Veggie Protein Options?

Hey guys, so I'm doing ok on the weight loss track and making slow but steady process. I just started adding weights to my fitness regime however if I do a full session I am pretty much prevented from going to the gym or even really walking because I get such severe pains in my legs and arms. Someone has suggested to me that it could be due to lack of protein and sure enough when I checked my nutritional stats I am getting between 15-20% protein where I should be getting 30%. Whats missing from there is made up via carbs. Issue is I'm a veggie and also a poor student and things like quorn tend to be quite expensive. Does anybody have any cheap protein suggestions? I do not want to have my muscles dying like this indefinetly!!

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Tofu and beans are usually pretty cheap. Protein powders vary in cost, but you can find some for a pretty good price. Do you cook? Making your own seitan can be affordable -- a bag of wheat gluten costs about $7-8 dollars where I live, but it makes a LOT.

If you are cramping I'd say it's more likely you are electrolyte depleted...If you're overly sore and having recovery issues that would be more likely to be a protein issue.

janejellyroll wrote: »

Tofu and beans are usually pretty cheap. Protein powders vary in cost, but you can find some for a pretty good price. Do you cook? Making your own seitan can be affordable -- a bag of wheat gluten costs about $7-8 dollars where I live, but it makes a LOT.

I can cook yes however I've never really been that adventurous with my cooking (I genuinely just googled what seitan was). Do most health food shops do tofu?? That sounds so bad considering I've been veggie most of my life haha but pasta, rice and potatos are my staples and have been since I was very young.

vegetabletarian wrote: »

janejellyroll wrote: »

Tofu and beans are usually pretty cheap. Protein powders vary in cost, but you can find some for a pretty good price. Do you cook? Making your own seitan can be affordable -- a bag of wheat gluten costs about $7-8 dollars where I live, but it makes a LOT.

I can cook yes however I've never really been that adventurous with my cooking (I genuinely just googled what seitan was). Do most health food shops do tofu?? That sounds so bad considering I've been veggie most of my life haha but pasta, rice and potatos are my staples and have been since I was very young.

Are you in the US? I can get tofu at almost any grocery store (I usually get it at Target, where I shop). But yes, you can get it at health food stores.

http://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/vegetables-high-in-protein.php

cramping could be a magnesium problem.
http://www.ancient-minerals.com/magnesium-deficiency/need-more/

Hope you eat eggs, the protein from veggies is not used as good as protein from other sources.

http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

Good luck

Tofu is available not just in health food stores but regular grocery ones too. Get the extra-firm and Google how to get the excess water out and you'll have a much more pleasant experience with cooking it. The smoked kind is my favourite though.

Legumes are cheap and good for protein (especially when paired with rice), so beans are definitely your friend as well because they're super cheap.

You would probably benefit enormously from a good vegetarian or vegan cookbook. Isa Chandra Moskowitz (sp?) has a fantastic one called "Veganomicon" which has a lot of instruction, not just recipes, and would be really helpful for you I bet. One of my friends just got "Thug Kitchen" as well and it is both hilarious and full of great recipes.

I'm not a vegetarian but I do try to stick to a plant-heavy diet and the Moskowitz book has been so useful to me. I follow lots of vegetarian and vegan chefs on Instagram too which is also a great source of ideas for meat-free meals.

There are some good cookbook recommendations above. "Vegan on the Cheap" by Robin Robertson is another great one -- everything is cheap and easy to make. Another cookbook I love is "Supermarket Vegan" by Donna Klein, it avoids anything you'd have to buy at a health food store. It would be a good option to add some bean recipes to your diet.

zoezoekende wrote: »

http://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/vegetables-high-in-protein.php

cramping could be a magnesium problem.
http://www.ancient-minerals.com/magnesium-deficiency/need-more/

Hope you eat eggs, the protein from veggies is not used as good as protein from other sources.

http://scoobysworkshop.com/calorie-calculator/

Good luck

I don't know what you mean by "as good," but it's completely possible to meet protein requirements on a diet free from animal products (have no idea if this is what OP is trying to do or not, just wanted to point it out). Eating eggs is an option, but not a requirement.

LENTILS.

That is all.

Not sure if you are vegan too but cottage cheese and geek yogurt are high in protein too…

Thanks for all the advice guys!!! Never realised actually how much stuff was high in protein!! Those cookbook recommendations are brilliant too! No more sore muscles for days after workouts for me: no way hose

There's nothing magic about 30% protein vs. 20%. Those numbers really depend on your stats.

If you're aiming to get more protein from veggie sources: Beans, lentils, tofu, soya, tempeh, seitan. If you're not vegan, also add eggs, cheese, milk and yogurt.

But your muscle soreness is likely because you've just started weight training. Ease into it slowly, don't try to lift too heavy too soon, and expect some DOMS at first. It gets easier.

Janejelly read alle about it on the scooby site, there it is explained. The protein from veggies is so little , you need so much to have enough nutrition from the veggies.

zoezoekende wrote: »

Janejelly read alle about it on the scooby site, there it is explained. The protein from veggies is so little , you need so much to have enough nutrition from the veggies.

But vegetarians can get protein from sources besides vegetables -- beans, grains, soy products, lentils, etc. Eggs are an option to lacto-ovo vegetarians, but they aren't necessary for health.

vegetabletarian wrote: »

Hey guys, so I'm doing ok on the weight loss track and making slow but steady process. I just started adding weights to my fitness regime however if I do a full session I am pretty much prevented from going to the gym or even really walking because I get such severe pains in my legs and arms. Someone has suggested to me that it could be due to lack of protein and sure enough when I checked my nutritional stats I am getting between 15-20% protein where I should be getting 30%. Whats missing from there is made up via carbs. Issue is I'm a veggie and also a poor student and things like quorn tend to be quite expensive. Does anybody have any cheap protein suggestions? I do not want to have my muscles dying like this indefinetly!!

Are you sure you are not doign something wrong? Like, no warm up, poor form, not recognising your body's signals to stop, starting with too much weight, starting with a program that is not suitable for beginners, skipping rest days etc?

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