Protein intake for Vegans

The protein powder is an option, for sure.

Another thing that helps with vegan or vegetarian protein goals is striving to get at least a little protein from most things you eat, in addition to including one "big protein" item in each meal the way meat-eaters do: Those little bits throughout the day can add up. There are breads with relatively more protein, vegetables with more protein than others, grains with more protein (or grain-alternates like quinoa), even some fruits with protein. These tend not to be complete protein (full complement of essential amino acids), but using a wide variety of sources can help with that.

In term of major protein "main dishes":

Some people like the imitation meat products, but personally I find many of them a little calorie-dense for the level of protein. I'd also advise caution on the vegan substitutes for foods that are (for omnivores) protein sources, such as vegan cheese, nut milks, that sort of thing. Some of them have reasonable protein for their calories; some don't have much at all. Read labels! Personally, I consider something a good protein source if it has no more than about 10 calories (total) per gram of protein, and an OK source at up to 20 calories per gram of protein. (However, I'm using those rules of thumb with a bit higher calorie goal than yours.)

Some good sources of protein, in my opinion, are traditional vegetarian soy foods like tempeh, tofu (comes in bunches of forms, including sheets, noodles, etc.), miso, natto (not everyone likes this! ), and edamame. (Watch out for pre-seasoned tempeh/tofu products: Some have higher-calorie ingredients. Better calorie bang for buck, IMO, by using a plain type and seasoning it myself with calorie-efficient things.)

There are also starting to be widely-available chickpea and pea or lentil pasta, that can be used like regular pasta, but have around twice as much protein. There's even a chickpea "rice" product. I find these to taste a little flatter than wheat pasta, so I prefer to use a hearty sauce with them. Another MFP-er suggested making a sauce with powdered dried mushrooms (pulverize in a food processor or blender), cooked lentils, tomato sauce, and the usual tomato-sauce seasonings. This is rich-tasting, hearty, and quite high in protein in itself, and tastes good with the chickpea pasta IMO.

There are also edamame and black bean pastas, with around 3-4 times the protein of wheat pasta. Personally, I don't care for these with Italian-type pasta sauces, because they have a chewier texture. However, I think they're great in pseudo-Asian dishes, with a dressing based on soy sauce, miso, or peanut. I like making a peanut sauce with peanut powder (most of the fat removed vs. peanut butter or whole peanuts), chili paste (choose a vegan brand), and rice wine vinegar, plus any other seasonings you enjoy (any of garlic, scallions, ginger, etc.). That adds some more protein to the edamame or black bean pasta's good protein profile, and you can mix in lots of nice steamed or stir-fried veggies (bonus if you pick some like mushrooms or broccoli or the like that have a bit of protein themselves).

If you're not now eating nutritional yeast, I suggest trying it. It has some protein, enough to be useful, adds a bit of richer "umami" flavor, and most brands are supplemented with B vitamins that are challenging for vegans to get without supplementing.

Beyond that, legumes are your friend. Black beans, kidney beans and lentils have slightly more protein than some of the other types.

To find vegetables and such that are relatively better protein sources, this thread may be helpful:

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10247171/carbs-and-fats-are-cheap-heres-a-guide-to-getting-your-proteins-worth-fiber-also

It links to a spreadsheet that lists many, many foods by protein efficiency, most protein for fewest calories. As a vegan, you'll need to scroll past the mostly meaty/fishy things at the top of the list, but you'll find some vegan sources on there, and scrolling through this list is IMO easier than finding them via google or experimentation.

By the way, truth in advertising: I'm not vegan. I'm vegetarian, and have been so for over 45 years. I eat things you wouldn't eat, but I do know how to put a fully-plant-based meal together nonetheless.

Best wishes!