Vegetarian with protein question
 

I want to increase my protein intake, I am a veggie so it can be difficult to get as much as I would like without eating a grate of egg whites daily.

Does anyone know if there is a difference in the quality between whey and soy protein powders. Or which is preferable Is there something specific I should be looking for other than macronutrients. Many thanks for your help.

I'm a vegetarian too. :D

If you are just looking to add it to increase your protein and can tolerate dairy it shouldn't matter. I would just look for the highest protein and depending on your diet needs the amount of carbs, cals, etc.

Hi vabeachgirlNYC All the best ones are;)

Thanks for your reply. Yes I basically just want something to bump up my intake so I'm sure nutritional info and fitting into ur diet is the most relevant thing but something tells me there may be more to it than that. Think I remember hearing/reading somewhere/sometime that there is a specific type that is better or more absorbable or something :confused::confused:

My boyfriend is a veggie too.
I end up eating a lot of meat replacements. We have stuff called quorn in the UK, not sure if you have something similar there? Also lots of protein in baked beans and nuts... but they have their drawbacks too

I'm a vegetarian too, and I find that just by drinking 1% and eating low fat organic yogurt (there are some really tasty brands out there) with some peanuts or something and mock meats I can get more than enough protein. But I think either supplement is fine.

I've tried both whey and soy protein powders, I also have used one that was made from seaweed which was pretty good actually. I'm borderline allergic to dairy, so I'm always looking for other ways to get protein. I think that dairy (whey) proteins are supposed to be better for weight loss, but I think all of them are efficient for building muscle.

If you're just looking to up your protein intake, you might try cottage cheese, Greek yogurt and/or nuts. There are also some decent protein bars on the market. Tuna is also a great source for protein, some vegetarians eat fish and others don't, and I don't really know where you stand.

Yes I have yogurts and meat substitutes etc in my diet already but just need an added boost of protein without increasing carb/fat/calorie intakes too much.

I got both soy and whey powders. The soy I got is natural flavor so tastes a bit like soy milk which isn't great but can add own flavors. It is good for adding to food you are already eating such as oatmeal and soups to give it an extra punch of protein. It can be difficult to mix though and needs a blender to mix properly.

I got a strawberry flavored whey powder which seems to mix easier and tastes quite good, surprisingly. I mixed it today with greek yogurt and served over fresh fruit, it was yummy. It is a nice one to have after a workout mixed with milk to give a protein boost without sabotaging the rest of your intakes. I'm finding this very useful for keeping my appetite at bay too.

Unless you're attempting specifically gain muscle mass I don't know that you'll see much difference between whey and soy...whey is technically more bioavailable though I believe, and cheaper due to wider use.

My personal trainer specifically recommended whey protein over soy because it's better absorbed by our systems. Hope that helps!

Protein is the only macro that has all 4 amino acids (carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, and oxygen) so either soy or whey would be a good choice if you need more. The main difference is that soy protein is derived from plants and whey protein is derived from cows milk.

Here are a few comparisons of their biological values...

Whey has a higher NPU (net protein utilization)

Soy has a twice as much Glutamine (for building muscles) and Arinine (for physical fatigue/mental health).

Whey has a higher AAS (amino acid score) at 1.14. Soy's AAS .99. Anything over 1 is considered more than any person needs.

They have the same protein digestibility corrected amino acid score (PDCAAS).

Most think that for bodybuilding whey is better but seeing all the vegan bodybuilders makes me think it is more of a preference so just use whatever one you end up liking best. :)