Happy Veganuary! Are you taking part this year?
Protein is often top of mind for those with a committed fitness routine. So if you’re trying to cut down on animal products you may wonder what you should be eating instead. The good news is that protein deficiency is very rare and eating a well planned vegan diet will provide all the nutrients you need.
Plant-based food sources contain a variety of vitamins and minerals and there are many protein sources to choose from. It is important you do include high protein foods in your diet and make sure you’re still eating enough calories to meet your daily requirements.
Below we’ve provided some examples of high protein vegan foods, and their average protein content. As there are many recipes and ways to make the ingredients below, these numbers should just be used as a guide.
Beans
100g (dry) = 364 calories, 20g protein
This is often the first thing people will think of when wondering about vegan protein. Convenient as they often come pre-prepared in cans or don’t take long to cook from dry, legumes are extremely versatile. They also contain a range of vitamins and are often high in fibre, so you’ll feel fuller for longer when eating them.
And you don’t have to eat them by themselves. Hummus, falafel, bean burgers, and many other things are often made with a legume as their main ingredient and can make a plain can of beans much more interesting.
Lentils
100g (cooked) = 116 calories, 9g protein
If you’re not the biggest fan of beans, lentils can be a great option. They’re smaller so the texture can be more enjoyable and they made fantastic soups, dahls and salads. Along with beans, lentils are often considered one of the healthiest things you can eat.
Tofu
100g = 118 calories, 12.6 protein
Similarly to beans as tofu is made from soy, tofu, tempeh, soy milk are high in protein. You can also find versions of these ingredients made with other types of beans, or try making your own! Tofu and tempeh, in particular, are useful sources as they can be made into a variety of delicious dishes, soaking up whatever flavour you add to them.
Seitan
100g = 138 calories, 17g protein
Seitan is considered an original style of mock meat made from gluten. You can buy many products that include wheat protein in them, or you can make your own. Vital wheat gluten can be bought from health food shops or online and then turned into a variety of meat-free dishes that are incredibly high in protein.
Nuts and seeds
These are some of the best things you can eat before we start talking about protein. With a high variety of vitamins, eating a range of nuts and seeds every day as a topping for a meal or a snack is a great way to get in a few grams of protein and healthy fats. You can also do things like look out for bread that has a high seed content to get some great antioxidants in.
You’re probably not going to eat 100g of any nut or seed. So, as an example, 30g of almonds contains 174 calories and 6.3g of protein.
Mycoprotein
100g = 105 calories, 14.5g protein
Found in one of the UK’s favourite vegetarian brands, mycoprotein is derived from mushrooms. It’s a high protein option for those looking to purchase something in the supermarket.
Other mock meats
Nowadays there are so many other options in the shops, from pea-based to soy-based to something completely different. These make shopping and eating vegan protein sources really quite easy and there’s usually something everyone will like. Next time you’re in the supermarket, why not check out the vegetarian section and see what you can fin?
For some recipes and more nutrition inspiration, visit AF Connect Online.
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