Vegan Protein

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I've been really surprised by the lack of protein I have in my diet. I'm trying to increase it but I'm struggling. Any suggestions?

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  • perryc05
    perryc05 Posts: 210 Member
    edited June 2022
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    Tofu, tempah, seitain, soy beans, and other legumes are all good vegetable sources of protien. TVP is a soy byproduct that is easy to incorporate into recipes. Psuedo grains like quinoa and aramanth have decent protien levels. Nuts are also a good source but tend be very calorie dense. You'd be surprised what you can make just with soy beans actually. Here's some ideas:
    https://food.ndtv.com/lists/10-best-soya-recipes-710612
    https://www.allrecipes.com/recipes/17028/fruits-and-vegetables/beans-and-peas/soybeans/
    This page also has more info and ideas:
    https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/protein-for-vegans-vegetarians#benefits-and-risks
  • Luke_rabbit
    Luke_rabbit Posts: 1,031 Member
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    All the suggestions above are good.

    I like dried edamame to snack on. Also frozen edamame can be added to other dishes (pasta, stir frys, salads). Buying high protein pasta (chickpea, etc) can help.

    I also add a plain protein powder to my fruit & veggie smoothies. I get ones made just from yellow pea protein (no added ingredients), but depending on what you can eat, there are lots of vegan protein powders. ( I do poorly with many sweeteners, so plain works for me.)
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,195 Member
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    There are soy/edamame or black bean spaghetti or fettucine now that have on the order of 23-25g of protein per roughly 200 calorie serving. A thing to know is that these have a different texture from wheat pasta. I personally don't care for them with Italian-esque tomato sauces, but do like them in pseudo-Asian dishes. I prefer the thin types, like those named above, but you can also find bigger shapes of black bean pasta sometimes (I find them kind of mushy-textured, don't care for them).

    A particular favorite is to make a peanut sauce with peanut butter powder (partially or fully defatted), rice wine vinegar, perhaps some chili sauce (you'll want one with no fish sauce ingredient), and rice wine vinegar to thin. (You can also add other seasonings like minced garlic, a little toasted sesame oil, chopped green onions, Szechuan pepper (maybe not with the chili sauce!), etc.) I then toss that with the cooked soy or black bean pasta and some stir-fried or stir-steamed other veggies (even microwaved frozen veggies work, in a time pinch). If you have the calories, some toasted sliced almonds sprinkled on top, or sesame seeds, would be good.
  • FeijaFleur
    FeijaFleur Posts: 39 Member
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    Maybe check out "pick up limes" on YouTube. They have tons of videos with recipe ideas and tips on how to get enough protein while maintaining a vegan diet.
  • dreamer12151
    dreamer12151 Posts: 1,031 Member
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    When I want ideas for high protein vegan foods and meal plans, my go to is Natalie Matthews (aka "FitVeganChef") on You Tube or Insta. She is a bikini division competitor and always does "What I eat in a Day" videos with recipes.

    I have made her seitan recipe and can attest it is so simple to make and good to eat!

    Another good source is Brian Turner. His recipes are simple and good, also high in protein.
  • TheRobotsAreComing
    TheRobotsAreComing Posts: 26 Member
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    I go for beans - chickpea, cannelini, back beans, kidney beans, etc.

    Any of the vegan meat substitutes are usually ok for some protein.

    I like the alpro yogurts too, the greek one is pretty versatile for snacking on its own, adding to fruit, I use it in dressings/marinades.