I am becoming vegetarian slowly and my mom has noticed and has been non-stop nagging me about how it is not good, and I will not get enough protein and I will get sick. My mom is in the medical business, so I trust what she said. So what are the main sources of proteins for vegetarians, and what is the worst that could happen if you do not get enough protein over time?
Anonymous
Favorite Answer
You get protein from eating food. You would have to starve yourself to not get enough. This website, run by the Mayo Clinic and has a copy of the vegetarian food pyramid on it. Use it when planing your meals.
Vegetarian diet: How to get the best nutrition
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/vegetarian-diet/HQ01596
The Protein Myth
Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine
http://www.pcrm.org/health/veginfo/vsk/protein_myth.html
Anonymous
Hi. It's unlikely that you'll get a protein deficiency, and it's not enough iron that gives you anemia. Beans, eggs, tofu, fake meats, lentils, seeds, nuts, peanut butter, milk and dairy products are all good vegetarian sources of protein. You can also drink protein shakes if you like them, but avoid the red and pink ones as they may have carmines in them. You could also eat protein bars. Some vegetables even contain protein. So if you don't just live off junk food, then you will be getting enough protein. You'll only get sick if you don't plan your veggie diet properly and just live off junk food and carbs. But if you do it right, and eat a balanced vegetarian diet, you will be very healthy. You will need to check labels for the "V" sign or "suitable for vegetarians" sign. But just because some things don't say suitable doesn't mean they're not. Fruit and vegetables aren't always labelled with a V but they're definitely suitable for vegetarians. However, some yogurts will have gelatin listed in the ingredients, which is not suitable as it's crushed-up animal bones. But if yogurts don't have gelatin or carmines listed, they should be suitable for vegetarians, and some yogurts will have a V sign on them. Good Luck!
sophiasgr8
Since she is in the medical field ask her to find out how much protein you need and tell you. The also take B-12 and multi-vitamins that are vegetarian. Let her check the vitamin values so she is satisifed. Then keep food diary (carry a little notepad or use a cell phone) tracking what you eat check the protein in particular on the package and track what it was and how much you ate. Do this and let her see it for as long as she likes. It's good for you to know you're getting enough protein and for her. Others have told you where to get protein from already in answering.
pipsqueak
My main sources of protien are lentils, chickpeas and beans of all kinds!
Tofu, nuts, seeds, wholegrains, eggs and dairy products.
I am surprised your mum doesn't know this stuff if she is in the medical business, remember though that she is only human and may well be holding ingrained biases and stereotypes, ideas that she was brought up with as so many of that generation were.
You need about 50g protein per day depending on your size. It is pretty easy to get this from a vegetarian diet if you eat right. Keep a food diary if you/she are worried, it always says the amount of protein on food packets, and for foods that don't come in packets maybe you could get a nutrition book from the library, I have a really good one called the food bible by Judith Wills.
If you are lacking in protein you may find you are quite fatigued, always hungry, and in extreme cases experience muscle wasting, but really this isn't gonna happen unless you are anorexic.
Someone on here said you get anaemic if you dont get enough protein, this is nonsense because anaemia is when you don't get enough iron! This is probably the next thing your mum will ask, and iron comes from leafy greens, eggs, lentils, chickpeas, beans and dark chocolate.
Hope it helps
Anonymous
Protein is definitely important, but the average American eats twice the daily allowance of protein and many nutritionists consider the daily allowance to be too high anyway, so it is extremely unlikely that you will become deficient in protein by eating a vegetarian diet.
As a vegetarian, you should be able to get more than enough protein from eggs, dairy products, beans and legumes such as lentils and split peas, leafy green vegetables such as spinach and romaine lettuce, soy products such as tofu, cruciferous vegetables such as cauliflower and cabbage, and nuts and seeds such as peanuts and pumpkin seeds. Even fruit has some protein, though not a significant amount. Almost all foods do, in fact.