My High-Protein Plant Based Eats- Part 1

I have been on a journey of eating less animal protein for well over 5 years now. I first tried to go vegan in high school and found myself eating crackers with almond butter for lunch and quickly realized I was not getting the nutrients my body needed. In the past two years I have been able to find what type of day to day diet works best for my body. I am primarily pescatarian, I mainly eat fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, whole grains, beans, fish, and some dairy, and stay away from meat and poultry. I prefer to not eat dairy but sometimes its hard to turn down an artisanal cheese board or a bite of cake on my birthday! I try to eat fish 2-3 times a week, always wild caught from local fish markets. With fish being my main source of protein, I knew I needed to find plant based foods high in protein as well.

Many people wonder how vegetarians or vegan get enough protein, well, almost all plant based foods have protein! This why I decided to write this blog post. I split it up into two parts. The first part is loaded with information about where I get most of my protein from things like nuts, legumes, and other foods. The second part I will tell you what vegetables I get my protein from.

High-Protein Plant Based Foods

Here is a list of my top high-protein plant based foods that I consume weekly!

Lentils

By far my favorite sources of plant based protein! I would say I have lentils in one of my meals 4-5 times a week. There are many different types of lentils (mung dhal, french lentils, green lentils, red lentils). I love to make my kitchari recipe with the mung dhal lentils (split yellow lentils) or I have a recipe for middle eastern lentils on my website, both are delicious and full of protein.

Total protein: 10 grams per 1/2 cup cooked

Chickpeas

Another one of my favorites, I love chickpeas (garbanzo beans)! They are so fun to season + roast or make your own homemade hummus.
Chickpeas are the perfect replacement for meat in a soup or curry! Try using my recipe for yellow curry paste to make your own curry with chickpeas as your protein source.

Total protein: 8 grams per 1/2 cup cooked

Black beans

Who doesn’t love Mexican food? I know I sure do. Black beans are a perfect substitute for animal protein when making tacos or enchiladas. The biggest issue I hear with black beans from people is that the beans make them gassy. Well, I have a trick to help with that. Buy your black beans dry, cover them with one inch of water, add in a 1/4 sheet of kombu. Kombu is edible kelp! Next bring your beans to a boil, reduce to simmer, cover with a lid and cook until done. Takes around one hour. Kombu has a magical ability to render beans to a more digestible state and less gas-producing. You can also add in spices and herbs when simmering your beans to give them more flavor. My most recent recipe with black bean are my vegan black bean enchiladas.

Total protein: 9 grams per 1/2 cup cooked

Quinoa

I love using quinoa as a substitute for rice, not only is quinoa filling from the carbohydrates, but it is also very high in protein. I have a fantastic recipe for a vegetable quinoa bake that I made recently. Quinoa will take any flavor you add to it, it has a very mild taste. Try cooking it with a delicious vegan mineral broth and throw in a bay leaf for a more bold flavor.

Total protein: 6 grams per 1/2 cup cooked

Nuts

I could write about nuts for days. I try to eat nuts everyday, but in moderation. The high fat content in nuts can add up very quickly and can be hard for our bodies to digest. Whether it be a snack, nut butter on toast, or nuts on my salad, I typically have a handful a day. My favorite nuts are cashews, almonds, pistachios, and macadamia nuts. Try buying your nuts raw and toasting them with tons of fun seasonings and a little oil, this will give you the perfect afternoon snack.

Total protein average: 4-6 grams per ounce

Seeds

Just like nuts, seeds can add up very fast. Enjoy all the seeds, but be mindful of how much you’re adding to your meal. I eat all sorts of seeds- chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, sesame seeds. I love them all! I just recently started using toasted black sesame seeds on almost everything. If you feel like your salad is missing protein and fat, add a tbsp of any seed on top!

Total protein average: 4-6 grams per ounce

Wild Rice

If you love rice this is a great option for a high protein and nutrient dense rice! The texture of wild rice is amazing, it give a nice bite to a dish. Rice is on my plate 4-5 times a week! You can do so many things to rice when cooking it. I like adding spices into my rice, I do this by simple toasting the spices and rice in a bit of coconut or olive oil before adding the water and cooking. The toasting adds a nice nuttiness to your rice.

Total protein average: 10 grams per 1/2 cup

Soy

Soy comes in many different forms, tofu, tempeh, and edamame. It is a great protein source for vegans / vegetarians. I find a lot of people afraid of eating soy, in my opinion I believe for each individual you need to experiment with it yourself. Try having tofu a few days a week, see how your body digest it and how it makes you feel. I prefer firm tofu for a sit-fry and silken tofu to add to a sauce or dessert.

Total protein average: 8-12 grams per 1/2 cup

These are by far my go to sources of plant based protein that I eat weekly. I also consume a ton of vegetables, which contain loads of protein! To learn more about which vegetables are high in protein, stay tuned for my next blog post! My High-Protein Plant Based Foods- Part 2. If you are wanting to switch to a more plant based diet, try following a few of my recipes under my plant based meals category.