Fitness Friday: Vegetarian Sources of Protein

So if you know me personally or have followed this blog for a while you know that my family is vegetarian and have been for a couple of years. We tend to eat vegan a lot of the time but we don't consider ourselves vegan at this point. 

The NUMBER 1 question I got when we first decided to become vegetarian is definitely "How are you going to get your protein?".  Well for those of you who are wondering the same thing, there are TONS of vegetarian sources of protein! You definitely don't need to eat animals to get protein! Our favorite vegetarian sources of protein are probably beans and legumes. We really like black beans and chick peas. I make a lot of rice dishes, mexican food, and soups with beans and chick peas. We also add them to salads and make stuff like hummus. 

As far as Cooper goes...he loves beans and chick peas as well but he has grown to love hard boiled eggs and tofu recently. Cooper also eats some dairy, like cheese. 

Protein is definitely important but we never follow a high protein diet. We actually eat a high carb diet. We don't eat refined sugars but we eat a ton of fruit and also a lot of wild rice. On the surface, I can understand how people lose weight eating a high protein diet but it doesn't mean it is healthy. Especially if you are eating high amounts of animal protein. Protein is so hard on your body to digest and it strains your kidneys if you eat in excess. 

I would never recommend high amounts of refined sugars but your body needs carbs to maintain so many body functions. The role of carbohydrates is to provide energy, as they are the body's main source of fuel, needed for physical activity, brain function and operation of the organs. All the cells and tissues in your body need carbs, and they are also important for intestinal health and waste elimination. 

Back to Protein...If you are looking to switch to a vegetarian diet and need help finding meatless protein sources here are our favorites:

• beans
• chick peas
• eggs
• brown rice
• pea protein powder
• spirulina
• Ezekiel Bread (or other bread made from sprouted grains)
• Spelt ( we love spelt pasta) 
• nut butters (we are peanut butter lovers)
• Hemp seeds (we add them to smoothies)

On the plus side, a lot of vegetarian protein sources, like beans and legumes, are also high in fiber.

P.S. if you are cooking or preparing beans or legumes, make sure they are well rinsed. It will do wonders to prevent gassy tummies!