Top 15 sources of protein for vegans and vegetarians
Even among some vegetarians there is a misconception that vegetarian diet on it’s own does not provide enough protein. Majority of plant foods contain protein. In fact some plant foods contain more protein than meat products.
There are several advantages to eating plant protein:
- Plant protein does not contain any cholesterol or saturated fats
- Plant protein is rich in antioxidants, calcium, zinc, and other minerals and vitamins
- Plant protein is high in fibre
The key to any healthy diet, vegetarian or not, is to eat a wide variety foods. This will guarantee that you get sufficient amount of protein and importantly all the other nutrients.
To meet one’s daily requirements, an adult leading “modern” sedentary lifestyle would need to consumes only 0.75g of protein per 1kg of body weight. It’s not surprising that many people eat more protein that they need.
Here’s my top 15 sources of protein. Unless you subsist on junk food only, you probably can see that these are the foods that you eat on a daily basis anyway.
The quantity of protein is given per 100g of food.
- 75g - wheat gluten (seitan). Ready made products from wheat gluten can be bought ready made from Asian grocery stores. It can also be easily made either from gluten flour or wheat dough by washing out the starch. Read more about gluten here.
- 60g - dried seaweed, spirulina. Spirulina is a seaweed that has been used for food in Africa and America for centuries. Apart from having high protein content, it is rich in beta carotene, iron, vitamin B-12 and other nutrients. Here’s more information on spirulina and it’s benefits.
- 50g - Sesame seeds can be added as is or roasted to breakfast cereals. Here’s a very informative article about uses and nutritional value of sesame seeds.
- 48g - Sunflower seeds can be eaten as a snack or part of a meal. They can be added to salads and breakfast cereals. Sunflower seeds are an excellent source of fiber, Vitamin E, magnesium and selenium. The also possess cholesterol-lowering properties.
- 39g - Soybeans are one of the most popular sources of protein for vegetarians. They are used in preparation of many popular foods such as soy milk, tofu, textured vegetable protein and tempeh. For example, tofu and tempeh is used in Asian cooking and can be stewed, stir-fried, cooked in sauce or in soups. In Western cooking it’s used for preparing kebabs and mock meat dishes.
- 33g - Pumpkin seeds can be either eaten as a snack or added to salads and other foods.
- 27g - Peanuts, just like any other nuts is a good snack. They are mostly known in the form of peanut butter. Peanuts are a significant source of resveratrol, a chemical studied for potential anti-aging effects.
- 19g - Chickpeas. Apart from being high in protein they are also a good source of zinc and folate.
- 19g - Almonds can be eaten as a snack and also made into almond butter and almond milk. As almonds are very low in carbohydrates, almond flour can be used for cooking low-carb biscuits and cakes.
- 17g - Oatbran. Oat protein is nearly equivalent in quality to soy protein, which has been shown to be the equal to animal protein.
If you’re not a vegan, you have a few more choices:
- 25g - Cheddar cheese
- 15g - Cottage cheese
- 14g - Feta cheese
- 13g - Eggs
- 6g - Yogurt
It’s definitely not an exhaustive list, but merely an example that protein is easy to obtain by eating only vegetarian diet. Bookmark this page and next time you think you need more protein in your diet, you’ll know exactly where to look.
July 15th, 2007 20:16
Vegetarian Blog Carnival #3…
It’s 16 July 2007. Do you know where your Vegetarian Blog Carnival is? Welcome, I’m Mitchell, your host and now on to the Veggie Blog goodness.
Need more reasons to convince your friends and family to go vegan, or at least eat less m…
December 19th, 2007 09:36
Hi there,
Great article - I really enjoyed reading it.
Regarding your reference to Spirulina. I have been taking Spirulina since 1993 and as a Vegetarian, I find the B12, Amino Acids, B Complex and Vegetable Protein absolutely invaluable. I would strongly recommend buying Certified Organic Spirulina in Powder or Tablet form - the quality is so much better.
Kind Regards,
Robert
Sprulina
August 4th, 2009 05:38
Very nice post on nutrition. Hope to learn more from you.
November 18th, 2009 09:03
Another article lists amaranth and quinoa as having the highest amounts of protein from plant sources.
March 21st, 2010 20:41
I really enjoy reading your posts, i just used this website SwapmySeeds.com, as a way of giving away my unused seeds. Anyone know what I can sell them for? I have maybe 60 chrysanthemum seeds left.
May 9th, 2010 06:40
I am also a vegetarian and my body has never been in a very good shape. Being a vegan can really make you much heathier.”“
June 8th, 2010 20:41
So many folks think protein shakes are excellent for bodyweight reduction, so they drink them all day without removing other meals items. Then they just end up with a huge caloric intake and inevitably they obtain fat as a result.
June 11th, 2010 21:27
You will find numerous meal replacement items (MRPs) in the marketplace; some are better options than others. pick a MRP which has some carbohydrate (it shouldn’t be all protein) and sufficient calories (about 250 roughly). Well-liked brands consist of Shakeology, SlimFast, Carnation Instant Breakfast, Glucerna, and Boost, but others are available, too. The key is finding one that gives you the nutrition that you require, tastes excellent to you and makes ypu feel goof.
October 6th, 2010 12:46
i am a proud Veggan and it keeps me fit and healthy`’.
October 20th, 2010 18:03
i’m a veggan and being a veggan means engaging in a more healthy lifestyle:’,
November 10th, 2010 07:39
i am a long term veggan and i can attest that being a veggan means a healthier body .~’
November 11th, 2010 00:10
I really liked this info presented it has given me a bit of inspiration to have success for some reason, so thank you.
December 19th, 2010 23:29
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March 14th, 2011 06:15
Great article over again. I am looking forward for your next post=)
May 1st, 2011 22:56
Purchasing your supplements online will save you lots of money.
June 1st, 2011 08:15
I totally agree with you. Protein is essential as it provides the muscle with amino acids required to repair the damage done by heavy lifting in the gym. Protein shakes are often consumed after workout as they provide a quick and easily consumable protein source. Thanks for the great post.
June 1st, 2011 08:18
I totally agree with you. Protein is essential as it provides the muscle with amino acids required to repair the damage done by heavy lifting in the gym. Protein shakes are often consumed after workout as they provide a quick and easily consumable protein source. Thanks for the great post.
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July 15th, 2011 03:02
Thats sort of simple.
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