I don't eat meat but I love protein (I've been eating Carbrite bars and Atkins a lot). What is the best source of protein vegetarians could eat since I know I can't keep eating these bars (I've had 4 already today)? Thank you.

Do you eat dairy products or eggs? Eggs and cheese are both very low in carbs and high in protein. If you're a pescatarian, fish is a good choice as well (yes, I know that fish isnt' a vegetarian food, but I also know there are lots of pescetarians who use the vegetarian label, so it can't hurt to ask!)

Vegan protien sources include nuts and soy products- but I really caution you not to overdo the soy products. The phytoestrogens in soy can mess up your hormones and damage your thyroid- how much soy is "too much" will vary from one person to another, but in any case, it's important to have more than one protein source in your diet.

Beans in general have decent amounts of protien, but packaged with high amounts of carbs. Other than soybeans, the highest protein/carb ratio I've seen in beans (from reading labels in the grocery store) is 1:1. You can include beans as all of your carb for the meal and still need more protein- but beans certainly CAN be included if you're careful with the quantities and pair them with a more concentrated protein source.

Whey is a good source of protein, but it's expensive. Shop around.

I'm a vegetarian and am absolutely nuts about nuts.

I can't remember off the top of my head which ones contain the most protein but right now I am enjoying: almonds, walnuts, cashews, pecans, and macadamias.

I also eat hummus with a lot of my veggies; mine contains 7g/2 tbsp serving.

Peanut butter is great but also calorically dense, so something to watch out for.

I agree with the post warning about soy: I currently eat soy very infrequently but if you like it it is a decent source of protein.

I have bought the morningstar brand of veggiepatties with (I think) ~13g protein per serving, but have not tried them yet. If you have I'd be interested to hear how they taste.

I also have 3 eggs plus a few oz. cheese every morning for breakfast - some get tired of this really quick though. I guess I'm lucky that I like eggs.

If I remember anything else I'll let you know

I love the Morningstar "sausage" patties. They are delicious, easy to prepare (pan fry or even in your toaster oven!) and I often eat them all by themselves with coffee as a quick breakfast.

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Yeah, I am actually almost vegan only because I am lactose intolerant. I do eat lots of nuts and instead of soy which can disrupt hormone balances, I go for tempeth. The key is just to stick with any form of fermented soy. Also, rice and pea protein is really good too.

I purchased some raw cream once and looked into the claimss of raw dairy. According to the report those who are lactose intolerant tend to "stomach" raw dairy quite well. Just FYI

Calorie for calorie, dark leafy greens have excellent quality protein, as good as red meat. How much spinach and kale can you get down? Much better than beans and grains for a LC plan.

adzuki beans and pigeon peas have the highest proportion of protein in the bean family.

I think eggs are going to be your best bet, I don't see how you are going to not be hungry a lot of the time if you are surviving on small enough portions of beans to stay under 55 grams of carbs/day. Maybe eggs and avocados and dark leafy greens with a bit of beans in the mix as well? You are going to have to add a lot of fat I think to get your calories at a reasonable level. Maybe a mix of coconut oil and olive? I would give the raw cream a try if I was in your shoes, but then I would reconsider the vegetarianism as well so you probably shouldn't listen to me...

Oh, I also think soy is a pretty bad idea, but if you are ok with the bars you probably don't have a problem with it (don't those bars have dairy in them? I could swear I had a problem with them when I was eating them b/c they were part whey and part soy protein...) and you could buy soy or tvp to make fake meat soups/stews or shakes from either soy protein isolate or the whey.

okaaaay ... here I go being unpopular ....

the best source of protein is to give up your vegetarian ways and start eating meat. really. enough of this "i don't eat that" talk. it's good for you. eat it. learn to eat it. you need it.

This from Mr. Raw Milk! For once I agree with you and not Black57 - I can't tolerate lactose or casein and I've tried raw milk, goat milk, you name it.

When talking about low-carb, we often say we need protein, but it's important to remember that we need fat just as much, possibly more. Official diet recommendations say "eat protein" because it's more socially acceptable than saying "eat meat," but the fact is that even the leanest meat is 50% fat by calories. That's why you won't get your requirements from green vegetables - no fat.

On the other hand, eggs are a pretty good vegetarian option. There's still a sensitivity risk, but from the responses I've seen on this forum, it's a whole lot lower than dairy sensitivity. If what you need is fat, just eat the yolk. If you need more protein, you can add the white as well.

lol, I don't imagine this will make you unpopular with anyone but the op. I don't see how a lc lifestyle could be realistically sustainable while vegan. Lacto ovo, maybe, if you were diligent, but even then I think you would be missing some major nutrition. I am particularly doubtful in this case since the processed bars, etc, are aok, but whole foods like maybe even fish are not?

I think she may be happier with a relatively lowish carb veg woe rather than lc. It would be thrilling to find I am wrong though, I am always happy when I hear of vegans seeing the light. ;-)

Also, to the op, I did not mean my last post to come off as mean or anything, I think it is great you are looking for protein options, I hope you find some that work for you, and if that means considering healthy meat and seafood all the better!

btw, I don't think you answered on the egg question, do you eat them?