Thinking about it....
 

Hey all!
I'm thinking about trying lacto-ovo vegetarianism. ;) (I have been doing ALOT of research!) I really don't even like meat. I hate Lunch meat!!!!! I really only cook it and eat it because my family eats it and I grew up eating it. I'm just worried I wont get enough protein. Does anyone have any tasty inexpensive replacements for protein? I mean I LOVE nuts and beans and peanut butter, but that all I know for substitutes. Thank you in advanced! <3

Have you read anything about vegetarian nutrition? I'd recommend something like "Eat to Live" (which is actually vegan). I think there are other books that might be available at a local library.

I get about 100g protein on a daily basis but it varies. I think I calculated the US RDA for protein for my weight and it was around 50g of protein recommended.

Here are a couple good sites to look at:
http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/protein.htm
http://www.vegparadise.com/protein.html

Great protein sources
Beans - I eat beans every day, multiple times per day. Tofu and edamame also fall in the 'beans' category and are fairly inexpensive.

Whole grains - Amaranth and quinoa are complete proteins but if you eat a variety of foods, you don't have to worry about complete proteins. Couscous, Oatmeal, corn, etc all provide some protein.

Leafy greens - All veggies have protein, the leafy green ones tend to have a higher percentage of protein.

Fruit - fruit tends to be low on the protein scale but there are a couple good choices including bananas

Nuts - good fats and protein

Homemade meat replacements - Seitan is actually pretty cheap to make and easy to do. It utilizes wheat gluten and is one of the basic forms of commercial meat subs.
Here are a few recipes to try:
http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2007/05...itan-ribz.html
http://www.postpunkkitchen.com/forum...c.php?id=15959
http://www.everydaydish.tv/index.php...ow&category=25

Well Nelie covered everything I was going to say lol... but it's great to at least try it for 30 days :)

Mmmm, tempeh... fermented soybeans. You've gotta try it!

Thank you ALL so much for your quick answers! I am going to start implementing my new eating habits on Monday I'll keep ya posted! Thank you again!

Tofu is also a great source of protein and there is SO many things that you can make with it such as tofu scrambles (like scrambled eggs), faux chicken salads or just marinate it and then grill or bake it or add it to a stirfry (just to name a few). It pretty much soaks up which ever flavors you pair it with.

I even made a yummy pumpkin pie this weekend by mixing Pumpkin Pie mix with silken tofu :)