How Do You Get Your Protein In?

The other day, a friend was over and asked me, "How do you get your protein in? You have to just eat beans all the time, right? Aren't you bored with food?"

First off - no, I don't eat beans all the time. In fact, I haven't had any beans since sometime mid-week last week.

There are plenty of ways for a vegetarian to get protein in without even having to consciously think about it. In fact, I've never consciously thought about it until she mentioned it. So I guess now is a good time to find out if I do get enough protein.

Did you know that the average woman over 25 needs only 50 grams of protein. If you weigh more or less the requirements go up or down. The FDA says that most people get 50% more protein per day than they recommend.

Most people probably don't really read labels very well to know where their protein is coming from. Here are a few things that I eat that are have protein:

Whole Grains: Whole grain pasta, whole wheat couscous, whole wheat pita bread, whole grain bagels, toast, tortillas, etc.) Did you know that one serving of whole grain pasta packs in 7g of protein?
Oatmeal
Beans: And yes, I do eat them. No, not every day, but it's not just boring beans. I can make a black bean or refried bean burrito. Chickpeas (the main ingredient in hummus) have about 14 grams of protein per serving. Or have hummus with whole grain pita bread or fresh veggies. Lentils have about 17g, soybeans have 29g per serving!
Peanut Butter: Regular old peanut butter has 7g of protein per 2 tablespoons.
Brown rice
Tofu
Nuts
Seeds
Vegetables: The following veggies contain protein: Artichokes, Beets, Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Cucumbers, Eggplant, Green peas, Green pepper, Kale, Lettuce, Mushrooms, Mustard green, Onions, Potatoes, Spinach, Tomatoes, Turnip greens, Watercress, Yams, Zucchini
Fruit: The following fruit contain protein: Apple, Banana, Cantaloupe, Grape, Grapefruit, Honeydew melon, Orange, Papaya, Peach, Pear, Pineapple, Strawberry, Tangerine, Watermelon
Meat Substitutes: Veggie burgers, crumbles, hot dogs, etc.

As you can see, the average non-vegetarian eats many of these things on a regular basis themselves.

Here is a sample menu of what I ate last Friday. Let's see if I got enough protein:

Breakfast: Whole wheat bagel with peanut butter (14g)
Snack: 1 cup of fruit salad with: Strawberries, watermelon, cantaloupe, pineapple (1.5g)
Lunch: Whole wheat pita, stuffed with avocado, spinach, onion, tomato, & sliced veg burger (28g)
Snack: 2 tablespoons of Hummus with Cauliflower (4g)
Dinner: Indian Potato & Zucchini Curry with Whole Wheat Couscous (11g)
Snack: Whole wheat pita chips with onion bean dip (14g)

Tally: A whopping 72g

Wow. Well, I guess I get enough protein, huh?