There's lots of veggie sources of protein other than those nasty soy drinks you mention. I don't eat meat, except for venison, because I know for a fact that most feedlots and slaughterhouses are filthy, disease-infested places not fit to process food. Deer carcasses are inspected individually by the state game commission, and butchered in my friend's fairly clean backyard, so I'll eat venison.
Other sources of protein
Beans: This time of year, chili, black bean soup, stirfry with beans, bean burritos, lentils & rice with stir-fried veggies, baked beans, hoppin john, etc. You sort of have to commit to eating some every day, which isn't too bad if you've got a good cookbook. Chickpeas and tahini blended into hummus with olive oil, lemonjuice and a ridiculous amount of garlic, very high in protein.
Soy not in gritty, watery drink form: Tofu is like flour, it's an ingredient, not a food item by itself. Marinate sliced firm tofu in equal parts cider vinegar, water, maple syrup, several cloves chopped garlic and a chunk of chopped fresh ginger overnight. Then roll pieces in cornstarch and fry in peanut oil till crispy. Add to stirfrys. Tofutti ice "cream" is also suprisingly good.
Peanut butter, almond butter, hazelnut butter spread on wholegrain toast for breakfast or snacks has a reasonable amount of protein. Almost any kind of seed or nut, including pumpkin seeds, has a decent amount of protein and minerals.
Dairy, if you eat it: Yogurt, cheese, milk, ice cream...
Unusual grains such as quinoa, spelt, amaranth, teff etc. have a much higher protein content than wheat. Plain white quinoa can be cooked like rice; I pour chili over it, then melt cheese over the whole thing and top with a dollop of sour cream. Plenty of protein there.
How can I put this? It takes a while to be good at being vegetarian. You have to learn all new methods of cooking and you have to be willing to try all sorts of foods from other cultures, especially because other cultures such as Asian cultures tend to have better veggie recipes than Western cookery. Most of my friends and co-workers have never had any vegetable that was not iceberg lettuce or else boiled till soggy, so of course they don't like veggies. It seems obvious, too, but you really have to like veggies in general. I know a lot of people who tried to be vegetarian but didn't stick with it because they didn't change their cooking style--they just tried to use meat substitutes in their cooking, which are usually pretty awful. You have to change the whole way you cook and how you think of a meal. Oh, and you'll lose 10-20 lbs. the first year.
I just didn't know that the hens stopped laying for a good reason. Thanks to all for your concern and advice.
