i`m vegetarian also and finding it very difficult to get enough protien as well. a couple of things i have found that have a good amount of protien so far, without a ton of fat and calories is, soy milk regular has 5g per serving and fat free has 3. yogurt mountain high brand has 11g protien per cup, and also the meat substitutes like smart ground. it looks like ground beef, but its fat free and has 9g per serving. also, bagels have 7g per bagel, which surprised me. i am gonna go get a protien powder also, so that i can ensure i am getting enough, because it is a real struggle for me.


meagan

WOW you have no idea protein do you???? I would advise anyone here if they want health advice search an online MD web site do not ask people here who have NO IDEA about the topic at hand. Nothign like getting health advice from people who are unhealthy. no offense

I would just like to comment on the "most proteins - hamburger, cheese and eggs" statement...

I don't think anyone who was seriously considering their health would think of a hamburger as a protein portion. Cheese IS high in fat, and relatively low in protein and also would never be considered a protein portion by bodybuilders/athletes. While eggs are high in fat, it is good fat and you can get eggs that have lots of healthy Omega 3s in. However, the protein in the eggs is found in the egg white, which has very little fat.

So "most proteins" ie, fish, chicken, cottage cheese, egg whites, lean pork, lean steak are actually low in fat, and higher in protein than say, a hamburger

While I agree that muscles grow by being used - acutally by being torn. The protein helps repair these micro tears in the muscles. This new tissue that is used to repair the muscles is built using ... duh duh duh... protein.

Extra protein will ONLY be converted into fat if you are taking in MORE CALORIES THAN YOU USE. If someone uses 2000kcals a day, but eats 1800kcals of protein they will not put on fat. They might have other health issues due to lack of vitamins and minerals and essential fatty acids, but the protein won't be converted to fat! Even if you do take in more calories than you use, out of the macronutrients (protein, fat and carbs) fat is the nutrient that is most easily stored as fat, then the carbs are stored then protein. The body finds it very hard to metabolise protein and to store it as fat.

Meg's study looks increadibly interesting and is from a reputable source. Read the article in full, it's very interesting.

Oh and another lovely reputable source on more of the science behind protein is "Sports Nutrition" by Anita Bean. She explains it so much more eloquently than I ever could!

I also think we need to leave some leeway around the term "average person" seeing as how most of the folks responding to this thread exercise and/or lift weights.

Even the US government - which is about as mainstream and conventional as you can get - recommends between 10% and 35% of calories to come from protein for weight loss:

Dietary Guidellines for Americans 2005

On a 1500 calorie day diet, that would translate to between 38 and 131 grams of protein per day. What that's telling us is there this isn't any one right number for how much protein to eat -- that there's a large range in which we can all experiment and find out what works best for our exercise and food preferences.

Many members here at 3FC (including me) have found a lot of success eating in the higher protein range, especially those who exercise. Nevertheless, it's clear that there isn't any 'one size fits all' right number when it comes to protein. But it certainly isn't wrong or dangerous to eat in the higher range.

Okay, soooo... what exactly about her post are you disputing?

Just curious.

That's what she said, sweetie.

"Most proteins -- hamburger,
cheese, and eggs -- also tend to be high in fat and can (not always but can) increase the chance of long-term healthy problems like heart disease and cancer."

Even with weight training unless you are trying to look like a body builder (and most women can't look like a male body builder without the use of steriods and drugs) the addition of the protein a day is not that much. Again this is what I have learned my classes working towards my degree.

On a varried vegetarian diet it should be quiet easy to get enough protien while still watching calories and fat. Tofu, soy products, beans, lentils, and whole grains are just a few things that should be part of a healthy veg*n diet.

Perhaps if kookiemonster gave us an idea of what kind of foods they are eating in an average day we would have a better idea of the situation?