Vegan, celiac struggling to get enough protein

josheppa

Any suggestions for someone who does not eat meat or dairy and is gluten-free to get more protein? I also use no artificial sweeteners and avoid processed foods. Help!

cmriverside

Well, you've certainly created a dilemma for yourself. That's going to be tough.

Here's the Protein list: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10247171/carbs-and-fats-are-cheap-heres-a-guide-to-getting-your-proteins-worth-fiber-also/p1

jgnatca

Do you consider tofu to be processed?

fuzzylop72

Things like legumes are probably going to be your best bet. I'm not celiac and I don't avoid processed food, but i'm usually able to reach protein adequacy with things like peas and legumes of various sorts. Whether you have the caloric budget for them is another question, though.

MarianMarMoi

Beans, lentils, chickpeas (can make all sort of things with those, even burgers)... buckwheat is nice. Nuts and seeds.

Tofu, as the person above mentioned, you can make yourself if you don't want to buy it done, it's not too hard, but it takes more time than buying it, that's for sure.

estherdragonbat

Lentils and edamame are good vegan sources but with lentils and most other beans (soy, including edamame is an exception) you'll need to make sure you also get whole grains/seeds in your day to get complete proteins. (Don't worry about having them at the same meal; it's fine but not necessary. But you do need to ensure that you're consuming grains and/or seeds with your legumes). Here's a link for suggestions. Not all are GF, but some are:

https://www.verywellfit.com/vegan-protein-combinations-2506396

There are some complete vegan protein sources that don't require combining (soy/edamame, quinoa, amaranth, hempseed, and chia per the link above) however if you look at the grams of protein per cup of quinoa compared to edamame, lentils, chickpeas, etc., you'll see that "complete" doesn't equate to "high".

janejellyroll

Beans are probably the main non-processed form of vegan protein. Hemp seeds are fairly high in protein, but the calories can add up fast (if that is an issue for you). You may want to consider if restricting all processed foods is the best decision for you if it compromises you being able to meet your nutritional needs. If you're willing to consider it, tofu and tempeh are great sources of plant protein and they make some great protein powders with minimal additional ingredients (I like Bob's Red Mill hemp protein powder).