<p>I've become increasingly interested in it for ethical & health reasons. But how should I compensate for proteins received from red meat? Oh, and to be specific I'm considering Lacto-ovo vegetarianism. It's a bit surprising though, even for me. I'm an avid meat eater lol, but I've had a gradual change of heart. The Smiths' song 'Meat is Murder' was a turning point for me in my decision. But I guess right now I'm just speculating. Any tips?</p>
<p>I drink a LOT of milk, plus eat some cheese and eggs (though these are fatty [except for egg whites] and so aren't as suited to someone who wants to cut back their calorie/cholesterol intake). I also eat tofu--excellent stir-fried! And of course, there are always legumes: beans, lentils, etc., which are high in protein. </p>
<p>There are certain types of grain that have high protein contents, like quinoa (a personal favorite). Quinoa [kee-nwa] actually has a complete protein, unlike most grains, so you don't have to pair it with another protein food to get the full set of amino acids.</p>
<p>And, if you're really desperate, there are protein powder/etc supplements, made from soy and/or whey (and/or other things).</p>
<p>Good luck. :)</p>
<p>You should check out Judy Krizmanic's books, A Teen's Guide to Going Vegetarian and The Teen's Vegetarian Cookbook. They have a lot of really helpful information. I've been vegetarian for seven years now, and I find nutrition horribly boring, and those books are probably 75% of the reason I'm not dead. The cookbook especially has a lot of detailed information about compensating for different protein sources, though I can't find my copy right now - noooo! I'll post it if it turns up.</p>
<p>Another thing: cottage cheese is a lifesaver. I need a lot of protein--I'm not one of the vegetarians who can eat a plate of rice and a salad for dinner--and I've discovered that a few spoonfuls of cottage cheese is a painless way to provide it. I especially eat it for breakfast, with some fruit on top.</p>
<p>I'm a vegan and get my protein from nuts, beans, whole wheat foods like wraps, bread, and pasta. Broccoli and spinach can also give you a decent amount of protein. Soy "meats", soy milk, soy yogurt, and most other things soy have a lot of protein... because well soy beans have a lot of protein, so whatever they're made in to has a lot of protein also. I've been a vegan for a while now and I have more energy than ever. Getting enough protein isn't really difficult. Most Americans get wayyy too much protein.</p>
<p>Not sure if you like PETA, but if you go to their sit they have vegetarian starter kits, sample food menus, and a lot of other good info on making the transition.</p>
<p>I work at a sandwich shop, and very frequently I'll have the Smiths in my car stereo (stupid sister) when I drive home. It'll be dark, on long country roads shadowed in corn and trees, and all I can hear is "AND THE FLESH YOU SO FANCIFULLY FRY, IS NOT SUCCULENT, TASTY, OR KIND" and it's very haunting and I feel like crying. And I come home with the smell of turkey on my clothes. </p>
<p>It's really rather tragic. </p>
<p>anyway, i second on soy. my sister and three closest friends are all veggies. any thing that imitiates animal product is probably made with soy, which is full of protein. and it's actually very good. although some fake bacon tastes like dog food.</p>
<p>good decision!</p>
<p>um... I would post some advice, but I don't have time right now, so I'll be back later.
try here though:
<a href="http://www.goveg.com/%5B/url%5D">http://www.goveg.com/</a></p>
<p>Blasphemy!!</p>
<p>PETA scares me.</p>
<p>I love veggie/soy "meat" products, and a lot of them have a decent amount of protein. Some of my favorites are Boca Chik'n Wings, and Boca Meatless Chili. Also, don't get turned off by the frozen "breakfast wraps". I know some of them look like HotPockets...which can be a little revolting, but they're actually pretty good. :)</p>
<p>Thanks for the suggestions, all.</p>
<p>I actually like the the taste of soy milk, although I've heard that it has estrogen like properties in it. Can anyone actually verify this? I'm 5'11" and have a deep voice... I don't want any of that to be altered any time soon lol.</p>
<p>Soy products contain phytoestrogens. They're about 100x weaker than the estrogen than human estrogens, and you'd have to drink absolutely ridiculous quantities of soy milk in order to see any impact whatsoever.</p>
<p>I'm a vegetarian and I like that PETA fights for animal rights, but I just don't like the means they use. </p>
<p>To the OP:</p>
<p>If you want protein, just eat soy. It's loaded w/it and it's easy on the taste buds.</p>
<p>"I'm 5'11" and have a deep voice... I don't want any of that to be altered any time soon lol."</p>
<p>I'm 6'1", 17 yrs old, and I also have a deep voice. I've been drinking soy milk for years now and the estrogen in it obviously had little to no effect on me.</p>
<p>I disagree with a lot of the things PETA does too, but at least they help get the idea out there.
and they still have helpful information about things on their site too. that's why I linked to goveg.com instead of just peta.org...</p>
<p>Animals are not men. They exist for man's pleasure, and personally, I take a lot of pleasure in eating burgers and bacon.</p>
<p>People
Eating
Tasty
Animals</p>
<p>"Animals are not men. They exist for man's pleasure, and personally, I take a lot of pleasure in eating burgers and bacon."</p>
<p>I'm sure you also take a lot of pride in high cholestrol and heart disease then ;).</p>
<p>
[quote]
Animals are not men. They exist for man's pleasure, and personally, I take a lot of pleasure in eating burgers and bacon.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>And I take a lot of pleasure in not harming other creatures when it's not necessary to survive. But hey, to each zir own :)</p>
<p>morningstar farms is soooooooooooo good. tastes like meat. i was veg for like 6 years (just became a fish and white meat eating member of society again, like 3 days ago). being veg is good...you try so many different things, and eat healthier. however, it can get expensive and hasslesome when dining with non vegs. also, when i ate chicken again the other night, i was so surprised how filling meat is...you can get full on veg stuff, but it's amazing how much faster you get full on meat. i don't know...that was just an observation. and in case you are wondering why i decided to eat meat again, it was for the following: my budget, my social life, and my health. i'm trying to lose some weight before college and knew that veg wasn't working for me (not being full etc). last time i lost a lot of weight was when i did eat meat. so hopefully it works again...</p>