Vegan Protein Sources Topic
Hb17
01/02/17
I am looking for input on vegan protein sources. Currently I get my daily protein from beans/lentils/chickpeas, vegan protein powder shakes, quinoa, nuts and nut butters, and hemp seeds. My issue is that most of these protein sources are high in carbs. My daily protein goal is 104 grams of protein but I am finding it near impossible to meet that goal without going way over my daily carb limit. Any advice or insight would be greatly appreciated!
Dietitian
01/02/17
replied to Hb17
Hi Hb17, vegan eating is naturally generous in carb intake given the food choices, especially available protein options. What is your carb limit per meal or snack? And more importantly, why would you need to restrict carbs - is it simply to reduce calories or do you have diabetes too (in that case, you would do better with a reasonable carb goal per meal and snack vs. low carb overall). FYI, tofu products are a good source of protein and very modest in carbs.
There is a good position paper for vegetarians (written by vegetarians who also do nutrition research) here - be sure to tap "PDF Version" link to see the entire paper: http://www.eatrightpro.org/resource/practice/position-and-practice-papers/position-papers/vegetarian-diets
Let me know a little bit more so I can give you more ideas, tips, or suggestions.
Best,
Kathy Isacks, MPS, RDN, CDE
Hb17
01/08/17
Hi Kathy
Thank you for your response! I apologize for the delay in responding. I don't necessarily NEED to limit my carb intake but I am trying very hard to stay within my recommended macros each day. My daily carb recommendation is 233g but given the high carb content of most of my protein sources, I tend to go quite over. My main goal is to build muscle so I am currently doing a clean "bulk." Thank you for recommending tofu. I got away from it for a while but have recently incorporated it into my diet again. It certainly is an excellent protein source. Thank you for the article. I will check it out right now! :)
Vegan Protein Sources
