Where Do Vegetarians Get Their Protein?
It’s the most common question I get about being a vegetarian. “Where do you get your protein?”
I know some vegetarians find it frustrating to get this question so frequently, but I actually really like when someone asks! While they might be skeptical at first, it’s a good chance to talk about protein sources other than meat. And I think most people are genuinely curious. (And if they’re not genuinely curious and just being obnoxious then ask them where they get their fiber, vitamins, and minerals.)
Since I usually share a full day of eating on Wednesday, I thought I’d go ahead and include the protein amount for each meal! It might give you some new ideas for vegetarian protein sources. In terms of how much protein I am for, it’s generally good to aim for 1g of protein for every kg of bodyweight. To make it a little easier (since we don’t typically weigh ourselves in kilograms here in the US) it’s about 1g of protein for every 2lbs of body weight. If you’re active, you should aim higher. So it’s a little different for everyone but I shoot for around 60g-70g of protein.
I’ve been on a Greek yogurt kick for breakfast. I typically have 1 cup of plain 0% yogurt with berries. I realize you can’t see the yogurt under there… because I went a little crazy on the berries. But it’s there! Protein: 20g.
I usually have a little snack in the morning. Lately, I’ve been kind of obsessed with this Special K cereal. It’s not the “cleanest” in terms of ingredients but it’s really filling and tasty.
Protein: 10g.
For lunch, I usually either make a salad from the cafeteria at work or I pack a simple chickpea salad from home.
A bowl of this chickpea salad has about 12g of protein and I’ll usually sprinkle a little feta on top for some added saltiness. So all together, this lunch has about 15g of protein.
For my afternoon snack, I’ve been loving a little cheese. That probably sounds kind of weird (and admittedly it’s a slightly strange snack to just eat at my desk) but it’s really satisfying and a piece of cheese has around 7g of protein. Not bad for a little snack!
I like to switch up our dinner as often as I can but one of my favorite dinners is just an easy Mexican Quinoa Bowl.
A plate like this is packed with so many textures and flavors, it’s so satisfying but so easy. Sometimes I’ll make this Mexican Quinoa Bake if it’s not too hot to use the oven. Either way, the combination of beans and quinoa make this a protein packed dinner with about 17g of protein.
I always have a little treat after dinner. Sometimes it’s just a piece of dark chocolate or if I’m actually kind of hungry, I’ll have a scoop of Halo Top.
If you haven’t tried Halo Top, you must. It’s a healthy ice cream that actually has 6g of protein per serving! It’s a perfect way to satisfy your sweet tooth in a way that will actually fill you up!
So what’s my total for the day? 75g of protein!
Not bad for a vegetarian, right?
I’m linking up with Arman for What I Ate Wednesday!
willy
You definitely don’t need meat to pack in the protein! I remember when I wasn’t eating meat (just because I didn’t like the taste of it) a few years back and my doctor told me that I could not possibly get enough protein without it so I made up a chart of my favourite foods and how much protein each had in them haha!
Great post 🙂 Isn’t Halo Top just the best? I may be addicted….
I’m SO addicted! The chocolate and the birthday cake flavors are my favorites!
love greek yogurt for a good source of protein! and chic peas too. Also been loving tofu, cottage cheese, and beans!
I find it intriguing because many vegetarians actually get more protein than people who eat meat. Great blog post my friend.
love your new photo!!! i loved how you wrote down grams of protein for each meal because people dont realize that plant-based meals can be equally nutritious. im taking a vegetarianism in my class – so many new to me information,
I used to hate being asked where I got my protein from when I didn’t eat meat. It is surprisingly easy to get enough as long as you are eating balances meals and getting all the food groups in!
Yes! It’s really not as hard as people think it is! Calorie for calorie, plants actually have a lot of protein!
Love this! How often do you think that you get this question? You should just carry a piece of paper with this link on it and have them go read your post haha!
HAH! That’s a good idea!!!
Ha you are so nice Liz. I hate when people ask me that question! Or their other favourite…aren’t you worried you don’t get enough iron?
I think it’s so funny because vegetarians (in general) probably think about their health much more than the average person!
Great tips, Liz! And thanks for sharing your eats and protein amount for each. We have similar tastes! haha. I usually aim for 100g protein a day only because I do a lot of HIIT/strength training a few times a week. On days I don’t, I only do about 70g protein!
On days when I run or do HIIT I usually have a protein smoothie with almond butter! That’s one of my favorite post-workout meals 🙂