Question Where do you even get your protein if you're vegan ?

[MadamSarcastra]

LUUVVVV nutritional yeast...

BUT....

Make sure you get nutritional yeast- that flaky, yellow kind that tastes cheesey, and not the grayish-brown powdery kind that tastes kind of yeasty. That's brewer's yeast, and although it might have nutritional value, I don't care for the taste.

But back to the original question: unless you're consuming a lot of fats and sweet things that don't have any protein to speak of at all (or at least have too many calories for you to use them as a significant source of protein without gaining weight), you shouldn't have trouble getting protein.

Oh, I know the diff, daddy-o. My very first nooch purchase was Bragg...
At first I thought it was a tad funky, took me a day or two to get used to it.

And now I am HOOKED!! That tiny container probably wouldn't last me a week now! LMAO I just keep refilling it with larger nooch purchases from Discount Health Foods, like:

or their own bulk nooch...

 

[Tom L.]

^^^I don't know how I botched it, but for a number of years I thought "nutritional yeast" meant that brown powdery stuff and was thinking, "Whaaaa???... WHO thinks THIS tastes like CHEESE???". That's why I kind of go overboard about warning people.

 

[KLS52]

I consume a ridiculous amount of nutritional yeast. I love it!

 

[Jamie in Chile]

Never tried it.

 

[Mischief]

I consume a ridiculous amount of nutritional yeast. I love it!

Yeah, I love it too. I generally add a bit even to stews, soups and sauces that I don't want cheesy - a little bit adds depth to the flavor of the dish, without making it cheesy.

 

[Calliegirl]

I've been living without protein for almost three decades.

When I told my parents I wasn't going to eat meat anymore some 30+ years ago, my dad told me I was going to get sick and die from lack of protein.

 

[shyvas]

^^^I don't know how I botched it, but for a number of years I thought "nutritional yeast" meant that brown powdery stuff and was thinking, "Whaaaa???... WHO thinks THIS tastes like CHEESE???". That's why I kind of go overboard about warning people.

I would have to agree with you. It doesn't take like cheese.

 

[MadamSarcastra]

Re: Nooch....

I researched first... then found out who carried it here. Easy-peasy! I knew it wasn't going to be traditional yeast... Did anyone try that first & get a little gassy? Yeah, you don't want active yeast. But I kept hearing (reading) about this mysterious "nooch"... and I love information, I love mysteries, I love discovering new awesome things, and I went for it. Nooch is truly a "super-food," if we can call it that. I mean, if you were stranded (I'm not gonna say desert island) anywhere without sustenance, but had a supply of fortified nooch & access to water, I believe you could survive for quite a while.

 

[KLS52]

I think I was lucky in that the first time I heard about it, the distinction was already being made between the two so I knew not to go for the brewers yeast.

I do remember brewers yeast being recommended when I was trying to breastfeed but for the life of me, I don't remember how I was taking it...and I'm too lazy to Google, haha. A tablet, maybe? But I hate swallowing pills. I probably crushed it and added it to something.

 

[silva]

When I was pregnant I chugged a spoonful of brewers yeast in OJ! Didn't even know about nooch then-wasn't veg'n either.
I certainly like nooch better now, esp mixed with vegan mayo, or in a sauce with lemon juice, or cashew cheese, or stirred in soup, and just discovered it's great on a baked potato with buttah! Oh and steamed veggies with Braggs
I've licked crackers and sprinkled on nooch too!
I want Nooch-it's!
Oh yeah, I've had that Pirate Booty corn curls with nooch but they weren't nearly strong enough- kinda bland from what I remember. Too bad, good concept

 

[MadamSarcastra]

I use nooch in & on absolutely everything! Oooh, but mention of snacky stuff makes me want to make popcorn again... I make it on the stove-top and for a seasoning, I finely grind up nooch, onion powder, and dill weed with my mortar & pestle.
Soooo gooood!!

 

[Literary89]

This is such a misconception that vegans can't get protein. There's protein powders made from vegan ingredients tha t taste perfectly fine. I just posted this in another thread, but pea protein is my favorite. I haven't seen it anywhere but here, but it works really well.

 

[Tom L.]

I forgot to mention.... if vegans need to worry about anything, it would be vitamin B-12. It just doesn't exist in any non-animal foods people normally eat, and although you don't need much (only a few millionths of a gram a day!... and there are 454 grams in a pound, so it's easy to do the math... unless you're already using the Metric system, in which case you won't have to ), you do need it. A deficiency can eventually cause anemia, and also neurological damage which may be irreversible by the time clinical symptoms appear. For quite some time, certain edible marine algae were thought to have it, but it turns out that they don't: they have something that gives a false positive test in a chemical B-12 assay, but which cannot be used by the body. I still see this misconception about sea vegetables being a source of B-12 being mentioned every now and then- and it's a damned dangerous delusion. B-12 is the only supplement I take regularly.

Calcium, vitamin D, or maybe zinc or iron could be a problem, but if you have an issue with taking supplements, eating a variety of whole foods would minimize the risk for those. It is true that nutrients from supplements are not as well-absorbed as those from food, and a varied whole-food diet is better than relying on supplements, but I have no problem using specific supplements judiciously if that will keep me healthy without exploiting animals.

 

[teacup]

I put it on / in many things ... my husband eats it from the container with a spoon ...

Engevita Yeast Flakes B12 | Holland & Barrett - the UK’s Leading Health Retailer