Protein without meat (beans?)

I have been considering cutting meat out of our evening meal because I am now convinced that the typical American diet is too high in meat protein. I've lived in France too long I suppose since "no meat at dinner" is a mantra here. But I'm a RNY patient and I also would rather not take protein shakes, so to pull it off for me I'd need another source of protein at dinner and I wonder about legumes in general. I know they are a good source of protein, but does it have to be rice and beans together for this to work? Any links where I could read up on this? Thanks!

It was believed for many years that the complementary proteins in rice & beans had to be taken in at the same time.  Science has proven that this is not so - yes, both of these foods are missing one essential amino acid which is a limiting factor in protein production by your body.  If you are able to take in these proteins at some time in a single day, the limiting effects do not appear to be a problem. You know, the timing of your protein is irrelevant.  You should strive to get in the amount of protein that your doctor recommended each day (usually 60 g plus). Legumes are a relatively good source of protein, for example lentils have 9g protein per 1/2 cup. Unfortunately I don't have any website references at my fingertips for this - I did my training in dietetics at Loma Linda University and vegetarian nutrition was a BIG topic there!  It shouldn't take long to find info on this.  There are a few vegetarian publications available - the first that comes to mind is "Vegetarian Times".  I am sure this topic has been covered by them many times. Happy Hunting!

Hi Joliment :) I love legumes of all sort.  Not sure if you're a cook, but the easiest way to cook beans is in a pressure cooker.  The new ones don't explode like the old ones (think of Audrey Hepburn in "Breakfast at Tiffanies.") You could make a nice veggie cassoulet, lentil soup, hummus, fuul (Egyptian fava bean stew), black bean & sweet potato enchiladas, etc. Try legumechef.com for info on nutrition for various legumes. Also don't forget about eggs... I make a nice clafouti using eggs, splenda, a little flour, vanilla, cinnamon, and fruit of my choice. Other recipes... http://citymama.typepad.com/cityfood/2006/10/lentils_flavore.html the Food Network site is great... www.foodnetwork.com :)

Don't forget about tofu and tempeh. I love beans and use them often for my protein.

Eggs, cheese, meat analogs like veggie burgers or crumbles...all good protein sources.