Health

[Meera]

Hello and thank you for this most helpful site. Here is a question that I hope someone can help me with.

Because of a certain diet I need to follow for some metabolic problems, I need to count my protein and carbohydrate intake. I have to get about 15 grams protein per meal and that has to be balanced with about 20g of carbohydrates. I've figured out how to count the carbohydrates, but I'm having a hard time learning how many grams of protein there are in the different foods I'm eating, especially vegetables. I used to easily count and fill my protein through dairy -- especially cheese, but now I want to eliminate that.

Can anyone help me figure out protein/carbo ratios for all the high protein vegetables that exist? Or other sources (no processed foods; real foods only) of good protein that I can use for this diet? (Whose protein content I can count?) I would be so relieved to hear from anyone on this. Many thanks , Meera

[annie7]

http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/cgi-bin/nut_search.pl
http://www.nat.uiuc.edu
http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/protein.htm
http://www.ivu.org/faq/protein.html
http://www.vegsoc.org/info/protein.html
BTW I will mention that the suggested amount of protein daily for vegetarian / vegan diets is 0.5 grams protein daily / pound of body weight as stated in the VRG protein link. So 15 grams / meal over 3 meals is only 45 grams, only enough for a small person. Over 60 grams 4 meals that gets to be more like it for a 120# individual. (Meera, did some searching with a virtual aquaintance who helps me out from time to time with stuff like this. All of the preceeding post words are his) ~Annie

[Meera]

Dear Annie

Thank you so much for your response. I really appreciate it. I haven't yet had the time to go into the different sites you mentioned, but I will do so, shortly.

Regarding the protein count, yes, you and your friend are absolutely right and again many thanks for your concern. As far as I understand it, I'm covered because first of all, on this diet I have to eat 3 meals AND 2 snacks. The snacks have to be at least 7g protein / 15g carb each. That brings me to a total of 60g protein a day. Secondly, that is my current weight -- 135 pounds. So hopefully, unless I'm missing something, I should be alright.

Again, I really appreciate the help. best, Meera

[Meera]

Annie!

Just wanted to say that I've looked into the sites you suggested. Really, I couldn't have invented a list more perfect for my needs than 2 that I found in the sites you suggested. With these lists, I feel I have everything I need to follow this diet. Thank you. If anyone else is reading this, I'll just mention the two that give the most comprehensive, easy to read indexes on how much of what to eat to get how much grams protein:

www.vrg.org/nutrition/protein.htm This lists the foods one would usually be eating

www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/cgi-bin/nut_search.pl This is 29 pages long and lists EVERYTHING you could ever imagine eating.

Best to you, Meera

[alexis]

Annie, i love you for this info....now i have something to counter my boyfriend every time he heads for protein shakes at GNC...it's so sickening..he wants to spend hundreds pof dollars buying protein shakes bto 'build muscle' because he says that his friends all took protein shakes and turned muscle packed overnight...plain rubbish....and he thinks it'll help him lose the three kg he badly needs to lose...and he's so stubborn and dismisses me as a 'freak' when i tell him protein shakes just don't work....grrrr.....

[annie7]

You are both very welcome, but I all I did was copy and paste. A person who goes by the Yahoo screen name "Quixoticvegan" did all the REAL work. If you know what quixotic means, that explains it all.