I haven't eaten beef or pork for probably 5 years but have still been eating poultry. I have been trying to quit poultry for a couple of years, but I get so hungry if I don't eat enough protein. I also need to lose between 40-50 pounds, so I am afraid to eat carbs in lieu of protein as we all know carbs make us even more hungry and then we overeat. I am not happy being fat, but I am not happy knowing animals are slaughtered so I can eat them.

So, I am please asking for some help in finding non-meat high protein sources that will fill me up so I am not craving all day. Also, I have read and tried Atkins for a couple months, but couldn't mentally handle all the chicken and fat....it just didn't feel right for me. I have now been doing a half hearted South Beach diet, which is a great plan, I just need to incorporate non-meat choices.

Also, I have tried tofu twice, and as much as I try, I can't stomach the squishiness and lack of taste (it was in a veggie stir fry). This is too bad as tofu is such a good source of protein. Any cooking suggestions would be appreciated.

If anyone can help me I'd so appreciate it. I want to eat whole wheat or multigrain pasta and brown rice and lots of fruit, but from reading Atkins and South Beach I am afraid to eat it thinking it will start more carb cravings. I am a carb and sugar addict. I love big bowls of cereal, big bowls of ice cream, low fat chips, low fat cookies, etc....
Guess that is why I weigh what I do.

Any help would be appreciated. Can a vegetarian lose weight? Btw, I think the term for me will be ovo-lacto as I will still eat eggs, dairy products and fish.
Thanks very much!

Hi!

I'm in the same boat. I eat fish, and once a week I still have chicken or turkey, but am trying to get away from that. I have lactose issues so stay away from most dairy as much as possible. I am eating about 25 carbs a day right now.

My main problem now is FAT. Sigh. I'm basically just soaking everything in olive or canola oil and/or adding walnuts or almonds or avocados or olives! :-)

Here's what I do for protien:

Tofurky "Italian Sausage" (9 carb minus 7 fiber=2 net carb and YUM!) cooked in a little olive oil w/ garlic, oregano, basil, some red and green peppers, and mushrooms, and some soy or almond cheese (regular mozzerella would also be good) on top. Adding 1/4 cup of pizza sauce would also be good but would add ~3 carbs.

White Wave BAKED tofu is better than the white, creamy (slimy?) kind. It has more texture and less squish. I like the Thai and Mexican flavors (2 carbs minus 2 fiber=less than one impact carb per serving).

Boca burgers occasionally.

Lightline (or is it lifeline? I can't remember) taco crumbles, too.

Morningstar Farms "sausage" patties are pretty good.

Eggs

Soy protein shakes

Keto hot cereal (like oatmeal)

Nuts and peanut-only fresh peanut butter

Hummus (occasionally)

Let me know if you think of any other things, and feel free to PM me!

Sue

PS--I'd say, regardless of plan, to avoid rice for a few weeks. Honestly, it'll keep your cravings going at first. It kicked my butt. I don't eat any now, and haven't for 3 months! Eventually, I may try it again, but it is a "trigger" food for me, just like pasta. The lc pasta is pretty good IF you cook it the right amount of time and have liberal amounts of sauce, veggies, etc. to go with it. It doesn't taste "fantastic" on its own.

Also, if you find yourself craving fruit, Ketogenics (yellow and green label) makes "fruit smoothies" that are very high in protien and full of great vitamins, etc. Berry Blend is pretty good. I've not tried the other flavors.

Raspberries and Blueberries are also OK, if you limit them, which I find hard.

As for chips, I'd try the Ketogenics BBQ flavor (also high in protein) or make homemade tortilla chips with a lc tortilla.

OH! One more thing I haven't tried but hear is good: Fantastic foods has a new line of lc soups and entrees (things like chili mac) that are vegetarian.

Where do you live? If you are near a big city or a natural grocery, you'll likely find them there.

Good luck!

Sue

Thanks for your suggestions and ideas Sue! The food you mentioned sounds wonderful! I haven't seen anything like that here. I live in Canada and have only seen Yves ground "meat" and tofu hotdogs which I tried once and ended up giving to the dog......
I do love the soy veggies burgers though. I think I'll start looking around other grocery stores.
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? Gross! I also noticed that Campbell's vegetable soup has beef broth as the first ingredient. First thing I have found is that you really have to investigate before you buy and eat.

Again, thank for your help. I tried to PM you but it sames I am not allowed to.
Laura

If you want cheese made without the animal stomach enzymes, you can stick to Kosher cheese. Or, Trader Joe's has listed the types of rennet used for different types of cheeses.

http://www.traderjoes.com/products/...rennet_west.asp

Always do your own research, rather than relying on organizations that thrive on misinformation or incomplete information.

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.

Thanks so much for all the info.....wow...what a help that was to read all your suggestions! I work in a mall where there is a complete Asian supermarket, so I am going to check it out tomorrow!

I am looking forward to a vegetarian lifestyle, but I was afraid of the carb cravings, overeating, weight gain, etc. You have helped alot!

I have a list of vegetarian protein foods at http://ksteveh.tripod.com/protein.html

Steve Holt
The Vegetarian Bodybuilder
http://www.vegetarianbodybuilder.com

have u tried texturized soy protein?

last time while i was shopping on the go i accidentally picked a pack of 'lamb cutlet' i thought it was real lamb (i didnt read the label cuz i was in a super hurry)

when i got home, cooked and yes ate it - it taste definitely not like a lamb i was hoping for (well it tasted slightly like beef anyway) so i went to fridge and read the label 2 find out what the h**l was that i was eating and it turned out that that this stuff i bought was kinda mock meat cutlet made out of texturized soy protein...it didnt taste that bad like i said lil like beef cutlet

i think most vegetarians eat this?

This is an old thread and I am unsure if the OP is posting here anymore, but I just wanted to clarify a few things:

Many cheese DO have rennet from animal sources (digestion enzymes from the stomachs of animals).

A person who eats fish isn't a vegetarian.

Many cheeses do NOT have rennet; there are plenty of them to choose from. Also, while vegans may choose to eliminate all 'animal source' foods, lots of ovo-lacto vegetarians don't have any problem with animal source foods which are renewable and produced humanely (i.e., milk, cheese, eggs).

As for debating whether a person who eats fish is 'vegetarian' or not, why not just accept that many people consider that meatless eating (based on the teachings of at least three major religions) and walk away, instead of attempting to instigate an argument? Because bottom line, it's about what an individual chooses to eat...and there's really no vegetarian eating membership card that encompasses every personal menu choice.

Good New Years...

Gaelen, who is willing to call my eating plan "2/3'rds meatless" and call it a day...

Have a happy new year yourself!

http://www.cafepress.com/vegetarianvegan.207614620

I found a funny item that relates to this recent conversation. What a coincidence!

Gee, I dunno, Culturista...if the whole notion of 'true vegetarianism' wasn't so absurd, I might think comparing 'fish eating vegetarians' to 'Satanic Christians' was just a teensy bit presumptive and inflammatory. I mean, if I were like that.

I do often wonder at what point 'compassionate vegetarians' decided that it would be the best way to further vegetarianism by emphasizing their own personal ethics and in the process, making war on others who simply chose different paths to reducing consumption of animal sources. Oh no, wait--I do know that point. That would be the point where people stopped choosing food for financial or religious reasons, or goddess help us actual *taste*, and started trumpeting their personal humaniac allegedly ethical reasons for their menu choices as the way, truth and light. Forget that plenty of people had been happily eating fish and considering themselves meatless for generations before this happened...once it happened, they were somehow 'out of the fold' of meatless eating. I once read someone justifying why eating fish wasn't vegetarian by saying "fish have babies, so it can't be right to eat them." Well, geez, anyone who's ever gardened knows that many PLANTS propagate with 'babies', too--and yet, somehow, it's just fine to eat plants, but not just fine to eat fish. Who has the right to decide that for someone else?
And where is that 'rolleyes' smiley when you need it?

Technically, you could use the word 'pescetarian' to describe someone who incorporates seafood into a basically vegetarian diet, OR you could call the diet 'meatless' and be consistent with Judiasm, Catholicism and Eastern Orthodox religions, along with the basics of the dietary restrictions which apply to 7th Day Adventists (Mosiac dietary restrictions.) However, I tend to avoid applying labels to people whenever possible.

YMMV.

You have a lot of very interesting thoughts on this matter and all of it is fascinating to me.

I am not a vegetarian, but I do know that fish and other sea creatures are in the animal kingdom, not the vegetable kingdom or any other. That's not a personal, political or religious view, rather, it is simply a practical, scientific fact. That's really where I get the idea that people who eat fish aren't following a "vegetarian" way of life from.

Also, the OP was wondering what she would be considered as a person who eats dairy, eggs and fish, asking about what a "vegetarian" would eat, not just a person with a "meatless" diet. That's the only reason I responded in terms of a "label", because since she was choosing one that wasn't the best fit ("ovo-lacto") where it really would be (as you mentioned) "pescetarian".

For the record, I consider fish "meat" as it bleeds, its in the animal kingdom, etc., but as you say, people have religious reasons to avoid labeling it as such. Conversely, others have religious and spiritual reasons for labeling eggs meat too!

It's a big, diverse, strange world we live in!