Beans and other legumes, and if you eat a lot of vegetables you'll get all the protein you need, especially greens. Tofu is good in moderation but cheese and fake meat products aren't really healthy sources of protein so it's great that you recognize that. Go for whole, plant-based food and you'll get everything you need. :)

Most people eat way too much protein than the body needs because we've been conditioned since childhood to eat meat/eggs three times a day. It's certainly not necessary and more and more studies are coming out about how unhealthy it is.

Some favorite meals of mine are Chipotle burrito bowls with brown rice, extra black beans, salsa, corn, guacamole and lettuce...tons of protein. I also like to make chili with a variety of beans and roasted corn and tomatoes. I make taco "meat" out of ground walnuts and sunflower seeds that is great on salads. Lentil soup. Nut butters have lots of protein. I can give you some more ideas if you're interested!

My personal recommendation is to stay away from dairy. I actually think it's more harmful than meat, but that's not a popular opinion with the general public. A lot of new vegetarians overload on the cheese.

Oh and edamame has a lot of protein in it. I try to keep my soy intake moderate but it's a whole source so I feel better about that.

I'm playing with your thread YogaLady with a "Meat Eaters" thread but in reality we eat much healthier than what would come across. Especially at this time of year. Lima, October and snap beans. Summer squash, winter squash, peppers and (of course) tomatoes. Mostly open pollinated and organically grown using manure from our free range chickens and pesticide/fungicide free as much as possible. (I admit I have to use carbaryl on one thing or another at some point during most seasons).

Garden Goodies:

I love edamame, sushi (I eat fish), and Greek yogurt. I have been a pescatarian for 32 years and am very healthy.

One more picture... I apologize. It's only that you love your garden so much and it's hard not to share the fruits of your labor.
WINTER SQUASH: Buttercup & Waltham Butternut

Wow, nice garden pictures. Read ENVY!

Moni

Moni, you guys would run me off the forum if I posted all of the garden pictures I wanted to. lol

Thank-you very much though.

Look into quinoa as its a complete protein. I'm with you, chi. I only get milk and cheese that doesn't have bhst in it.

What about tempeh--have you tried that? Or are you off soy completely?

OnAHolliday, I just want to say I'm jealous of your buttercup squash. Love that stuff! It's my favorite winter squash. My DH and I grew 600 pounds one memorable year. Next year I'll get my son to grow it for sure.

I couldn't agree with you more alisande. Buttercup is THE squash for me, hands down. I haven't found a sweeter, richer squash that's for sure and the fact that it 's so prolific and stores very well puts it over the top. It's certainly my "pumpkin pie" squash on Thanksgiving.

I also grew a pretty good new one this year "Australian Butter" which was larger and certainly as prolific but I can already see that it's not going to keep as well. I've already had to prepare a few for the freezer as they began to turn. Other than that I had a few huge Blue Hubbards worthy of mention. Not my favorite winter squash but man there's something to be said for the big grin on your face toting up a 40 pound squash to the house. lol

Most of us love our tomatoes. This year I grew an assortment of heirlooms; Brandywine, Black from Tula, Cherokee Purple and a German cherry type called Riesentraube. Of course I grew a few hybrids also just because it's a little dicey relying on your heirlooms for a harvest large enough to get you through the year.

Geez, can I drone on or what? The point I was trying to make before my fingers got in the way was that I am seriously sliding away from my tomato affair and becoming smitten with the whole cucurbit family! The drawback to my love of these, and the tomatoes for that matter, is that my open pollinated leanings are rather pointless as most of the squash and all of the tomatoes will cross pollinate leaving me having to purchase pure seeds each year.

When I developed kidney failure, docs and the dietician told me to stay away from meat, eat beans instead. I love any and all legumes. I make all kinds of bean dishes, lots of chili meals. I'm not much of a milk drinker,but I do tend to add a lot of cheese to my bean meals. I don't care for fish, especially anything with bones. And now that I have a kidney transplant I'm not allowed to have sushi.

I do the Temph, my DD has given me some ideas how to use it, I eat lots of beans and quinoa.

Chi I also love the Chipolte bowl it is YUMMY!

The only dairy I eat is cheese maybe 1-2X's a week. I use Almond milk with my oatmeal and eat Coconut milk yogurt. I think I am doing well, just wondered what others are doing?

Many of the members of the 7th Day Adventist Church are vegetarians, but different types. They do have some excellent resources, cookbooks etc and many of the churches sponsor cooking classes. They also have medical resources to make sure you are getting the right and enough vitamins and mineral supplements. Even those can be vegetarian. Just some ideas.

If you have a Trader Joe's near you, they have a lot of great options that are frozen or already prepared. They have mandarin orange "chicken" that is processed of course but a yummy treat. Japanese fried rice with tofu, black bean taquitos, vegetable gyoza, ancient harvest soup, quinoa pasta, lots of thai and indian dishes. They have a prepared spinach salad with quinoa and pumpkin seeds and all sorts of goodies.

They also have coconut milk ice cream. It's really good. :)

It's one of my favorite places to shop because I only cook for myself and it's easier to grab a healthy salad than to do all the prep and clean up involved in cooking for one.

I don't specifically eat for protein but I just eat a balanced diet and I've used nutrition counters and I get plenty of protein.

Sometimes I supplement with protein powder. Non-dairy and raw. A scoop of protein powder, some almond milk, a banana, a scoop of almond butter and pumpkin pie spices make a really great, protein-rich shake.

I do eat dairy on occasion but I try not to because I feel so much better without it. It's pretty amazing the difference I feel if I don't eat dairy for a few weeks and then have some ice cream or cheese because I immediately start to feel more congested and run-down.

Yogalady - I marinate and bake tofu (after cutting into small pieces).
I eat a large variety of beans - Cannellini bean soup, red beans and rice, garbanzos in salads and in hummus, black beans in tacos and burritos, Runner beans in stews, PIntos, Kidney beans and black beans in chili , beans over a bowl of spinach or chard you get the idea!
I eat cheese, yogurt, milk, cottage cheese and I do eat fish once or twice a month.

Thanks for all the tips~~~I am eating a lot of what was posted already so I am on the right track.

OAH, I love your pictures~

Glad you still enjoy gardening all these years!

Thanks glender. I apologize agian though, not my thread to clutter it up with pictures. As far as gardening goes? I will garden until my last breath, it's a part of who I am. Gardening, cooking...and a healthy splash of alcohol? You got a frog!

OAH~~~~I also really enjoyed the pictures, I do not garden at all I do not like to get my hands dirty;)

Member of my water aerobics class shares with us, from her garden, her veggies.

Recently she brought basket of assorted peppers.

Water instructor picked up a large banana pepper and ate it like candy.

I enjoyed taking home couple of red and green peppers.

Although I have not eaten meat in over 30 years, I'm not a bean lover. I wish I was but just can't get past the gushy insides. I am 99% vegetarian. I have eight ounces of Salmon once a week, and maybe clams on my linguini. I eat little dairy,but love mozzarella cheese which I have every day on my egg, avocado, walnut and cranberry panini. I like Greek yogurt too. I eat a lot of fruits, berries, heavy grained bread, and vegetables. I feel way better than I ever felt eating meat, but it's a harder diet to maintain especially when summer fruits and veggies are gone. It's a heck of a lot easier to go get a hamburger somewhere.

"Gushy insides?" That's a first for me. It's funny how different people can be. Could you be overcooking your beans, Lily? ;-)

Let us not forget protein powders! Trouble is, I can't think of one I'd recommend. I used to use soy protein, but the soy isolates are under attack right now. I also liked whey protein, but can't find one these days that's not sweetened with sucralose, which I avoid. I thought hemp protein was vile. These days I'm trying to like pea protein, but haven't succeeded yet.

Anyone else have a protein powder to recommend?

Susan -
Whey Factors fro Natural Factors unflavored has no sweeteners, no GMO.

Here is a link that might be useful: Natural Factors Whey Protein

My favorite is the Sunwarrior brand. It's expensive but the bags/bottles are huge so it will last a long time. They have a brown rice version and a new "warrior" version which is a mix of several different kinds of proteins.

I mix it with a lot of stuff (banana, spices, ice, nut butter, almond milk) and it ends up tasting like a milkshake. I have the vanilla but I prefer the natural. The vanilla has stevia which I personally don't care for but a lot of people like it. I'd be happy to send you some if you want to try it.

Here's a link on Amazon but there are a lot of different kinds.

Here is a link that might be useful: SunWarrior Protein Powder

In my whole life, I have never eaten a lima bean, Susan. I guess I ate the first one and that was it. I was like that with peas until recently and now love eating them right out of the garden raw, and also like them in pasta. . I don't like Mexican food because of the refried beans. I wish I did because going meatless isn't easy to come up with substitutions.

Besides occasional seafood, I've been a vegetarian for about 12 years now. I eat beans, tofu, tempeh, seitan, and occasionally have faux-meat products (they tend to mess with my gastro system). I love edamame too.

I do eat dairy but try not to do too much of it. I do love cheese so I won't give it up altogether and have non fat plain greek yogurt for breakfast a few times a week.

I don't notice a huge difference in the way I feel with eating dairy, but I do with starches. I avoid breads, pastas and potatoes. I eat brown rice on a limited basis, maybe every 2 weeks or so. For grains I try and stick with quinoa, sometimes barley in soups. I do eat tortillas now and again when I make burritos and if I'm really craving something "grainy", I buy regular triscuits and much on a few of those. If you buy regular (not flavored), they have only 3 ingredients. Eating starches makes me feel yucky, full, and slow and nothing will make me gain weight faster. I LOVE the taste of them, unfortunately, but try and stay away.

I do eat limited amounts of sugar, usually a piece of dark chocolate in the evenings and sometimes a little in my coffee. I completely gave up any kind of soda.

I don't limit my healthy fats at all, and it seems to have no effect on my weight. I use olive oil for cooking, and lots of avacado, olives, and nuts.

Seems to be working for me. I would have a really hard time without eating beans, they are a staple for me.

Jenn, thanks for the Triscuit tip!

Chi83, thank you--but I'm afraid that's out of my price range. Way out! I'm sure it's good though.

Gardenspice, that price I can handle. It looks good--thanks for sharing.