Cara Lee Schaanick's Journal, 12 January 2017

Hey Cara! Glad I'm not the only vegetarian who faced this dilemma. :) I had to get to around 120g per day myself. I started supplementing with whey protein shakes twice a day. They give about 23g per serving which already took care of a 3rd of my day's requirements. One just has to spend some time in the store reading all the labels to find the ones with the least sugar/carbs per serving. Also, some taste really good and others really bad so it takes some experimenting. Also compare the protein content of cheeses. Some contain a lot more per serving than others. Seeds also contain protein. Pumpkin seeds for example almost 30g protein per 100g serving! Sprinkle some over a salad. Good luck! 

Whey protein can give you good protein BUT you must be cautious of brand and ingredients. Stay away from whey protein that uses soy protein and rather opt for ones that are made from whey concentrate. Some brands also lie on their labels and you get way less per serving than what they state it as. I did some research and reading and settled on using SSN Whey Performance Protein (i'm not affilliated to that brand in any way). 1 serving is 116 calories of which you get 21g protein and 5g carbs. Peanuts and cottage cheese can also give you some good protein and fat.  

I agree fully. Settled on the whey protein isolate from SSN although it is rather expensive. Some brands like USN i just found waaay too sweet and then discovered it contains high fructose corn syrup - stuff you really want to avoid. 

thanks so much for the advise Kjartan Spartan and Big Boy Optimus. I have only been taking protein shakes once after my workout so you suggest i take it twice a day? i actually heard SSN is a good protein but i battle to find it in the supplement stores here in Pietermaritzburg. Is there any other good brands of protein you can recommend? I have tried eating more eggs for protein how many would you guys recommend i eat a day? thanks for the help:) 

Having a protein shake after your workout is ideal. You can have another as a snack before you sleep but its really up to you. Another option is to have a double serving after your workout so instead of 3 scoops with 250ml water your would do 6 scoops with 500ml water. Protein absorbtion is best post workout. You can buy SSN at Makro for R499 for a 1.6kg tub of SSN Whey Performance. Its Red Tub with a black lid or try Xtreme Nutrition in Hayfields in PMB. What is your protein macro goal ? 

Ok that's an idea i will try take a double serving and see that it doesn't make me to full:) I tried looking at Xtreme Nutrition but they didnt have maybe out of stock ill try Makro. What do you think of Muscle Works Natures Whey? Im trying to eat 1600 calories 160 carbs 120 protein and 53 fat which i am not even close to reaching so just trying to figure out this whole macros thing.  

Hi Cara Lee, I'm vegetarian too :) I use Nature's choice or Health Connections Whey protein from Dischem. I have about 40 or 50 grams in the morning which will give you 34 to 44 grams of protein. It's pure whey protein isolate, nothing added so you can mix this with banana and milk for a smoothie. Nature's choice is out of stock at the moment but the Health connections is R215 for a 450gram pckt. Good Luck! 

Hi Carmen thanks for that:) How long does one packet last you? and what other things do you eat to get your proteins up? 

Also try getting protein from Peas, Quinoa, beans, chickpeas, chia seeds, broccoli, etc. Google some sources :) 

Lentils as well (26g per 100g) just watch out, they have more fibre than protein, but at least are quick to cook. 

also there are some vegetarian friendly protein shakes. please note that they are expensive though  

also there are some vegetarian friendly protein shakes. please note that they are expensive though  

Cottage cheese has loads of protein. Much more than yoghurt! 

Hi Cara Sorry for the delayed reply. I'm using 2 packets of the Health connections whey per month. It really gives your protein a boost so you don't have to stress to much about making up the rest. I find the whey together with the dairy I would normally eat and the small amounts of protein from other foods more than make up enough protein for day. I average around 80grams of protein a day. I do enjoy lentil based dishes lately and red kidney beans and that helps to contribute.