Life As A Veggie: vegetarian

Top 6 vegetarian/vegan sources of protein.

Hi there! So if you've been a vegetarian/vegan for a long time or you've just started, the question you're probably already tired of hearing is "Where do you get your protein?!". Before you start vegangelizing, you have to think about the awesome opportunity before you. You've got the chance to look smart and make vegetarianism/veganism look as good as it actually is. The challenge is in doing it without sounding annoying or making the other person get mad at you. So, here are some pointers to giving a calm, normal answer to this incredibly annoying question.

First of all, we need to get something straight. What is protein? Proteins are biological molecules made up of chains of aminoacids. What protein does is help the body create new cells, build and repair new tissue. It's obviously a big deal. But consuming protein without eating meat (or any other animal products) is really not that hard. In fact, many people consume too much protein! Your first thought probably is "Well, the more the better, right?". Well not really. Consuming too much protein for an extended period of time can cause some serious problems on your bones and organs.

So, let's cut to the chase here. What are some good sources of protein for us vegetarians/vegans? Well, there are tons! All plants have protein (Some more than others evidently) so we don't really need to look so far. Here are my personal favorites!

Beans beans beans!: Lentils, black, chickpeas, soy! They're all super tasty, super awesome and super healthy! Beans contain more protein than any other vegetable source, so they are an absolute must in your diet! They are also very high in fiber, so they'll make you feel full for hours (totally awesome aid in wheight loss! I think... I hope! Haha)!
Nuts: Self explanatory: Nuts about nuts!
Whole grains: Grains are great to pack a protein punch into you diet! Rice is always a great option, but quinoa (even though it's technically a seed) is worth a try too!
Green veggies: Yep! Green veggies! Kale, spinach, lettuce, swiss chard are full of protein! For instance, every 100 grams of Kale contains 4,3 grams of protein! Amazing right?
Seeds: These are like the best addition to any meals! Flaxseed, chia, hemp, you name it, it's good for you! They're so easy to add to your diet you can't not try them! High in fiber, omega-3 and protein.
Plant milk: You've got soy, almond, oatmeal, hemp, hazelnut, coconut! They all have their advantages; protein, calcium, vitamin E, magnesium, selenium, manganese, etc.

So, these are my six personal favorites. Do you guys eat any of the things I mentioned? And If you do, how do you add them into your diet?

All comments are welcome!

Thanks for reading!

8:00 AM
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Vegetarian rambling.

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Hello there. You probably know some stuff about me already. I'm a girly girl, with too many interests to name them all and a really big soft spot for animals. Ever since I was a little girl, animals fascinated me. All of them, not only the cats and dogs. I used to collect pet magazines, wildlife articles, anatomy booklets, a little bit of everything. I was subscribed to horse illustrated when I was living in Miami and still go through my old magazines (9 year old magazines). When I was about twelve, I remember I was browsing the greenpeace page and thought that I should become a vegetarian. I hated the thought of eating an animal. I didn't really know about the cruel treatment they went through, I just thought eating an animal was horrid. I went over to my mom and told her I didn't wanna eat meat anymore, but she gave me a long speech about how we need meat to survive. Since I didn't really do any research about the subject, I didn't know how to argue against what she said. During the last year I was an omnivore I reduced my intake of meat, eating it probably once or twice a week instead of every single day. What really made me make the decision to switch to vegetarianism was reading Peta's vegetarian starter kit. The facts overwhelmed me so I made the decision. I've been vegetarian for 9 months now.

After that, I took it upon myself to learn more about the subject, and veganism popped up. As soon as I can, I'll become vegan. It hasn't been easy being a vegetarian, and I imagine being vegan must be even worse. I don't refer to the diet as much as the support of my friends and family. It's amazing how most people have supported me. Even the ones that don't agree with the way I feel about eating meat always think about me when making food. When I go to my best friend's house, she makes me a cheese sandwich instead of a ham sandwich like everyone else. And it doesn't bother her. Same as my across the street neighbor. We made pizza the other day, and she was thoughtful enough to take out some cheese for me and put cheese on half the pizza so I could have as much as I wanted. My mom has also made changes in our menu just so I can have what everyone is having too.

Of course, there are those days when no one really thinks about me. It kinda sucks considering I've always thought that is it was the other way around, and I had to make food for them, I'd always try to give them something they like too. I guess there are things that just take time. I feel happy, and as long as I feel good about what I'm doing and how I'm living, I'm ok :)