Getting enough protein is always a priority on a vegetarian or vegan diet and we’ve talked about it before here on The Daily Radish. Still, you can never have enough new ideas to help you shake up your diet and get all of the nutrients you need at the same time.
The Huffington Post put out a piece on “Vegetarian Protein: 8 Great Meat-Free Sources” last month and I wanted to hit some of the highlights. We can get into a rut of relying on the same sources for our proteins, so maybe one of these can be incorporated into your diet to liven things up a little.
1. Greek Yogurt
This is one that we rely on quite a bit in our house. I love the taste and the creaminess of yogurt, but Greek yogurt has up to twice the protein of regular yogurt. Depending on the brand and the serving size, Greek yogurt can have anywhere from about 13 to 18 grams of protein per serving.
2. Beans
Beans have been a mainstay of the vegetarian diet forever, but you may not know how much protein they really contain. One cup of garbanzo beans, black beans or kidney beans has about 15g of protein. That old advice to have them with rice to make a complete protein has been proven untrue, by the way, so try beans in dips, soups and stews.
3. Lentils
Just one cup of lentils has as much protein as three ounces of steak: about 18g. They’re also packed with iron and fiber, so use them in rich soups, as a thickener for stews and even as a sandwich filler.
4. Tofu
Tofu or soybean curd is another longtime staple of the vegetarian diet. I have to admit that I’m a holdout. I’ll toss some tofu cubes into one of my favorite Asian soups but that’s about where it ends for me. I may need to broaden my horizons a bit because it is a very flexible ingredient and just half a cup contains more than 10g of protein.
5. Tempeh
Okay, I’m opening myself up to some snarky emails here, but I’ve never used it and I know I’m one of the few vegetarians who hasn’t tried it. However, it’s got 15g of protein in just a half-cup serving so I should probably give it a try. If you have some good ideas on what I should use it for, I’m all ears.
6. Spinach
Spinach is one of my all-time favorite vegetables and I’d say we eat it either raw or cooked at least four times a week. It’s known for it’s iron content but did you know it also contains about 5g of protein per cup? Toss some in your salads, use raw spinach on your sandwiches and wraps or throw it into your miso soup (delicious).
7. Quinoa
Quinoa is something that we’ve started eating quite a bit in our house. One cooked cup contains more than 8g of protein. I use it as a substitute for pasta, as a breakfast grain and even in desserts like yogurt parfaits.
8. Peanuts
Other nuts, such as walnuts and pistachios are good sources of protein, but as a legume, peanuts pack more protein than the rest, as much as 7g per ounce. Just watch the fat grams while you’re at it.
If some of you are new to some of these protein sources, as I am to tempeh, then give one or a few a try. Let me know if they turn out to be new favorites!
What vegetarian protein sources did you like from the list? Are you still having issues getting enough protein from your diet? Please post your feedback here.
- Jenny Sangler
Hi Jenny…If you live near a Mellow Mushroom, you need to try their Tempeh sandwich! That will help to give you an idea of how to use it…You will love it!!!
Thanks for the tip! I’ll try it out!
Crumble tempeh & use it like ground beef for taco filling & sloppy joes.
Sounds delicious! That’s a great idea!
I just recently tried Tempeh- heavenly! I used a recipe from the book Crazy, Sexy Diet so not sure if I can post it here?
My husband and I were fighting over every little bit of it it was so good. I got the three grain type by Lightlife.
I am also not a fan of tofu or soy for that matter. But tempeh is fermented soy and tasted incredible.
I’m glad that you enjoyed tempeh.
I fry tempe chunks and then make an orange glaze to go with it over rice. You can also fry tempe and put with bbq sauce for a yum sandwich. I use tempe where I would have used chicken. It can get dry, so be aware of that. It can be boiled and put in a processor to use as a chicken substitute for chicken salad sandwiches. I throw it in stirfrys often. You can use it for a dip base as it takes flavors well. Have fun playing with it!
Thanks for sharing!