Any other vegetarian ladies?

LaurenBee24 · May 2015

So, I am normally an advocate of the "mind your own plate" club and I don't want to be criticized for my diet. I've been a vegetarian since I was a child, and am perfectly healthy. I've been limiting my soy since becoming pregnant, but beans/legumes/nuts all make me super sick recently. I'm wondering if any of you are in the same boat, and if you have found any high protein foods that don't seriously upset the gi tract of your delicate pregnant body.

leannebernardez · May 2015

I've only been vegetarian for a little over a year, so you probably have much more experience with finding protein sources, etc...but I could barely get anything but carbs in for the first trimester. Now that I'm past it, I can eat beans, etc. again. I eat lots of eggs and cheese, and try to eat nuts, and I drink Bolthouse protein drinks occasionally when I'm feeling really protein-deprived. I also make sure to take my vitamin for all the iron!

lchan527 · May 2015

I've been a lacto/ovo vegetarian for almost 20 years at this point. I haven't had any issues with my usual beans/nuts but do you eat eggs? My OB suggested I up my egg intake for extra protein since I need to watch my soy level. She also gave me permission to eat all the cheese I want which was music to this pregnant lady's ears.

Sweet Sadie Mae · May 2015

Try fieldroast products. They are made with grains and probably the best tasting veg meat alt I've found. Eggs...Especially whites. Peanut butter (which baby won't let me eat).

brebouds · May 2015

If are aren't opposed to protein shakes there are great vegetarian and vegan options out there, that don't have a lot of the artificial ingredients that other whey/ casein protein products have. I use sun warrior and RAW to get an extra 20g a day

LaurenBee24 · May 2015

I have not been able to eat dairy since beforI missed my period! I throw them up instantly. I'm also allergic to apples, so a lot of the shakes/smoothies won't work for me. I do eat eggs when I can get fresh local eggs from a humane back yard farm.... but I can't always get enough. I'm also not doing any artificial sweeteners or some of the "natural" ones for the duration of my pregnancy. I have never been one to like the meat alternatives, but maybe one of the soy free options as recommended is worth another look. I just never got the point. I was so little when I stopped I never felt like I needed something like that. Also, I had a day where I was particularly sick and nearly choked on cashew butter coming back up, and it had pretty well turned me off of nut butters. :-( thanks for the suggestions!

lindsay897 · May 2015

I've been vegan for about 17 years. I've had a major aversion to greens! I used to eat a lot of salads but now they just make me want to puke. I feel like I'm getting enough protein thru beans, nuts, and lentils. I was soy and gluten free for about 8 months before becoming pregnant, but have started to add back gluten and soy for extra protein. I also drink a protein Vega Protein & Greens shake every morning. 20 grams of protein and I think a couple servings of greens.

Rikki_5 · May 2015

Hello! Vegetarian here. BUT since I've gotten pregnant I've been drinking a lot of those protein monster drinks as well as eating more tofu and beans and eggs!! Eggs aren't really vegetarian but they have tons of protein. Also Vitamin D whole milk. Also been eating lots of Kale and Quinoa. Quinoa has a lot of protein (24 g in 1 cup) and can be used so many ways.

crnota · May 2015

Have you tried Seitan? It's a meat substitute, but not one of those highly processed, millions of ingredient ones like Morningstar, etc. It's made from wheat that's been boiled down so only the gluten is left, which sounds gross but it makes a great chewy product that can be used as a meat substitute or in any type of cooking. I make fajitas, stir fries, chili, etc with it and it's even good on a salad. It picks up whatever flavors you cook with.

One box has 2.5 servings, and each serving is 21 grams of protein! That's comparable to meat, and way more than tofu. I buy it at Whole Foods or Sprouts, but there are recipes online to make it from scratch, too.

The only soy in it is sometimes a little soy sauce in the flavoring, but other brands don't even have that.

vamomtobe · May 2015

That's tough if you can't have dairy, either, that's where I've been getting a lot of my extra protein from during pregnancy. Greek yogurt, milk, and cheese. And ice cream

A lot of whole grains are high in protein - quinoa is a good one, as @Rikki_5 mentioned.

Just curious, why are you limiting soy? I actually don't eat it often, but it's ringing a bell that there may be some association with soy and ... something bad?

I was vegetarian through my first pregnancy, and although there were times I couldn't eat (especially in that first trimester!), I never had any of the signs of protein deficiency - thinning nails, hair falling out, etc. Just pay attention to your body, it'll tell you if you're missing something baby needs.

jenboston22 · May 2015

I'm vegetarian. I have other health issues that restrict some healthy vegetarian options (beans, lentils, etc.), but I get my protein from eggs, cheese, tofu, faux-meat products, peanut butter, soy yogurt (soy because I'm lactose intolerant), etc. Right now my eating habits are fairly back to normal, but during the first trimester I had difficulty eating much other than carbs... I think as long as it's temporary, and you're taking a prenatal vitamin, you'll be fine. Just try to eat the best you can.

LaurenBee24 · May 2015

@Vamomto soy contains phytic acid a plant based substance that blocks the bodies ability to uptake things like calcium, iron and zinc. It also contains phytoestrogens and in large quantities can limit the ability to make estrogen and progesterone. In animal studies excess consumption in pregnancy leads to early menstruation, irregular periods, and fertility issues in girls. No human studies to date, but why risk it?

emccaulley · May 2015

lots of tofu! seitan is a fantastic option (when i worked at mellow mushroom i would make a seitan/broccoli stirfry). since eggs you eat dont become chickens, they are completely vegetarian (just not vegan) so i eat a lot more eggs, also i get morning star farms veggie chicken patties heat/cut them and put them in a "chicken" cheese quesadilla! lentil soup is also really good!

eat111315 · May 2015

Fellow vegetarian here. 10+ years.
I would recommend Quorn* products. They're actually made from some type of mushroom so are soy free. I know you said you aren't into the meat alternatives, but they really don't taste anything like meat (much to husband's chagrin). They're good in stir fries or on salads. My kids dip them in catsup, which is pretty good too. (if you're craving catsup

.
Also, not sure of you've tried pan roasting chickpeas. Taste and texture totally changes so you might be able to trick your aversion.
Good luck!
Edit: I originally said garden instead of quorn.... which is wrong. Baby brain.

kindlycrystal · May 2015

Hello! I'm not a vegetarian, but due to morning sickness (really all day sickness) I can't stomach meat, so I've been eating like one. ^_^ I have been getting most of my protein from beans, nuts and dairy. Hummus and vegetarian chili pretty much got me through the first few weeks of pregnancy.

I live in a rural area, so finding meat substitutes can be difficult (we don't have a Whole Foods

). Do you all have any suggestions on where to find them? And which brands are best? Gardein was mentioned and Fieldroast, any others? I'd like to stay more natural/organic if possible. This is new territory for me, both pregnancy and going vegetarian, so I'd appreciate any insight.

eat111315 · May 2015

@kindlycrystal check your local target if you have one. They carry gardening an quorn. Also some regular supermarkets carry meat substitutes too. Boca is commonly carried and they're pretty good too. Call around you'll be surprised who carries things what you start looking.

kindlycrystal · May 2015

Thanks! There is a Target not too far away; so I'll see what they have.

MommyPhoenix · May 2015

I've been Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian for about 4 and a half years now. I'm actually not a big fan of lentils, beans, I'll eat them on occasion but don't actually care for them too much. For protein, I have eggs, Greek yogurt, Gardein faux-meat products, cheese, nut butters, tofu on occasion. I was making daily smoothies with Vega Protein powder but I stopped adding it to my smoothies once I became pregnant (not quite sure about all the added vitamins, especially Vit A along side of taking a prenatal vitamin). I recently discovered Karmaffins which are these little freezer muffins that are made only with fruit and veggies, very nutrient dense and have 8grams of protein per serving...love them! I'm not usually too hungry first thing in the morning so it's a perfect size.

lindsay897 · May 2015

@MommyPhoenix I believe that the Vega Proteins & Greens does not have any added vitamins. That's why I chose it. I used to use the Vega sports performance Proteins but it has a lot of added vitamins and minerals. Where do you find the karamuffins?

MommyPhoenix · May 2015

@lindsay897 Oh that's good to hear, thanks for the tip! I'll have to check out the proteins & greens version. I've always just stuck with Vega One Protein but it would be nice to replace it with a different version. Karmaffins are made by a company called U Be Livin' Smart: https://www.ubelivinsmart.com/nutritional/ you can search the retailers link, hopefully there's a store near you. They make "healthy candy" too..I think 4 chews = 8 grams of protein.

lindsay897 · May 2015

@MommyPhoenix Ichecked the website and the Karamuffins contain egg whites :-(
Whole foods carries their products, so I'll check them out next time I'm there. I'm always looking for ways to get extra protein!

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