High Protein Vegetarian Meals

When we say high protein meals we immediately think, steaks, tuna and eggs. So when the table is rid of these things a non-vegetarian person would ask, where do I get the protein that I need? It may come as a surprise but an average person gets way too much protein than his or her body actually needs … even when in a vegetarian diet. A cup of tofu or bean curd can contain up to 20grams of protein. That’s already half for a person who needs 40 grams of protein a day. In the case of those that we call ovolactovegetarian (vegetarians who also take dairy and poultry products), egg whites, cheese and milk are also good sources of high protein.

Vegetarian diets are becoming more common these days especially for people who lives a sedentary lifestyle and those that couldn’t fit working out in their schedules. If you’re on a high protein diet but is trying to watch your weight then a good vegetarian meal would be perfect. It may be hard to do this at first because a non-vegetarian will naturally look for the meat flavor. But try replacing meat products with meat substitutes. For burger steaks, try a soy burger. You can use the same vegetables and gravy that you use with a beef burger. There are also veggie-meats in the market now that tastes exactly like real meat you can use it to make lamb stew and wouldn’t know the difference.

Here’s a couple of simple but mouth watering high-protein, vegetarian/vegan recipes:

Tofu Scramble

Ingredients:

* 1/2 yellow onion, diced
* 1/2 green bell pepper, diced
* 1 block tofu, drained and pressed
* 2 tbsp oil or margarine
* 1 tsp garlic powder
* 1 tsp onion powder
* 1/2 tsp dried parsley
* 1 tbsp soy sauce
* 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
* 1/2 tsp turmeric (optional)

Slice the tofu into approximately one inch cubes. Then, using either your hands or a fork, crumble it slightly. Sautee onion, pepper and crumbled tofu in oil for 3-5 minutes, stirring often. Add remaining ingredients, reduce heat to medium and allow to cook 5-7 more minutes, stirring frequently and adding more oil if needed. Wrap in a warmed flour tortilla with a bit of salsa for a breakfast burrito or top with soy or dairy cheese. Serves two.

Vegetarian Apple Cheddar Panini

Ingredients:

* 8 slices whole grain bread
* 1/2 cup low-fat honey mustard
* 2 apples, sliced thin
* 8 ounces low-fat Cheddar cheese, sliced thin

Preheat panini press on medium heat. If you don’t have a panini press, you can use a non-stick skillet or a George Foreman grill. Lightly spread honey mustard evenly over each slice of bread. Layer apple slices and cheese over 4 slices of bread, using about 1/2 apple and 2 ounces of cheese for each sandwich. Top each with remaining bread slices. Lightly coat panini press with cooking spray. Grill each sandwich for 3 to 5 minutes or until cheese has melted and bread has toasted.