First, fellow veggies, read. You have to read everything. Not just labels but also about the proteins you are ingesting. The more you understand your food the smarter you can be about your choices. You need a combination of proteins sources, which means thinking ahead.
When I decided to change the way I ate as a veggie I read constantly. I made it a priority to find where and how I could get my sources of protein. I have to always be thinking about what that source is and how much I need. I've written posts in the past about how being a healthy veggie is work. You chose to eliminate foods that could make your weight loss and muscle gain much easier. The thing is if you're smart and do some research, you can be healthy and it becomes routine and not a chore.
Being veggie really isn't different then being an omnivore. I tend to choose a main protein and then multiple veggies that I just steam and flavor differently with spices. I know that might sound boring, but it's extremely easy to eat that way and very quick. Steaming or sauteing veggies usually takes less then 5 to 10 mins at most and because of the nature of vegetable based proteins they take less time to cook then meat.
As you might imagine there can be some really overly processed stuff out there that isn't that great for you in the long run. The one thing is to really watch your salt intake. This is something I'm constantly checking labels for and a lot of "mock" meats contain very high levels of sodium. Obviously salt can't be totally avoided, but I try to choose the best and I can and also drink tons of water just to flush my system.
I recently wrote down a list of proteins and the companies I usually purchase them from for a friend who is training people with this diet choice. It's very tough to tell someone just to eat protein that doesn't even know what their choices are!
I want to preface this list by say a few things. 1: I'm not paid by anyone to say the following, I don't have stock in any of these companies nor would I continue to use their products if they drastically changed the way the were made or their ingredients. 2: I know what I like may not suit every one's tastes. 3: I'm not a dietitian, I just know what I eat and how it's helped in my success.
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WestSoy
This company makes milk as well as my most consumed protein Seitan. It comes in many forms (cubed, crumbled, strips) and you can do almost anything with it. I usually just add a bit of olive oil to a pan and cook it till it's golden brown. It's very hard to screw up cooking it because, it's already cooked when you get it. You could bake it or microwave it just as easily. Just know that Seitan is not made from soy beans, but Wheat Gluten. That's its only downfall if someone was sensitive to gluten. Good thing, this is the highest concentration of protein to carbs I've been able to find. It's low in sodium, low in fat and very filling. This is my number 1 source of protein besides eggs.
Fieldroast Grain Meat Co (http://www.fieldroast.com/)
This company makes amazing sausages, but other products as well. They are a little higher in calories, but on days I work out hard I make sure to eat 2.
Turtle Island Foods (tofurky.com)
These people are really better known as the "tofurky" people :P They make a really super selection of Tempeh products I like which is made from soybeans. They also make many other items as well.
Fresh Tofu Inc. (http://www.freshtofu.com/)
This company is my main go to for tofu. They are an organic company that has very high quality products.
LightLife (www.lightlife.com)
This company is ok for somethings. I'm not to keen on their taste, but their Smart Strips are good in stir-fry medleys. Also the plain cutlets are probably the best as you can flavor them anyway you like. They also make Tempeh that is either soy or grain based, it's in "brick" form which means you can cut it anyway you like!
Boca & Morningstar
I hesitate to put these companies down and I don't really consume them very often. They tend to be overly processed for me and usually contain a lot of salt and too many carbs for the protein you do get. That being said if you want a veggie burger the bare bones "plain" ones aren't horrible. I also get the "crumbles" if I want to make tacos or something that needs a ground beef substitute.
Optimum Nutrition (http://www.optimumnutrition.com/)
I put this company down as it's the one I use for my protein powder and bar supplements. They are the high quality you'll get for the price and the most tasty as supps go. I know this can be scary for women as supps seem like a very "male" thing, but I swear by the PRO COMPLEX formula as it is made from a combination of proteins and has a fantastic blend of vitamins, minerals and BCAAs. 1 scoop is 30 grams of protein and less then 135 calories. I never usually do 2 scoops as suggested unless I just killed myself working out. 60g of protein at once is a bit much.
MHP (Maximum Human Performance) Power Pak Pudding:
This is something I just recently found because it's a very very new food and expensive. The thing is it's the perfect "cheat" food without really cheating. I have a chocolate tooth. I've given it up mostly, but there are times when I need something. This pudding is the most amazing find in my protein sources. It's also lactose free and sugar free. If you could manage to eat a whole can (which I can only usually do half because it's soooo filling) it's stats will surprise you. 190 Calories, 4.5 fat, 9 carbs, 30g of protein. This is literally almost a meals worth of protein in pudding form. If you're going to indulge be smart, I don't need another chocolate bar as long as I live while this stuff this on the market.
Organic Eggs & Raw Nuts
I eat plenty of free range organic eggs and fair amount of nuts - usually no more then a fourth of a cup of any 1 type of nut and ALWAYS raw unsalted. Almonds, Walnuts and Soynuts are my staples and I get them raw in bulk at Whole Foods.
I hope this helps little bit as even just a starting point. I know depending on where you live you may not have access to all of these companies, but find out where you can get proteins like these and send requests to your local grocery if you can. A lot of places are willing to order items for you, or try a line if a customer requests it. You can also order just about anything online these days, alternate protein sources can be an added expense, especially organic ones. It's your health though, which I personally feel your can't put a price on :)
