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Originally Posted by striker
I also read something interesting on the vegetarian eating section on PeTA. Did you know that cheese has stomach ingredients from calves in it!!!???
What is with that? Laura
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Laura, veggie or not, you can't believe everything you read on PETA's website. Sometimes (most of the time) I wonder *where* they get their information...
Good, natural cheeses have milk, cream, whey, cultures, salt, maybe flavorings if they have wine in them, etc.--and that's it. No 'stomach ingredients from calves', okay? Processed cheeses I can't speak for, but if you stick to natural cheeses, you'll be fine. If you're really concerned, stick to cheeses that are marked with a kosher sympbol (circled U or a flying Hebraic K or the words Kosher-Dairy). However, I usually don't put information from PETA on the 'to worry about' list...YMMV.
Some other thoughts about vegetarian protein sources and getting your fats in:
1) Nuts, seeds, and flours and butters made from ground nuts and seeds are serious protein sources that also give you good fat sources without overwhelming you with grease. I make a nut flour muffin (almond flour) that has 10g protein and 3g ECC per muffin, and you can increase the protein level by adding shredded cheese. You can also use nut flour to 'bread' veggies, tofu or fish and pan fry them, or to top veggie/dairy casseroles and give an extra protein/fat/fiber hit all at once.
2) If you don't like the texture of regular (white) tofu, marinate it (soy sauce is good) and bake or grill it (way cheaper than buying it pre-baked in a package.) Or fry it. Or freeze it, thaw it and press it. All of these things change the texture to something chewier that better absorbs flavor and sauces, and actually requires chewing. If you don't like doing this yourself, get to an Asian market, where there are usually several varieties of marinated and fried tofu, in packages, ready to serve. There, you'll also find Tofu Shred in the refrigerated case...extra firm tofu that's been dried and cut into spaghetti (and sometimes other shapes). These are the best low carb noodles I've ever found! There are also usually bean curd sheets in the refrigerated section, that can be cut into wider noodle shapes like lasagne. And both tofu shred and bean curd sheets freeze well, so you can buy one package to use now and another to freeze for later. Packages usually run $1.59 U.S. for 8 oz.
3) I've been following a Protein Power compliant version of the specific carbohydrate diet to deal with some intestinal issues, and have been making my own yogurt out of half and half. Now THAT'S a tasty way to get your fat consumption up
I count the full carbs of the half and half and divide by the number of servings of the yogurt...but it's so filling that I usually stick to 1/3c. servings, so the carb load is minimal (about 5g per serving.) The fat content from the half and half really adds to my day's totals and makes me feel full. There are lots of ways to make homemade yogurt, but I use the tried and true Salton yogurt maker I bought in the '70s. Bring the half and half just under the boil, remove from heat, cool to 110 degrees F., stir in 1/3 cup of yogurt from the previous batch, and allow to 'yog' in the machine for 24 hours. mmmmmm!
4) I'd stay away from whole grain pastas, except in VERY small servings, until you're further along in your eating plan and you've got some control over your insulin reactions. They are not a particularly good protein hit compared to the carb load that they carry. I know folks focus on their cravings, but the root of cravings is eating too many carbs at one sitting, which causes and insulin spike, which incites the body to eat carbs, which starts a cycle of cravings all over again. Protein Power recommends staying under 10g ECC (carbs minus fiber) per meal to keep insulin reactions under control; at the maintenance level you can increase that a bit. If you're really driven to eat tons of carbs, dramatically decreasing the amount of them that you eat, total, will help end your cravings--but it does it by getting your insulin reactions and possible insulin resistance under control. If you eat too many carbs at any one time, you'll provoke an insulin spike and start the whole craving cycle over again.
5) OTOH, things like lentils and small amounts of beans have a much higher protein-to-effective carb ratio, so you may want to incorporate small servings of them into your menus. Pair them with cheeses, dairy or eggs so that you get a complete amino acid profile, and a small serving of them will go a long way while boosting both your protein and fiber intake.
Hope this helps.