Where do you get your protein?

"You're a vegetarian? Where do you get your protein?"

This is the question I am asked, more often than not, when people discover we're vegetarian. As if meat, poultry and fish are the only sources of these wonderful amino acids.

There are many other sources of protein that you may not even realize are already in your diet. In addition to all the great vitamins and protein in organic yogurt, eggs and cheeses, broccoli, asparagus, cauliflower, brussel sprouts and watercress all contain more than 3 grams of protein per 100 grams. In comparison beans have about 9 grams of protein per 100 grams.

Chickpeas, used in making hummus, contain 16 grams of protein per serving. Baked beans, available in vegetarian form, contain 11.5 grams of protein per serving. Nuts and legumes are also wonderful for you. A peanut butter sandwich for lunch or spreading a little almond butter on your toast in the morning can go a long way to fulfilling your protein needs in a day.

There are also a bevy of meat supplements to choose from. Instead of chicken or beef you can use these meatless substitutes and still enjoy some of your favorite recipes from before you became a vegetarian.

Boca and Morningstar Farms have a variety of soy based meat substitutes ranging from crumbles, that can replace ground beef in your favorite taco or bolognese pasta recipe, to buffalo style 'chicken nuggets,' which were my husband's most missed food when we chose to be vegetarians.

Soy is very good for you, containing omega-3 fatty acids and thought by some to help prevent cancer. But too much of a good thing can be dangerous, and I don't just mean chocolate ice cream!

Many vegetarians eat soy on a daily basis, even multiple times each day. This can be dangerous as there have been studies linking an increase in the risk of cancer when too much soy exists in your diet.

Lucky for all you vegetarians out there, there are plenty of ways to get your protein without eating soy at every meal. Non-soy products such as Quorn, a mushroom-based meat substitute, are high in protein, very low in cholesterol and more healthy for you than a lean chicken breast.

Quorn comes in many forms that work with your favorite recipes. The 'cutlets' are perfect to bake in the oven and dice up into your favorite chicken recipe. If you miss chicken Caesar salad you can bake up a Quorn cutlet, dice it up and throw it in the fridge the night before. Pull it out at lunchtime, toss it on your salad and enjoy!

My husband loves to bake the 'cutlet' in the oven, wrapped in foil, with salsa and shredded cheese on top. It is so moist and flavorful you almost forget you aren't eating chicken. Even my carnivorous father loves them!

My toddler asks for the Quorn nuggets by name. My husband also bakes the nuggets and dices them up in pasta dishes. My favorite is the Quorn crumbles in a 'meat' sauce or tacos, and it's perfect in Shepherd's Pie.

Tofu and other soy products are certainly good for you and much healthier than meat, but be sure to eat in a balanced way. For example, help yourself to a nice veggie omelet with wheat toast for breakfast, then have a tofu and veggie stir fry for lunch, and finish your day off with a bean chili with Quorn crumbles for dinner.

Women only need about 46 grams of protein a day whereas men need 56 grams. Since most of what you're eating already contains protein, chances are you are getting more than enough without even trying.

And when the answer to "What's for dinner?" becomes something other than 'beef, chicken or fish' it can open up a world of yummy possibilities.