I know there's sort of another thread on this, but I don't want to hijack it and my situation is kind of different.

I'm allergic to dairy, can't eat gluten, and am sensitive to the hormones in meat and eggs. A lot of soy products also make me sick (specifically soy nuts.. oy) so I try to limit that as well. Also, since I'm stuck eating in a college cafeteria, I'm sort of limited to what I eat (though I'm running for the dining services student committee so hopefully that will change things for all of us at school with celiac disease, food allergies, and food sensitivities!). Most of the vegan/vegetarian foods have some component with gluten in it and the tofu normally is marinaded in soy sauce (which has wheat in it). Sometimes I can get salmon (which I do eat), but Friday-Sunday that's not available and I'd rather not eat it EVERY day. I stuff myself silly with beans for more protein but that doesn't feel healthy either.

That said, I track my food in Fitday and I've only been getting an average of 40 grams of protein a day which really doesn't feel like enough. I'm worried about taking protein powder because I'm insulin resistant and try to cut out ALL sugar out of my diet, but most protein powders are ridiculously high in sugar. Also, I have no real income to speak of (make around $30 a week at a college job) so expensive protein powders are just not feasible.

What are other good, cheap sources of protein that I can add to my diet?

I'm not vegetarian/vegan but I saw your thread on the main page so I hope you don't mind my input. I use a scoop of protein powder everyday just to bolster my protein intake...I put it in my morning smoothie. I use the Pure Protein Whey Protein Powder Vanilla Creme. It has 1 gram of sugar and 23 grams of protein per scoop. It costs me $9.99 a can which has 14 or 15 scoops so it lasts me 2 weeks. So maybe protein powder could be an option?

It's not all that cheap, but I posted a link to a brown rice protein powder on the other thread. It is gluten-free (I'm celiac also and so is the client for whom I was doing the research). That and the hemp protein powder by Nutiva (do a search on the same site) are the only vegan, gluten-free powders that I've found. Most have whey and/or casein which don't meet your requirement of vegan.

Mel

I'm vegan and I've used both the rice and hemp protein powders (actually every vegan powder I could find, ) . The hemp protein has a very low carbohydrate content due to the high fiber content.

You may also want to consider pea protein powders too.

I realise that the price is an issue but if you are using small amounts to supplement and have food restrtictions as you do, it seems like the only viable option.

Best of luck and feel free to ask here or PM me if you need more info on any of this.

Broccoli is a great source of protein, though as with all incomplete proteins you'll need to make sure you eat a variety of foods. It's cheap and easy

I can no longer have soy, and have added seafood to my diet. I don't mind as long as it's wild caught and chemical free.

I eat salmon occasionally but I know it's not organic which kind of puts me off of it, though it doesn't make me sick like meat and eggs do.

Are any of these powders not shake form? Like, I know my roommate last year once mentioned protein powder in bullion form for soup. We're not on speaking terms though so I can't ask her! I know it'll taste gross, but sweet shake type things don't settle super well with me. Thanks for the advice though!

Since you're not vegetarian, why not just eat fish (when it's available) if you have allergies and want an inexpensive source of protein? Lentils and other legumes, beans can all help you reach your daily requirements. Quinoa is awesome too. Buckwheat, millet, amaranth and rice can be served with beans and legumes and will offer lots of high quality protein.

Many of the powders are available in an unsweetened, plain, unflavored form such as the pea, rice and hemp powders and you could use them without sweet flavors added in. The pea and rice would be good in soups but the hemp is too gritty to be good that way. They can all be used to make muffins and the like though!

Best of luck!

The one I use (Ultimate Meal) is not sweet at all. It is vegan and although it may seem expensive, I don't really think it is. I just bought 4 canisters for $170 which is 120 meals. I mix it with some frozen fruit (banana and berries) and it is pretty good.

Are you on a university meal program? If so, talk to the university compliance department about setting up a 504 plan. Celiac's Disease is covered under the American for Disabilites act, and if they receive ANY federal money (99.9% of universities and colleges do) and you are in a dorm on a meal plan, they have to provide you with nutritious food that does not make you sick, You have to have a definitive diagnoses from an MD. Google "celiacs" and ADA for more info.

If you don't want to go that route and need ideas for when the food service is closed, how about good old tuna fish? I misread your initial post and thought you were vegan. You don't want to live on it, but half a can of tuna dumped on a big salad of lettuce, spinach, carrots, peppers and broccoli with a few tablespoons of brown rice is a great meal. I put the rice right on the salad and add a home made vinegar and olive oil dressing.

I also use quinoa as a grain- but to get enough protein you'd be consuming a lot of calories.

Celiac's sure makes everything tough, doesn't it? I can't imagine how I'd fare without dairy or egg whites!


Mel