Do you have trouble getting enough protein?

[thisnthat]

Protein is a very important component in any diet, but it can be difficult to get enough when you eliminate entire food groups. So, how do you make sure you get enough protein, without overdoing things like soy?

Do you plan your menus to include protein in every meal or do you look at the bigger picture? Do you just make sure you get enough each day or is it easier to calculate meal by meal?

 

[Rizwani]

Soy is overdoing things? Anyway, mung bean once a week and other lentils. I am one those few (or many) that plan their meals ahead of time especially dinner. Its lunch that is a little trickier, because its difficult to predict what you may feel like eating. I used to pack my lunch sometimes but stopped as I preferred to think about what to eat with a menu in my hands and a hearty appetite.

 

[kim1984]

I'm pretty sure I'm getting enough protein -- in between eating plenty of bean varieties, quinoa, nuts, and occasionally tempeh or tofu, I think I'm pretty much covered. Plus, that's not including all the trace amounts of protein that are in the veggies I eat too...I love my green veggies! I don't feel like I'm lacking in terms of nutrition, and in fact I think in transitioning to this lifestyle my health and energy levels have honestly been better than ever.

 

[Alexia]

I do plan my meals to make sure I have some protein each day which is why people who try to cook for me don't understand why I prefer to cook for myself.

One day at my parents I had to tell my parents not to cook for me as I would have ended up eating carbohydrates all day and no protein. I like to be in control of my diet and when I am not I get anxious. I don't have issues getting my protein as long as no one interferes with my diet.

 

[Connie]

Do you plan your menus to include protein in every meal or do you look at the bigger picture?

Why do you need protein in every single meal? Do I need to have protein in breakfast, lunch and my evening meal? Can't I just work on a daily or even a couple of day's average? The human body is amazingly adaptable and can actually survive 8 hours without food - you do this overnight normally... often for even longer. It can also survive missing protein out of 1 meal in 3. In fact it can easily survive missing it all day. I'm not saying it is ideal, but the idea that we have to have 3 equally balanced meals over the course of the day is rubbish. Very few people do. Imagine 3 identical meals each day that provided you with exactly 1/3 of everything. Life would be very boring, very quickly...

No, I am more than happy to look at the bigger picture and ensure that over a couple of days I get the protein I need, over a couple of days I get the calories I need.... on average. They don't have to be equally distributed. As I said, the human body is surprisingly adaptable if you don't have a complicating medical condition.

 

[Josie]

It's very hard to be protein deficient, no matter how lacking you think you are. If you're eating a well balanced, plant based diet, you're getting enough. It's the least of my worries..

 

[mothwings]

As stated above, beans are your best friends. Although watching too many can make you a bit gassy, no other vegan food will have as much protein.
Mung dal and chickpeas are tasty after being soaked and spiced. Plus beans have biotin which makes your hair silky.