More and more plant-based proteins are becoming available for people who want to eat less animal-based foods. A tasty, high-protein meal can be made with soy, grains, nuts, spirulina, and other things.
A person might try a vegan diet for faith, health, or animal rights reasons. In 2016, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics said that adults, children, pregnant women, and breastfeeding women could meet all of their nutritional needs on a vegetarian or vegan diet.
Some people who don’t eat meat or animal products may still have trouble getting enough energy and important vitamins and minerals. If someone wants to make sure they get enough protein, calcium, iron, and vitamin B-12, which they get from animal products, they need to plan ahead.
Here is a list of some of the best plant-based foods that are high in protein. We also talk about what makes animal proteins different from plant proteins and whether plant-based protein powders can be good sources of protein.
Whole-food sources of plant proteins include the following:
- Edamame.
- Peas in green color.
- Beans and peas, like chickpeas, kidney, black, pinto, and cannellini beans.
- Lentils.
- Good for you yeast.
- Nuts and nut butter.
- Quinoa.
- Seeds.
Plants Protein And Sources
Plant proteins are sometimes incomplete sources of protein, but not always. Both kinds of protein have pros and cons. People who get most of their protein from veggies, on the other hand, are less likely to have a stroke, heart disease, or die young.
Soy products, whole grains, nuts, beans, lentils, pulses, and seeds are some of the best plant-based protein sources.
A lot of protein can be found in plant-based foods like seitan, beans, lentils, and soy products. Hemp seeds, nuts, and whole grains like quinoa and amaranth are also good sources of protein. People who are vegan might have to make a plan to get enough protein every day.
15 of the best plant-based proteins
Plant-based foods that are high in the right nutrients can be great sources of protein. Often, they have fewer calories than animal goods.
Soy beans, quinoa, and other plant-based foods are complete proteins, which means they have all nine of the necessary amino acids that people need. Some people don’t get enough of these amino acids, so it’s important to eat a variety of foods.
The following plant-based foods are healthy and have a lot of protein per serving:
Edamame, tofu, and tempeh
Thanks to Monica Bertolazzi/Getty Images
When you eat only plants, soy goods are one of the best ways to get protein. The amount of protein in soy depends on how it is made:
Each ½ cup of hard tofu (soybean curds) has about 10 grams of protein.
There are 8.5 grams of protein in ½ cup of edamame beans, which are young soybeans.
About 15 grams of protein are in ½ cup of tempeh.
Tofu can be used in a lot of different ways because it takes on the taste of the dish it is cooked in.
Tofu can be used instead of meat in a favorite soup or sandwich. Tofu is also often used instead of meat in meals like kung pao chicken and sweet and sour chicken.
These soy products are healthy alternatives to dairy products because they have good amounts of calcium and iron.
Lentils
Lentils, whether they are red or green, are full of protein, fiber, and important nutrients like iron and potassium.
There are 8.84 grams of protein in ½ cup of cooked lentils.
Adding lentils to your lunch or dinner is a great way to get extra energy. As an extra source of protein, they can be added to soups, curries, salads, or rice.
Packed peas
Chickpeas that have been cooked have a lot of protein—about 7.25 g per ½ cup.
You can eat chickpeas hot or cold, and there are a lot of different ways to prepare them. To make them more interesting, you can add them to soups and curries or roast them in the oven with paprika.
You can put hummus on a sandwich instead of butter for a healthy, protein-rich option. Hummus is made from bean paste.
Peanuts
Peanuts have a lot of protein and good fats, and they may even be good for your heart. About 20.5 grams of protein are in ½ cup of them.
Also, peanut butter has 3.6 grams of protein per tablespoon, which makes peanut butter sandwiches a healthy breakfast that gives you all the protein you need.
Nuts
You can get 16.5 grams of protein from ½ cup of almonds. Plus, they have a lot of vitamin E, which is good for your eyes and face.
Spirulina
Spirulina is a type of blue or green algae that has about 8 grams of protein per 2 cups. It also has a lot of good things for you in it, like iron, manganese, and B vitamins (but not vitamin B-12).
You can buy spirulina online as a vitamin or a powder. You can put it in fruit drinks, smoothies, or water. You can also put it on salad or snacks to make them higher in protein.
Quinoa
Quinoa is a grain that is high in protein and has all nine essential amino acids. Each cup of cooked quinoa has 8 grams of protein.
This grain also has a lot of other good things for you, like iron, magnesium, fiber, and manganese. It’s also very flexible.
In soups and stews, quinoa can be used instead of pasta. You can eat it as a main dish or put it on a salad.
The mycoprotein
Mycoprotein is a protein that comes from fungi. About 13 grams of protein are in a ½ cup amount of mycoprotein products.
Mycoprotein-containing foods are often sold as meat alternatives and come in different shapes and sizes, like “chicken” pieces or cutlets. But a lot of these items have egg white in them, so people need to read the labels carefully.
Fusarium venenatum is the fungus that makes the mycoprotein brand Quorn. Very few people are allergic to it. If you have been allergic to mushrooms in the past or to a lot of different foods, you might want to look for another source of protein.
Chia seeds
Foods that are high in fiber and heart-healthy Omega-3 fatty acids are seeds. There are 2 grams of protein in a tablespoon of chia seeds, making them a full source of protein.
You can make a drink with chia seeds, sprinkle them on top of plant-based yogurt, or soak them in water or almond milk to make a pudding.
You can buy chia seeds online, in some grocery stores, or at health food shops.
Seeds from hemp
Hemp seeds are a full protein, just like chia seeds. Each tablespoon of hemp seeds has 5 grams of protein. They can be used in the same way that chia seeds are. You can also buy hemp seeds on the web.
Rice and beans
Both rice and beans are poor sources of protein on their own. This traditional meal can give you 7 grams of protein per cup if you eat it all together.
For a tasty and protein-rich lunch, serve rice and beans as a side dish or mix rice, beans, and hummus together and spread on Ezekiel bread, which is made from sprouted grains.
Potatoes
There are 8 grams of protein in a big baked potato. Potatoes also have a lot of other good things for you, like vitamin C and iron.
Adding 2 tablespoons of hummus makes the snack taste better and is better for you than butter-covered potatoes because it has more protein. About 3 grams of protein are in two tablespoons of hummus.
Vegetables high in protein
A lot of dark leafy veggies and greens have protein in them. These foods don’t have enough protein on their own to meet your daily needs, but a few vegetable snacks can help, especially when eaten with other protein-rich foods.
About 4 grams of protein are in one medium-sized leaf of broccoli.
Each cup of kale has 2 grams of protein.
There are 3 grams of protein in 5 big mushrooms.
For a protein-packed meal, try a salad with baby greens and rice all over it.
Sesan
When you mix wheat gluten with different spices, you get seitan, which is a full protein. Because it has a lot of wheat in it, people who are celiac or sensitive to gluten should stay away from it. For some, it can be a healthy, protein-rich alternative to meat.
Soy sauce, which has a lot of the amino acid lysine, makes seitan a full protein source. One third cup of seitan has 21 g of protein.
Bread from Ezekiel
Instead of regular bread, Ezekiel bread is a healthy option. Malt, wheat, beans, millet, and spelt are used to make it. If you like bread but want a healthier way to eat toast or sandwiches, Ezekiel bread is a great choice.
Each slice of Ezekiel bread has 4 grams of protein. To get even more protein, toast Ezekiel bread and put peanut or almond butter on it.
What about vitamins with protein?
Some protein shakes come from plants. It depends on the plants that were used to make the powders whether they are full or incomplete proteins.
While food supplements can help people reach their daily nutrition goals, the American Dietetic Association says that eating a range of foods that are high in protein is usually a better way to do it.
To make them taste better, some protein pills may also have a lot of sugar or salt, so it’s important to read the labels.
Animal protein vs. plant protein
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics says that people should get at least 0.8 grams (g) of protein per kilogram of body weight every day. That’s about 60 g for a 165-pound person. People who want to gain muscle, women who are pregnant or nursing, and older people may need more protein.
Animal foods like meat, eggs, and milk naturally have a lot of protein. Protein is an important vitamin that is made up of amino acids. This makes it easy for people who eat meat to get the protein they need every day.
The body makes 11 amino acids, but it needs nine more from food. Complete proteins come from animal goods, which means they have all the amino acids. There are also complete proteins and partial proteins in plants. Soy beans and quinoa are examples of complete proteins.
If someone is vegan or vegetarian, they should eat a variety of plant-based foods to get all the amino acids they need. Some foods that are high in protein are tofu, tempeh, beans, nuts, seeds, quinoa, and so on.
Pros and cons of a vegan or vegetarian diet
To make sure that a person’s nutritional needs are met on a diet without animal products, they need to plan and do study. For some, this is a good thing because it makes them think about what they eat and how healthy the foods they eat are. For some, it can be hard and cause them to miss out on nutrients.
According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, a vegetarian or vegan diet may help you lose weight and lower your chance of some diseases, like some types of cancer and heart disease.
In 2014, researchers looked at the food intakes of 1,475 people and found that vegans ate less saturated fat and cholesterol than people who ate meat, fish, and eggs. They got the least amount of protein, calcium, and energy, though. Vitamin B-12 levels were fine, which could be because people ate foods that were enriched.
In 2016, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics said that people who eat a vegetarian or vegan diet are less likely to get a number of diseases, such as
- Heart disease from ischemia
- Some types of cancer
- Diabetes type 2 high blood pressure overweight
A 2017 study of more than 70,000 women found that those who ate more plant-based foods were less likely to get coronary heart disease.
Vegans often eat low-calorie foods, which helps them keep their weight in check. Many processed foods are not vegan, so a vegan diet may not allow many unhealthy, high-sodium packed foods.
Another study from 2017It was found by a reliable source that people with coronary heart disease who ate a vegan whole foods diet had much less inflammation. This means that a meatless diet might be good for your heart.
In short
It takes some planning to become vegan or vegetarian. But if they eat the right plant-based protein-based foods, people who don’t eat animal products can still have healthy diets that lower their risk of some illnesses.
Talking to a doctor or nutritionist about dietary amounts is important because vegan or vegetarian diets may be missing some important nutrients. This means that people on these diets may need to take supplements or learn how to include foods that are high in these nutrients.
