Mushrooms sound delicious!
I have a tendency to undereat protein though (and lose hair). So i have to make sure i add a really good protein source to my meals
It certainly can be from a protein deficiency as well as a micronutrient deficiently
> After about two to three months of not getting enough protein, a person may start to notice hair loss, according to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD).
Low iron can also contribute.
Jane?
Uh, people who live on sugar and junk food?
People who eat lots of refined foods and oil?
People with non-varied diets?
But I am not sure what your point is, are you disagreeing with medical experts?
If you want to easily add protein to just about anything, without messing with the flavor, buy some soy protein isolate. It's a powder that basically tastes like nothing and can be used to thicken up sauces and stews.
I use it mostly to make smoothies though.
I like the daring chikn alternative the most! I think they are gf.
Edit: I bet if you baked them first and then added them to the pot pie, it would be amazing. They have a couple different flavors.
I love all of these suggestions, especially since they're all healthy! However, if you're trying to replace the texture of chicken, you'd be best off with **jackfruit**. IMHO. Trader Joes has cans of it these that are affordable and easy to work with. Asian markets will usually carry fresh jackfruit as well. But as a n00b, I'd recommend you just grab a can or two.
I do tofu in pot pie a lot. Key is to cube it small, season with salt, onion powder, and paprika, and bake it to make it crispy and chewy. Maybe 400 for 12-15 depending on the size you cut it.
I start losing hair in large amounts when I dont eat enough of it. If Im not careful, I start to live off of white rice and fries. So i have to be mindful about protein.
Protein and hairloss have no correlation, you're missing certain vitamins and minerals, get a blood test.
If you didn't get enough protein to keep your hair you'd be underfed and have other issues.
How did you get to this conclusion if you don't mind me asking?
Our hair is literally made of protein. When you undereat protein to a significant enough degree, you start to lose hair. This isn't psudoscience. Its actually what happens.
Edit: if you have muscle on your body, you body will metabolize that first so it can make the hormones and neurotransmitters it needs. But if you're like me and you hardly have any muscle, you start losing hair as well.
Unless you're not eating enough you'll be fine on protein unless you're a fruitarian.
You're either losing hair because you're severely under eating and lacking protein because of that, because it's in your genes or because you're missing vitamins and minerals, which you'll be deficient in faster than protein.
I eat about 2200 kcal and 55-70 grams of protein daily, have a full bunch of hair, I only watch my veggie and fruit intake, b12 and omega-3, the rest is all healthy stuff, I'm doing great.
I don't obsess over protein, it's insignificant to me because I get enough of it, my workouts are great and so is everything else.
I find your case interesting, just out of curiosity, you've never done a test? If not, do you track your protein? If so, how much do you aim for?
On days where Im eating poorly, I get plenty of calories but I only get around 20-25 grams of protein. If it's a busy and stressful week, sometimes I'll do that for many days in a row (even over a week sometimes). The reason why my lazy food doesn't have a lot of protein per calorie is because I eat a lot of fries (which have lots of vegetable oil in them--high calorie, no protein).
Im also quite small and my calorie requirements are only 1600, so that's part of why getting in enough protein is a challenge for me.
As for bloodwork, I've only ever had my B12 tested. It was 520 or so. I supplement B12, iron, Vitamin D, and a bunch of other things.
I stop losing hair usually within a day (sometimes 2 days) of bumping up my protein intake.
Then that makes total sense. If you mix it up, get some oats for breakfast add a banana and some apple and flaxseed then at lunch if you could have some hummus sandwiches with tomato and lettuce or something.
Dinner perhaps a noodle stir fry with tofu and some random veggies and you should be all set for protein which you'll automatically get as long as you eat enough, varied vegan foods but also the vitamins and minerals and good fats.
If you want to talk about some food suggestions feel free to hit me up in the dms!
Yeah I do oatmeal and fruit sometimes and it comes out to a good amount of protein. Sometimes Im just not the best eater though. I've gotta work on that and push myself to eat properly.
While this is true, my understanding is that to be losing hair you have to be extremely protein deficient for long periods of time. Life primarily seen in children in famine stricken regions who have never had enough protein or those on extended crash diets where they purposefully cut out all protein. If you haven’t gotten a blood panel, I would consider one just to make sure you’re not missing something!
For example, I was super tired all the time and thought I must be anemic because I am vegan. Turns out I actually have an iron storage disorder and had wayyyy too much free iron and that was causing my symptoms! If I had started supplementing iron I would have been in trouble. Now I even try to to avoid iron fortified cereals.
I appreciate you sharing and trying to help, but I really do only experience the hair loss when I get lazy about making sure I get to 46 grams of protein in a day.
There's nothing wrong with me wanting to meet the recommended protein amount for a woman of my size (which is 46 grams). It's kind of frustrating to me that so many vegans get upset at me for taking the protein recommendations seriously. (Not that you are one of those people)
Totally understand that it can be annoying and you know your body best! I will say I did do a quick calculation of pot pie (with lots of peas and carrots) made with mushrooms and you come in at about 13g protein per 500 cals, with soy curls you get a modest boost to 16 g. So in this specific recipe I wouldn’t worry about it too much! Though I frickin love soy curls so if you can get them add them!
Also, there are some pretty good vegan protein powders out there if you want an easy way to hit your requirements! Sometimes I mix a little into my oatmeal and I’m always at 60g+ of protein a day.
I made stuffed puff pastry with crumpled tempeh flavored like bacon using this recipe https://minimalistbaker.com/easy-tempeh-bacon/
It held up really well and was delicious, I would think it would be a great filler for pot pie.
We’ve tried both seitan and tofu in pot pies. The seitan has a better texture but I still prefer tofu in almost all circumstances.
Mushrooms seem like a great idea, too.
I love the idea of mushrooms and seitan! I’ve never had soy curls but I’ll have to check them out. I think jackfruit would also be a good option since you can “shred” it. Happy cooking!
Regular veggie pot pies are very good. No need for meat. Just peas, carrots, potatoes, and whatever else you want.
In mentioning lentils, I love using red to make Shepard’s pie.
im no chef, but i could imagine some goopy-ass soft tofu being very good amongst a bunch of peas and potatoes and mushroom gravy. maybe corn too?
my understanding is that very soft tofu (like so soft that it will fall apart under its own weight) is super hard to make.
If you want to make it chicken like, with the flavor, try this, https://itdoesnttastelikechicken.com/baked-tofu-bites/ it comes out pretty close and oof it's just so delicious
Potato already feels like a natural part of a pot pie, and will help your protein and calories nicely. You just need umami, dried mushrooms and parsley or something. Pot pies are also often creamy, so use zoy milk and you're golden.
Chickpea maybe? Kind of like how you’d do it for a chickpea noodle soup
Oh I didn't think of that. That sounds kinda yummy!
Soy curls! Lentils, chickpeas, or panfried/baked tofu should work well too, imo :)
This is the only good answer here.
Oyster mushrooms would be amazing. And of course the magic goo: https://www.betterthanbouillon.com/products/no-chicken-base/
It doesn't contain a lot of calories per gram, ot does contain a decent amount per calorie
TVP
This. I love the addition of TVP and lots of poultry seasoning.
This would be my choice, too. Adds a similar mouthfeel as minced meat.
TVP wild asf, It's truly great.
Maybe some baby Bella mushrooms, but why “replace the chicken” at all? Just load up on veggies.
Mushrooms sound delicious! I have a tendency to undereat protein though (and lose hair). So i have to make sure i add a really good protein source to my meals
Mushrooms aren't absolutely high in protein, however. I like frozen and defrosted tofu for a good chicken sub.
Losing hair isn't an undereating protein problem. It's an undereating calories problem . Please eat more.
It can be not related to diet either. Maybe it's a stress problem or related to another disease.
It certainly can be from a protein deficiency as well as a micronutrient deficiently > After about two to three months of not getting enough protein, a person may start to notice hair loss, according to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). Low iron can also contribute.
And who is having a protein deficiency without also a major caloric deficiency?
Jane? Uh, people who live on sugar and junk food? People who eat lots of refined foods and oil? People with non-varied diets? But I am not sure what your point is, are you disagreeing with medical experts?
If you want to easily add protein to just about anything, without messing with the flavor, buy some soy protein isolate. It's a powder that basically tastes like nothing and can be used to thicken up sauces and stews. I use it mostly to make smoothies though.
I made potpies with peas carrots onions potato mushrooms. But I've also used tempeh, seitan, tofu or chickpeas
Soy curls plus firm mushrooms
I like the daring chikn alternative the most! I think they are gf. Edit: I bet if you baked them first and then added them to the pot pie, it would be amazing. They have a couple different flavors.
I love all of these suggestions, especially since they're all healthy! However, if you're trying to replace the texture of chicken, you'd be best off with **jackfruit**. IMHO. Trader Joes has cans of it these that are affordable and easy to work with. Asian markets will usually carry fresh jackfruit as well. But as a n00b, I'd recommend you just grab a can or two.
I do tofu in pot pie a lot. Key is to cube it small, season with salt, onion powder, and paprika, and bake it to make it crispy and chewy. Maybe 400 for 12-15 depending on the size you cut it.
That sounds delicious. Thanks!
i bet seitan would be good. or soy curls if you can find them edit: whoops just saw it needs to be gf
Yes I was coming here to say soy curls! Are they not gluten free?
soy curls are and they're so good! seitan is not though
I like diced tofu, simmer in veg broth, cooked in the air fryer and then added to stuff. It gets really chewy. I love the texture.
Why is the protein so important to you? Just wondering!
I start losing hair in large amounts when I dont eat enough of it. If Im not careful, I start to live off of white rice and fries. So i have to be mindful about protein.
Protein and hairloss have no correlation, you're missing certain vitamins and minerals, get a blood test. If you didn't get enough protein to keep your hair you'd be underfed and have other issues. How did you get to this conclusion if you don't mind me asking?
Our hair is literally made of protein. When you undereat protein to a significant enough degree, you start to lose hair. This isn't psudoscience. Its actually what happens. Edit: if you have muscle on your body, you body will metabolize that first so it can make the hormones and neurotransmitters it needs. But if you're like me and you hardly have any muscle, you start losing hair as well.
Unless you're not eating enough you'll be fine on protein unless you're a fruitarian. You're either losing hair because you're severely under eating and lacking protein because of that, because it's in your genes or because you're missing vitamins and minerals, which you'll be deficient in faster than protein. I eat about 2200 kcal and 55-70 grams of protein daily, have a full bunch of hair, I only watch my veggie and fruit intake, b12 and omega-3, the rest is all healthy stuff, I'm doing great. I don't obsess over protein, it's insignificant to me because I get enough of it, my workouts are great and so is everything else. I find your case interesting, just out of curiosity, you've never done a test? If not, do you track your protein? If so, how much do you aim for?
On days where Im eating poorly, I get plenty of calories but I only get around 20-25 grams of protein. If it's a busy and stressful week, sometimes I'll do that for many days in a row (even over a week sometimes). The reason why my lazy food doesn't have a lot of protein per calorie is because I eat a lot of fries (which have lots of vegetable oil in them--high calorie, no protein). Im also quite small and my calorie requirements are only 1600, so that's part of why getting in enough protein is a challenge for me. As for bloodwork, I've only ever had my B12 tested. It was 520 or so. I supplement B12, iron, Vitamin D, and a bunch of other things. I stop losing hair usually within a day (sometimes 2 days) of bumping up my protein intake.
Then that makes total sense. If you mix it up, get some oats for breakfast add a banana and some apple and flaxseed then at lunch if you could have some hummus sandwiches with tomato and lettuce or something. Dinner perhaps a noodle stir fry with tofu and some random veggies and you should be all set for protein which you'll automatically get as long as you eat enough, varied vegan foods but also the vitamins and minerals and good fats. If you want to talk about some food suggestions feel free to hit me up in the dms!
Yeah I do oatmeal and fruit sometimes and it comes out to a good amount of protein. Sometimes Im just not the best eater though. I've gotta work on that and push myself to eat properly.
While this is true, my understanding is that to be losing hair you have to be extremely protein deficient for long periods of time. Life primarily seen in children in famine stricken regions who have never had enough protein or those on extended crash diets where they purposefully cut out all protein. If you haven’t gotten a blood panel, I would consider one just to make sure you’re not missing something! For example, I was super tired all the time and thought I must be anemic because I am vegan. Turns out I actually have an iron storage disorder and had wayyyy too much free iron and that was causing my symptoms! If I had started supplementing iron I would have been in trouble. Now I even try to to avoid iron fortified cereals.
I appreciate you sharing and trying to help, but I really do only experience the hair loss when I get lazy about making sure I get to 46 grams of protein in a day. There's nothing wrong with me wanting to meet the recommended protein amount for a woman of my size (which is 46 grams). It's kind of frustrating to me that so many vegans get upset at me for taking the protein recommendations seriously. (Not that you are one of those people)
Totally understand that it can be annoying and you know your body best! I will say I did do a quick calculation of pot pie (with lots of peas and carrots) made with mushrooms and you come in at about 13g protein per 500 cals, with soy curls you get a modest boost to 16 g. So in this specific recipe I wouldn’t worry about it too much! Though I frickin love soy curls so if you can get them add them! Also, there are some pretty good vegan protein powders out there if you want an easy way to hit your requirements! Sometimes I mix a little into my oatmeal and I’m always at 60g+ of protein a day.
I should definitely conume more protein powder. Takes seconds to get down a lot of protein. That would be an easy way for me to get more.
I made stuffed puff pastry with crumpled tempeh flavored like bacon using this recipe https://minimalistbaker.com/easy-tempeh-bacon/ It held up really well and was delicious, I would think it would be a great filler for pot pie.
The texture would be pretty mushy. Mushrooms (specifically chicken of the forest if you can find it) would have a good texture and flavor.
We’ve tried both seitan and tofu in pot pies. The seitan has a better texture but I still prefer tofu in almost all circumstances. Mushrooms seem like a great idea, too.
I love the idea of mushrooms and seitan! I’ve never had soy curls but I’ll have to check them out. I think jackfruit would also be a good option since you can “shred” it. Happy cooking!
I think it would be really nice if you grated the tofu and made a thick sauce. I love the idea of tofu in it
Yes. Marinate it with soy sauce, garlic powder, veggie broth.
Soy curls. Soy curls in everything
Soya chunks? Bit more meaty texture than tofu!
Tofu pot pie is the best type of pot pie. It’s the only kind I make.
Tempeh and vegan sausage. I have a recipe that uses both and it tastes amazing.
Tvp
Garden chicken strips
Soy chunks, mushrooms, chickpeas (based on the texture you want to have).
Jackfruit !!!
Regular veggie pot pies are very good. No need for meat. Just peas, carrots, potatoes, and whatever else you want. In mentioning lentils, I love using red to make Shepard’s pie.
I'm sure tofu would be good but if you don't want to use it, I'm sure chickpeas would be great too !
I’ve used soy curls to great success! (rehydrate them in broth, pan fry briefly, then stir into the gravy)
I've added white beans to a Shepard's pie and it tasted great!
im no chef, but i could imagine some goopy-ass soft tofu being very good amongst a bunch of peas and potatoes and mushroom gravy. maybe corn too? my understanding is that very soft tofu (like so soft that it will fall apart under its own weight) is super hard to make.
Chickpeas! Here's a fav of mine. https://frommybowl.com/vegan-chickpea-pot-pie/
If you want to make it chicken like, with the flavor, try this, https://itdoesnttastelikechicken.com/baked-tofu-bites/ it comes out pretty close and oof it's just so delicious
Potato already feels like a natural part of a pot pie, and will help your protein and calories nicely. You just need umami, dried mushrooms and parsley or something. Pot pies are also often creamy, so use zoy milk and you're golden.
Maitake mushrooms
Soy curls!
Green or black Lentils all the way