Good cheap vegetarian protein source?

[mick e]

If you are not a hardcore veg, eggs are always good.

[NewtonMP2100]

. . .they also have egg protein powder. . .

[Refurbvirgin]

If you combine grains and legumes 3:1 you balance methionine and lysine for a complete protein, as I recall, but it's been a long time since Nutrition 101. Short grain brown rice and lentils are easy to cook. Three cups rice, one cup lentils in a cast-iron pot, rinse twice, then cover with water by .5", bring to a boil, turn off heat, leave covered for 45 mins.Keep the unused portion in the fridg'. To serve just scoop a portion into a bowl, cover with spaghetti sauce and nuke briefly in a microwave.

Supplement with lots of fresh steamed veggies, especially broccoli - the most nutritious veggie you can eat. Add some mozzarella or farmer's cheese (lowest fat content) to keep your B12 up.

If you want to avoid the cholesterol in cheese (80% of the calories are fat) and choose fish for B12 remember that many tuna species are high in mercury. Sardines, as far as I know, are still wild-caught, unlike much store-bought salmon, which is farmed and loaded with anti-biotics, as are many shrimp. Predators store toxins in their fat-cells so the lower on the food chain you eat the less toxins you ingest. That's why orcas are in trouble. They eat seals that eat salmon.

Omega-3 supplements can be toxic for the same reason:

[Refurbvirgin]

Tofu isn't good for guys. The phytoestrogens will suppress your testosterone. Good for gals, though.

[GeneL]

Seacrest Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I have not eaten meat since I saw the lamb or goat
> with six legs on TV. That'd be a couple of days,
> now.
> I ain't no vegematarian, that's for sure, but
> between Chernobylized livestock and the threat of
> bird flu, I just can't stomach it for a while.
>

Properly cooking chicken destroys any "Bird Flu" virus making it safe to eat.

As far as radioactive fallout, the human race is DOOMED anyway, so don't sweat it

That's just my opinion, I could be wrong.

[karsen]

I'm a pesco-vegetarian http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pesco/Pollo_vegetarianism , or a vegetarian who also eats fish.

Tuna is a good source of protien, as is most fish.

Milk and dairy products provide quality protien as do beans and nuts as mentioned above.

To supplement my protein intake I try to have some sort of protein shake or bar each day. There are many varieties out there but I prefer vanilla "ON Whey Protein" from GNC. "Muscle Milk" is also decent in some flavors.

I stopped eating meat about 3 years ago as a method to help cut junk out of my diet. I figured I'd be less likely to drop in for a fast-food burger and fries if I didn't eat burgers. That carried over to buying groceries. I felt better, with more energy so it stuck. I haven't knowingly eaten meat other than fish since I started. There have been times though when the neighbors are cooking steaks on the grill that I am tempted!

Morningstar Farms sells a wide variety of meatless products (burgers, steak strips, chicken patties, nuggets, strips) that are all low in fat and high in protein. They are great to keep in the freezer for those days when you just gotta have a burger. They aren't too bad either. The chicken patties (when cooked in the oven) are better than I rememeber ever getting from Burger King or McD's. The steak strips are great when grilled up with onions and peppers.

I also like to get large portobella muchrooms, brushed with olive oil and grill them. Top with lettuce and tomato and serve on a nice onion hamburger bun. Tasty.

Great vegetarian recipes here: http://vegetarian.allrecipes.com/

Hope that helps.

[Racer X]

Refurbvirgin Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

> If you want to avoid the cholesterol in cheese
> (80% of the calories are fat) and choose fish for
> B12 remember that many tuna species are high in
> mercury. Sardines, as far as I know, are still
> wild-caught, unlike much store-bought salmon,
> which is farmed and loaded with anti-biotics, as
> are many shrimp. Predators store toxins in their
> fat-cells so the lower on the food chain you eat
> the less toxins you ingest. That's why orcas are
> in trouble. They eat seals that eat salmon.
>
> Omega-3 supplements can be toxic for the same
> reason:
>
>
>
>


I was just told by my osteoarthritis specialist several weeks ago that the fish oil supplaments are so ultra refined that they are the purest form of omega-3 and -6. The mercury is concentrated most in the skin, then the flesh, then in the fat cells. The rendering process, and following micro filtration makes the oil ultra pure. There may be some suppliers who don't do such a good job. That I can't answer to. I specifically asked about mercury concentration, both for me, and because we feed a salmon oil supplament to our cats, (and their coats are as soft and silky as mink coats, let me tell you.)

[karsen]

Good info about soy consumption for men: http://www.soymilkquick.com/shouldmenworry.html

[anonymouse1]

Some tuna has a lot of mercury in it.

Best sources, but no the cheapest, are egg white and whey protein powders.

Skip the soy stuff-phytoestrogens are not good for you, despite the soy industry's propaganda.

[karsen]

Canned tuna is actually VERY low in mercury. They use younger fish for canned tuna than they do for tuna steaks. Older fish maintain higher levels of mercury that they have accumulated over their lifespan.