Since I am a vegetarian, I worry that I'm not getting enough protein to keep my body burning fat at an optimal rate. Is there some sort of nutritional breakdown of how many points should be protein, how many should be carbs, and how many should be fats? My points range is 22-29.
The breakdown is offered in one of your weeks' booklets, I've forgotten which but I'm sure someone here knows.
As another vegetarian, though, I can offer some ideas! Try to have some sort of protein at every meal, is the first hint. It takes care of your protein need and it keeps you fuller longer.
Some products to try:
*Eggbeaters, 1/2 cup (one of the little individual cup things), are 1 point, 12 grams of protein. Microwave for 1-2 minutes and they're done.
*Any of the MorningStar Farms foods are wonderful. I like the Chik Nuggets (4 points for 4 nuggets, 13 grams of protein) and the pizza pockets (5 points, 12 grams) best.
*Sargento lite provolone is 1 point, 9 grams. Melts very nicely.
Also remember there's protein in pasta, bread, dairy products, most things really. Not in fruits and veggies though. Add some "protein" foods, even if they don't have the amount of protein in a slab of beef, and you'll be fine.
QuilterVA
I just looked at your statistics on your last post. Egads and Congratulations. What a wonderful accomplishment. Thanks for the inspiration.
234/206/199soon
Although I'm not a vegetarian, I eat a lot of vegetarian meals. And one of my sons (who was a vegetarian for about a year when he was in high school) has several friends who are vegetarian, including one vegan. So, I learned about eating that way.
First, you asked about how many points should be protein. How many carbs, etc. If you're thinking high protein, low carb eating, that's not really feasible for a vegetarian. Most of the protein you eat as a vegetarian is carbs. The only exception is dairy products and they pile on points really fast.
The divisions aren't really all that crucial. What's important is to find the balance that works for your body. Everyone is a little bit different. I took the quiz in the week 6 booklet about the right mix and it came out that I should eat higher in carbs. That's why I started adding more vegetable proteins and whole grains to my food plan. They add more of the complex carbs that the booklet recommends and also keep my protein intake up to a healthy level.
Some ideas for how I do it when I don't eat meat:
I make vegetable soup. I put in some pasta and some beans. It comes out to 1 point, is very filling and gives me protein and fiber.
I cook my oatmeal in 1% milk instead of water. Adds protein, a little fat, calcium and makes the oatmeal keep me full a lot longer.
Eat brown rice instead of white. They now have brown rice varieties you can use to make great risottos. Brown basmati rice is available, if you like Indian food. You can get brown rice that you can use to make sticky rice for vegetable sushi. Brown rice has more protein and fiber than white rice.
Cheese, of course. I like to use small amounts of strong-flavored real cheese. If you grate it finely, you can spread it around and you get the flavor in each bite without adding a ton of fat and calories, but it adds protein. It's great on the flame-grilled hamburger-flavored Gardenburgers.
Nuts and seeds are great ways to add both the kind of fat that's good for you and extra protein. Add them in small amounts to your recipes because they can pile on points fast, too. Chop them fairly fine and sprinkle them around the way you do cheese and you get the flavor without adding too many points.
Actually, the best way to use nuts, seeds, and real cheese is to top off a food rather than mixing it in. Because you get more of the flavor that way with a smaller amount of these healthy, but high-fat foods.
All whole grains are higher in protein than refined ones. However, the semolina flour they use in regular pasta has more protein than the regular white flour you use in baking because it's from a really hard wheat. Bread flour has more protein for the same reason.
I also like Gardenburgers. My son suggested I try Morningstar Farms products, but I haven't been able to find the ones I want to try. I've heard that the Boca brand Italian sausage is really good with pasta, but I haven't found it in my local stores, either.
Nutritional breakdown of points
