Since I have recently decided to become vegetarian I keep getting the same question when I tell people of my new diet. “Where do you get your protein from?” It is a huge misconception that the only good sources of protein are meats.

With that being sad I did start off as a vegetarian on the wrong foot. I did not  put much thought to where my protein was coming from when I started. I just went of my vague knowledge that veggies have plenty of protein too and assumed that was enough. Well, after about two weeks of not eating meat I noticed that I was very low on energy and tired throughout the day. The next time I was asked about protein I asked myself “AM I getting enough protein?” so I looked up vegetarian sources of protein. Apparently my lack of energy WAS due to the lack of protein, so I got myself a list of protein rich foods so that I can ensure to include at least one of them with each meal and snack.

I have made a list of the foods rich in protein and amino acids that I am the most excited to eat more of:

Nuts and seeds:

1)      Pistachios (Finally, Peter will let me buy them more often!)

2)      Cashews (Unsalted of course)

3)      Pumpkin seeds (Great on top of cereal!)

Dairy:

1)      Cottage cheese

2)      Ricotta cheese

3)      Mozzarella cheese (cheese sticks!)

4)      Yogurts (especially Greek. Yum-yum)

Vegetables and legumes:

1)      Spinach (I already put spinach on everything lol)

2)      Brussel sprouts

3)      Broccoli

4)      Navy beans

5)      Asparagus (roasted with some shredded Parmesan cheese (also a source of protein))

Cereals and grains:

1)      Whole wheat pasta

2)      Egg noodles (Pho!)

3)      Brown rice

4)      Whole wheat bread

Also some dried fruits such as Apricots and peaches as snacks can help me increase my protein intake

I might look into getting some protein and make smoothies and shakes with it to fill in any gaps that I might have.

Apparently I still have a lot to learn about my new lifestyle. Just picking the meat off my plate was not enough  and I will keep improving.

Happy, healthy eating!

-Polly