Sources of Protein for Vegetarians and Vegans

One of the problems that a vegetarian faces that meat eaters never have is Protein deficiency. The Protein we eat in food is broken down into Amino Acids and is either used for energy or used for muscle repair and maintenance. For people who exercise regularly like me, especially if you lift weights or other exercise where muscle repair between sessions is essential, a source of Protein is a good thing to have, and not eating meat means that I have to go elsewhere.

I'm not the greatest fan of Protein shakes, but often they are useful in rebuilding right after exercise. Whey Protein is made out of dairy products so whilst Vegetarian it is not Vegan. When I first started looking for these shakes to supplement my exercise regime I was trying my hand at being Vegan and was surprised to find that there were also Protein shakes for them. Veganism is not something that I will be attempting again whilst I am in Sweden (the cheese is far too good), but I have developed a particular fondness for Soya Milk these days. However, options for Protein powders when Vegan seem to be Pea Protein and Hemp Protein (related to but not actually Marijuana). In my case I managed to find a Vegan friendly shake that tasted like Chocolate Milkshake. Not great but it served its purpose.

Naturally, whilst supplements like these are useful if you exercise, you may not want them as part of your usual daily diet. They usually don't taste great for a start. There are things that I like to put in food that are naturally rich in Protein, like nuts and beans for instance, and in this regard a healthy addiction to chickpeas or to cashew nuts like I have is not a particularly bad thing to have. I can often just take a fork and eat the chickpeas straight off, or if i'm feeling slightly more energetic a nice hummous with carrots tastes great. However, if randomly dropping nuts and beans into your food is not your thing, then there are other substitutes. I have a deep love for Tofu these days, although it does need to be marinated beforehand otherwise it can taste quite bland. Quorn is another option, and I use Quorn pieces and Quorn mince regularly. Furthermore, living with a Vegan the past eight/nine months has opened my eyes to other possibilities because whilst Tofu is Vegan, Quorn is not. TVP (Textured Vegetable Protein) when cooked in water makes quite a nice mince style form of food in itself. Seitan and Tempeh are other options. I will certainly keep experimenting with all three in my cooking.

Whilst it is perhaps easier to just pick up a chicken breast or mince at the supermarket, it should be remembered that eating meat every day is not what humans were designed to do. Thus, whilst Vegans and Vegetarians have no choice about being more creative with their cooking (although there are unimaginative ones too), it is useful for meat eaters to have these options in mind too in theirs. After all, a steak or a chicken fillet may taste nice, but not every day.


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