasionally, about twice a week. In my ideal world, I’d never eat anything that had a face, but the truth is that I simply don’t do as well health-wise on my own. Being able to have a salmon fillet now and then makes getting what I need a lot easier.

But, I still get a TON of aminos elsewhere. I’ll start with the picture above, going left to right (lucky you, product placed brands):

Gardein Beefless Tips – Admittedly, I haven’t used these yet. But they represent all the meat substitutes that I have used and loved. It took me a while to allow myself to buy food items that mimicked things like burgers and hotdogs… it felt like cheating. But I have just so much time. Things like faux meatballs, burgers, Italian sausage, chicken nuggets and turkey roasts save time and let me make dishes that I’ve eaten all my life. In addition to the meatless items that look like meat, there are the alternatives like tempeh, tofu and seitan.

Almond Breeze Unsweetened Almond Milk – I’ve been a huge cow milk drinker all my life. Going veggie certainly did not mean changing that habit. However, earlier this year I dealt with some serious digestive upset, and had to cut back on dairy to get things back in balance. Long story short, I developed a taste for almond milk. After trying a few kinds, I settled on the brand and variety pictured here. You can use it just like cow’s milk, and benefit from the higher potassium, fiber and calcium.

Ocean Eclipse Salmon – It’s salmon. Omega-3 fatty goodness and over 30 grams of protein. The versatility is great too. Salmon is tasty as a broiled fillet, grilled, shredded into a salad, or even raw in sushi (just make sure the fish is sushi grade if you’re making it at home).

Grass Point Farms Fat Free Milk – I still use some dairy where I can. If I could afford it, I’d always purchase a local organic variety that comes in returnable glass jars, but I am generally poorish. So, I buy organic and grass fed in the paper carton (no thank you, BPA) from Meijer. It’s not raw – I’m still not brave enough for that step – but it’s a step up.

On the Plate –

1. Free range organic local eggs. I can’t do without these. Once you go brown, you never go back.
2. Black beans  are not only good for protein, they’re a great source of fiber.
3. Navy beans. Same goes for them. Beans are all around excellent – cheap, filling, easy to prepare, versatile and healthy.
4. Almonds are high in vitamin E, in addition to protein and fiber. Vitamin E works as an antioxidant.

Earthly Choice Organic Quinoa – If you haven’t tried this super-grain yet, you’re missing out. A delicate yet complex flavor makes this complete protein easy to pair with almost anything. You can make it sweet or savory in the same time it takes to make white rice or couscous. I found the huge bag you see here at Costco for less than $10, which is a great deal.

Stonyfield Organic Fat Free Yogurt – Other than the fact that it’s not plain (and thus contains sugar), this yogurt is perfect. Stonyfield is a friendly seeming company that produces high quality, gives money back to environmental causes and makes a stellar vanilla treat. Oh, and 1 cup  offers 9 grams of protein.

Meijer Natural Creamy Peanut Butter – I had to get used to a peanut butter that contained no salt or sugar. Once I did, I couldn’t understand why they add all that in the first place. This stuff is great. I use it not only on bread and in oatmeal, but as flavoring on pan fried tofu.

There are other places I get my protein (lentils, texturized vegetable protein and a little cheese), but these are the most typical ones in our household. And now that the hubby has also gone pescetarian, I’m probably doing an even better job.

So there you have it. Even if you do eat meat, consider using a few of these options now and then… you might find they leave you just as satisfied without all the fat. Not to mention the reduced risk of foodborne illness from raw and undercooked meat.