Diet for Vegetarians (without suppliments)

Hello there -
I am trying to cut out processed food from my diet and lower my carbohydrate levels (not extreme low carb diet but just less) in order to lose weight of which I have put on a lot of late despite training 4/5 times a week - everyone seems to say most of the work is in your diet. At the moment I eat too much bread which I am trying to cut down on and which makes me feel bloated. Quinoa is one of the only complete proteins with all essential amino acids that I know about for vegetarians - though some combinations (eg beans and rice) also form complete proteins. For those of you who are vegetarian and are eating a high protein diet - what do you eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner etc ? I am also aware of research showing high protein low carb diets can cause their own problems which is why I don't want to cut out carbs altogether.
As mentioned I'd rather do this without using supplements and if possible would rather leave a discussion of the pros and cons of supplements for another thread,
cheers,
Gus

hey, if you haven't changed your diet drastically and haven't cut back on your workouts, you might first want to start with getting some blood work done and make sure there's not a biological reason for your weight gain.

Stacey wrote:hey, if you haven't changed your diet drastically and haven't cut back on your workouts, you might first want to start with getting some blood work done and make sure there's not a biological reason for your weight gain.

Hi Stacy -
I have changed my diet quite drastically  - the reason for my weight gain is coming back to the UK after living in Peru/Italy - this always happen when I get back to the British isles as my diet does change a lot (less fresh - more processed - less fruit - more bread etc) plus in Peru I have to admit I did eat fish - but I dont want to anymore.

I've known vegetarians who've gained weight due to "wheat belly", due to thyroid problems, and due to other problems.

The problem when I was a vegetarian was getting good protein. I did a lot of nuts, nut butters, and I did eat eggs (vegetarian, not vegan).

I try to eat fresh, especially veg. I do eat cheese, though try to keep that at a minimum.

I do eat a lot of carbs - I love my pasta. But pasta and bread (I make the bread and know exactly what goes into it) seem to do good for me.

http://www.nomeatathlete.com/vegetarian-protein/

This is a really super good guide. List things that contain a lot of all the proteins you need, and then lists other items by what they're missing or have a lot of, so if you're eating sunflower seeds that are low in lysine you can find something on the list that is high in lysine like cheese.

Eating whole grains and such helps a lot, healthier sources of carbs also tend to have more protien. If you're not vegan milk and eggs help a lot. Look up a vegetarian food pyramid and make sure you get a few of those little add-ons with every meal or snack, and have lots of meals. As an example:

Breakfast: Oatmeal, Milk, Flax Seeds, Orange Juice

Lunch: Microwavable Vegetarian Meal w/ okay amounts of protien, plus beans

Snack: Left Over Tofu+Veggie Stirfry with Brown rice

Dinner: Halibut w/ whole grain toast, spinach

Snack #2: Almonds and Raisins

that's easily over 100g of protien

I've always been vegetarian, was born that way, and have been vegan for two decades. I have never been on a high-protein diet and have never worried about getting enough protein, although that is the first thing people worry about when they find out I am vegan.

I eat what I feel hungry for. Beans are a major part of my diet. I like lentils, black beans, mesquite pods (for snacking, not really for eating) and many other kinds but not soy beans. I limit soy to a couple servings a week, usually in the form of tofu dishes.

If I don't eat beans and/or nuts for a day, I will usually feel like I am hungry, even if I eat a lot of other stuff. I do eat too much processed food still, especially sweets. I like bread and also eat rice, but not the white stuff, only the whole grain kind. I also eat lots of fruits and vegetables.