Increasing protein-to-carb ratio in a low-meat diet

Hi All,

I've cut back my meat consumption for reasons of health and finances. Well, maybe ideology, too: I decided about a year ago that any time a humanely raised meat option was available for what I wanted I would buy it. (The taste of something as workaday as a chicken leg is so much better with the organics-- I never would have thought.) Because it's more expensive, I have decided to eat less of it, which is just fine by me. I eat more beans and rice and tofu, and I definitely get enough protein to be healthy, but I am looking for veg protein sources that aren't super carby.

So if you have suggestions for what I can add into my diet to augment healthy non-meat protein, I am all eyes.

Thanks!

Nuts?  It's not a vegi per say & know it's an amazingly simple & obvious answer but... but I love a hand full of green & red pistachios around the holidays.  lol

 High protien & high fiber.  :)

Many vegetable protein sources (pulses, nuts, seeds, quinoa grain) are also carbohydrates... the exceptions are dairy products, tofu, quorn and eggs

I am obsessed with Boca meatless crumbles. I make everything with them. They have only 60 calories and 13g of protein per serving and I pay about $3.50 for a box of six servings.

I frequently use the Boca products even though I am omnivorous and will certainly eat most any meat placed in front of me. You can also derive protein from leafy greens such as spinach.

This site has a number of veggie-friendly protien options: http://www.theveggietable.com/articles/protei n.html and a Google search using the terms "vegetarian high-protein recipes" seems to return a number of good results. Good luck!

Eggwhites are all protein! No fat, no carbs. That being said - whole eggs are also a great source of fat and protein with little carbs. As a vegetarian eggs are a huge part of my diet because they have a lot of nutrients.

Quinoa! While it is technically a seed, it can be substituted it for rice, couscous, or other grains. I like the flavor - it is mild and a little bit nutty. Quinoa has a very high protein content, and unlike most other plant-based sources of protein, it is "complete" (contains all the essential amino acids). As a bonus, it is also high in fiber. While it does have plenty of carbs, if you substitute it for rice you won't be getting any additional carbs in your diet, and will be adding in more protein.