Bridget Bites : Where do I get my protein?

Q :

HI BRIDGET!!! ok lemme start by saying that you are so amazing! im transitioning to be a vegan right now and struggling to find good ways to get protein post workout (especially jump rope/boxing) besides protein smoothies. honestly i find it hard to get protein at all! i know most plant based vegans rely mostly on carbs but i never end up eating enough when i do that and i loose way too much weight. YOU'RE SUCH AN INSPIRATION PLZ GIVE ME ADVICE!!!! love you and SOSO happy for you about vs <3

A :

Hi! Thank you so much. I am so excited – cannot believe I get to walk in the show again!!

First off, I am not a doctor and I think you should speak to yours. Just to make sure that there isn’t some sort of underlying medical problem that needs to be addressed.

Then I would advise you to keep an eye on your calories more than anything. It seems you may just not be eating enough – plant foods have really low calories and high fiber (which is what you want to live a long time!) so you get full much faster and on less calories. Be honest with yourself about how many you need to eat in a day so that you can maintain a healthy weight, and stick to it. I eat pretty much constantly – it’s awesome – and focus on higher calorie foods. My favorites are nuts such as almonds, walnuts, avocados and fats and oils. I never bought into the whole rely on carbohydrates thing in the vegan world.

However, you do seem to be working out pretty hard. Especially this time of year I do pay close attention to my protein intake, as I don’t want to burn out, and I want to build some muscle. The way I do this is I have a serving of around fifteen or more grams of protein a meal. This looks like servings of lentils, tempeh, tofu, protein shakes and nuts. I make sure I don’t skip meals, and am eating every three hours. I aim for four ounces of tofu or tempeh, a cup of lentils, and a handful of nuts as a serving. Try incorporating that into your daily meals!

Year round however I really don’t pay attention to protein intake. I start my day with a protein shake 365 days a year that packs around 30 grams of protein, and the rest of the day I ignore it completely. It is a myth that we need huge amounts of it to stay healthy and thriving; a myth that is killing the general population slowly. Vegetables have more in them than you would think!

I am yet to meet someone eating enough calories who is protein deficient 😀.

Best of luck to you!!

 

Peace and Love,

Bridget