[wildlifebio]

I just started SB and I am in Phase 1. Actually I am only on day 2 of Phase 1 and I already need help. I was wondering if SB will work for me since I don't really like meat very much. I eat some meat, but it is definitly not the main portion of my diet. Yesterday for lunch I had ham rollups with deli ham and that was plenty of meat for me. Last night for dinner I tried to eat some chicken breast but I just couldn't do it so I just ate celery and peanut butter. Does anyone know if SB will work for me if I don't eat a lot of meat but instead eat other high protein foods?
Also - I noticed on a Phase 1 list here that there was some vegetarian foods listed - has anyone tried replacing real meat with vegetarian stuff with success?
Thanks!

[Ruthxxx]

to The Beach!

You certainly can replace meat with other sources of protein. I'm sure there are some chickies on The Beach who will chime in here.

[Schatzi]

There are many protein-rich vegetarian and vegan foods. The only problem is that vegetable sources of protein, with the exception of soybeans, are not complete proteins, so you need to eat more than one in order to get the complete protein.

Vegan sources of protein that are allowed on South beach include:
Cereals and grains - wheat, rye, whole wheat pasta...
Leafy green vegetables, including spinach
Legumes - beans, lentils, peas, peanuts
Nuts - almonds, walnuts, cashews...
Seaweed - kelp, spirulina...
Seeds - sesame, sunflower...
Soy products - tofu, tempeh, soy milk...
Veggies like - Brussel sprouts
Eggs
Cheese
Milk
Yogurt
You can add a scoop of a Protein powder to a smoothie.
If you want to be absolutely certain that you are getting enough protein, you should eat food combinations which form a complete protein, such as:

Legumes & seeds
Legumes & nuts
Legumes & dairy
Grains & legumes
Grains & dairy

You might want to check out the Veggie Chicks Forum too for ideas. The biggest think is to eliminate Bad Carbs... Hope this helps!

[pearshape]

You can absolutely do SBD without meat. I substitute tofu or meat substitues in almost anything calling for meat. It works very well. Good luck.

[peppermint_tea]

absolutely - i'm a vegetarian and i went through phase 1 last year with no problems.

i did go to costco and buy one big box of boca burgers though

[H-ko]

If you rely on vegetable sources of protein, remember that all vegetable proteins are incomplete, and will need to be complemented with another, different type of vegetable source in order for your body to be able to utilize the protein. You can't just eat beans for protein, in other words - your body won't be able to use the protein in beans alone (tofu and miso, being made from soybeans, have the same amino acids as other legumes). You need legumes+grains or legumes=nuts or seeds, for example, but beans+peas won't do it (both are legumes and won't complement each other). The easiest way for you will probably be to have legumes with dairy or a little lean meat. So you could have beans with some cheese or a glass of milk, say. Dairy, as an animal product, contains complete proteins. Even if you don't get enough dairy to supply all your protein requirements, just having some along with other sources of protein will enable your body to utilize some of those other amino acids.

I think some chicks may have used TVP or tofu instead of meat in some recipes. We do eat meat now, but we have been vegetarians in the past, as well as fishatarians. I've never tried replacing meat with tvp, so I can't comment on that, but I've found that baked tofu can be used in some dishes, as can regular tofu. However, lowfat tofu is the only kind approved on the SBD, so be sure to look at the nutritional info first.