The vegetarian zone - high-protein diet for vegetarians - includes recipes and related article on

Vegetarian Times, Jan, 1997 by Karen Cope Straus

PER 1 1/2-CUP SERVING 191 CAL.; 17G PROT.; 7G TOTAL FAT (4G SAT. FAT); 17G CARB.; 25MG CHOL.; 481MG SOD.; 4G FIBER. LACTO/VEGAN

Pro-tein and Fruit Smoothie

Half a frozen banana gives smoothies a wonderful, milk shake texture without the ice cream and its fat and sugar.

1/2 peeled, frozen banana (see note)
1/3 cup fresh fruit chunks such as
cantaloupe or nectarine
1/4 cup plain yogurt or soy yogurt
(optional)
2 Tbs. soy-based protein powder
1/2 to 3/4 cup low-fat milk or soymilk

Place all ingredients in blender; process until smooth. Add additional milk or soymilk to achieve desired thickness. Makes 1 serving. Note: In the Vegetarian Times test kitchen, we buy bananas when they are on sale, peel and cut them in half crosswise then freeze them in small plastic bags.

PER SERVING: 346 CAL.; 22G PROT.; 6G TOTAL FAT (2G SAT. FAT); 51G CARB.; 5MG CHOL.; 928MG SOD.; 5G FIBER. LACTO/VEGAN

RELATED ARTICLE: IN THE ZONE

Let's clear up one thing right away. I did not want to do an article on high-protein diets. Although I was wrestling with the issues of carbohydrate and protein balance in my own diet, I was not keen to do an article because I didn't want to be involved in the protein controversy. I was also concerned whether the weight-loss and health benefits of a Zone-type diet calling for 30 percent of calories from protein, much of it animal-based, could be achieved in a meatless format.

However, readers kept asking for an article, so I bought Barry Sears' The Zone (Regan Books, 1995) and read it. The more I read, the more the book confirmed my suspicions about my personal diet. For nearly two years I ate a typical vegetarian diet--about 80 percent of calories from carbohydrates, 10 percent from protein and 10 percent from fat. The protein and fat may have varied somewhat, but there was no question that the bulk of my diet was composed of complex carbohydrates--the "good" starchy kind from grains, beans, legumes, veggies, pasta, potatoes, rice and bread--and not simple carbohydrates, or foods high in sugar. Why then, didn't I feel and look better?

Despite a good night's sleep, I was waking up tired in the morning. I found it hard to exercise regularly because I lacked energy. I seemed unable to shed 10 or so pounds. I was, however, shedding plenty of hair and my nails were brittle and split easily. Sometimes I craved certain foods. Sometimes I binged on carbohydrates. Despite the huge number of calories I was eating at lunch and dinner, two to three hours later I would have a gnawing, empty feeling that was sometimes followed by a low-blood sugar episode that left me feeling weak light-headed and anxious to eat something right now.

The conclusion? Something was out of whack in my diet. Using some of Sears' recipes and adapting others I started a vegetarian Zone-friendly diet. I cut back on starchy, sugary cartes and replaced them with fresh, high-fiber vegetables and fruits; I upped my protein to about 70 grams a day using tofu, tempeh, meat-replacer mixes and low-fat or nonfat dairy products. I also stopped worrying about using "real" salad dressing and nut butters.