I Don't Eat Meat, So How Do I Get Enough Protein?

The picture above is just one of the many of foods that contain a lot of protein.  You can easily find other foods high in protein just by reading the nutrition facts on the label.  There are many breakfast cereals that contain a lot of protein.  Also, oatmeal is usually fairly high in protein.

Or, if you choose not to eat cereal, you can have yogurt or granola.  Greek yogurt is thicker and contains a greater amount of protein than regular yogurt.  Or, you can even make a smoothie with juice or milk, fruit and protein powder.

For your lunch and dinner entrees, instead of eating meat, consider having some baked or sautéed tofu.  You can mix it with vegetables, or even bake it with breadcrumbs like you would with meat.  There are so many meat substitutes available, too.  There are all different kinds of burgers, veggie dogs, veggie bacon, and even chicken less chicken nuggets.

So, if you still enjoy meat, but are just trying to cut down on the amount of meat you eat, it is very likely that you will be able to find a meatless version of it.  Many of these products are made out of soy and are processed, so if you want to eat more whole foods and avoid processed foods, there are still many different options.

You can have beans as your entrée, and if you eat it with rice, it will form a complete protein.  Or, you can enjoy a dish that consists of a high protein grain.  Quinoa can be made into many different recipes; it can even be made into a burger.  Even whole wheat pasta is very high in protein.

Nuts or seeds make a great snack and will also add some protein to your diet.  You can even get protein from your beverages.  Milk contains adequate protein.  Kefir is like a yogurt smoothie and is very high in protein.

In What Foods Can I Find Amino Acids?

Amino acids can be found in most foods.  Foods that contain all 9 essential amino acids are called complete proteins.  Meat, poultry and fish are complete protein sources.  But, if you are trying to eat less meat, you can obtain complete proteins from other animal products, such as, dairy and eggs.

Soybeans and quinoa are the only plant sources that are considered a complete protein.  If you want to eat foods which are not complete proteins, you can eat those foods in combination with other foods to form a complete protein.

Foods are considered incomplete proteins because they don’t contain all 9 essential amino acids, but are still great sources of protein.  These would include legumes, other grains, nuts and seeds.  

Some examples of combining incomplete proteins include rice and beans, bulgur wheat and dried beans, barley and dried beans, corn and peas, soybeans and seeds, peanuts, rice and dried beans, seeds and green peas.  These foods don’t necessarily have to be eaten at the same meal, but should be eaten at some point during the same day.