Im a vegetarian, do protein shakes count as daily protein?

ABOLUTELY.

Protein is protein. Many non-vegetarian/vegans don’t think we get enough protein.

You have to eat more plant based products(or animal based, since you are a vegetarian) to get what you need than if you just ate a bit of chicken. Vegans have more trouble than vegetarians anyway. Eat healthfully, and you’ll be fine.

Yes, they are although they should not be your only source. have you tried quinoa?

Or combining beans with rice.

Peanut butter or nuts.

i love peanut butter, i’ve been eating three bean salad? yeah so i guess im set? i want to try tofu :)

Of course protein shakes count. Tofu can be used in a million different ways! Check out a vegetarian/vegan cookbook to give you some ideas. Try as many new things as you can to increase your protein intake – that’s one of the biggest hurdles that vegetarians face.

Ya just mix it up. Nuts and edamame are good. And you can get soy, whey and hemp protein powders and just mix them to get a good balance. Also taking b12 vitamin supplements is always a good idea.

Almost all vegetarians who eat a balanced diet, like almost all other Americans, get too much protein- not too little. In all likelihood, you don’t need to spend the money on protein shakes.

You don’t need protein shakes / powder you can get it from plants, beans, nuts.

The biggest strongest animals on this planet don’t eat meat and the get enough protein :)

yesyesyesyesyesyesyes.
yum.

Nuts, grains, and beans are great sources of protein. I love snacking on dried fruit and nuts, and one of my favorite things to eat for breakfast is apples, granola, peanut butter and honey in a whole wheat wrap. Minestrone soup, vegetarian chili, and hummus have lots of beans in them so they’re great sources of protein.

@CarleyCruelty134 I’m guessing that you are a relatively new vegetarian, correct? I’ve been a veg for 20 years now. Let me know if you would like some recipes.

You definitely need to get your protein and you don’t need to get it from protein shakes unless there is some other reason that you aren’t getting enough from your diet. I’m guessing that you have a pretty limited diet, especially if you are new to vegetarianism. Being a veg can be daunting at first, but if you learn to cook and take an active role in your nutrition (meaning: learning what you need to eat and why, with regards to the nutrition in the foods you choose) then after awhile it will become like second nature.

Don’t be one of those junk food vegetarians that regularly eat cheetos and cookies and potato chips instead of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and tofu.

My favorite way to get regular protein is with bean and cheese burritos. I absolutely love them and eat at least one a week and sometimes more. Another great way to get protein easily is by making pasta with Ronzoni Smart Taste pasta like this It has protein, fiber and calcium and tastes just like regular pasta. Any kind of whole grain pasta is good too, but the Ronzoni tastes more like the regular kind.

Do you eat eggs and dairy? If so, those things are some of the best and easiest ways to get your protein. You can make all sorts of eggs, but if you want to avoid all the cholesterol, simply omit the yolks, or add extra egg whites and use less yolks, or only eat eggs about 4 times a week. If you eat dairy, make sure you choose low or not fat dairy products (milk, cheese, yogurt etc.)

Of course, there’s all sorts of fabulous soy products ranging from tofu (I like the firm baked style myself) to edamame, to soy milk, to soy yogurt, to fake meat products (some fake meat products are soy based, some are mushroom based and some are wheat gluten based and all have plenty of protein)

Then there are the whole grains like wheat (especially in breads and cereals) quinoa, which is the only vegetable form that is a complete protein, and bulgur. Here is a glossary of 20 different kinds of protein containing whole grains. They all taste different and can be used in all sorts of different ways.

And don’t forget your nuts, seeds, legumes and beans (pistachios, hazelnuts, Brazil nuts, cashews, almonds, macadamias, walnuts, pecans, peanuts, lentils, split peas, blackeyed peas, garbanzo beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, great northern beans, white pea beans, cannelini beans, black beans, soy beans, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, chia seeds)

One of my favorite go to recipes is a pasta salad (using the Ronzoni Smart Taste) with baked herbed tofu, kidney beans and broccoli. You can mix and match all sorts of veggies and cheese and pasta with any of the proteins discussed above to make killer salads, you just change the dressings to suit your taste. I recently made an Asian version with a spicy peanut butter/garlic dressing.

All of the same stuff discussed above makes for great soups, enchiladas and lasagnes. Just mix and match and make sure that you actually eat some of these items with every meal (I would ditch the protein shakes, unless you’re sick and can’t prepare real food, then it’s ok).

Yes, think of protein shakes as turkey or chicken breast in a drink. many people have the misconception that drinking protein supplements will make you gain weight or “bulky” if you take them without exercising. but the truth is our body needs protein because it is one of the three macronutrients (Fat, Protein and Carbohydrates) we need in order for our body to continue working properly.
Whether you get your protein from food or a shake, it does not matter. i assume since you are a vegetarian most of the food you eat is high in carbohydrates and fat? so that’s where the shakes come in. i would advise you to invest in a multivitamin and fish oils just to make sure you are giving your body the vitamins and minerals it needs. Now as far as type of protein that is up to you. Whey protein is affordable and tastes great. there are many recipes in which you can use protein powder (pancakes, muffins, smoothies etc…)
stay away from stores like GNC if you do decide to purchase protein powder, most employees will only sell you products that give them commission and not necessarily benefit you. If you have any other questions feel free to contact me!!