How to Get Enough Protein on a Plant Based Vegan Diet
Knowing how to get enough protein on a plant based vegan diet will be key to your long term health.
Did you know that in Brazil they did a study that found that 60% of people who had a plant-based diet were less likely to develop plaque buildup in their heart arteries?
It’s no wonder that more people in recent years have been looking into other food options besides meat.
Keep reading to learn more.
Also Read: Why More Athletes Should Look to Vegan Protein
How to Get Enough Protein on a Plant Based Vegan Diet
There are a ton of sources other than meat, which is a common misconception people have when they hear the words plant based or vegan. How to get enough protein doesn’t have to be tricky after you learn about the following foods you might not have even been aware of.
To figure out how much protein you need for your weight you multiply your weight in pounds by 0.36 and that number is the total protein that’s recommended for you to have per day.
Quinoa
Quinoa is considered a complete protein, meaning it contains all nine essential amino acids that humans need. So quinoa is a healthy choice when choosing your meals to supplement your plant based lifestyle.
When you eat cooked quinoa you have a serving of 8g per cup. You can sprinkle quinoa on a salad, soups, stews, or eat it as a main course.
Chickpeas
Chickpea is a protein you can roast, cook, eat hold or cold. It can be eaten so many different ways. You can get very creative with chickpeas by adding them to a stew, a curry, or even tacos because who doesn’t love tacos?
Cooked chickpeas have 7.25 g of protein per 1/2 cup.
Potatoes
Some people don’t realize that potatoes have 8g of protein per serving on top of being high in vitamin C and potassium. You can get creative and add some hummus (AKA chickpea paste) instead of butter and give it a few more grams of protein.
Vegetables
There are many dark vegetables that are packed with protein. Kale has 2 grams per cup and a medium stalk of broccoli has about 4 grams. You can have vegetables throughout the day and mix them with other proteins such as quinoa of chickpeas to make sure you meet your recommended protein intake.
Lentils
Either green or red lentils they contain 8.84 grams of protein per 1/2 cup when they’re cooked. This is another versatile source which you can use it to make tacos, stews, eat with rice just to name a few ways.
Go Have Fun Being Creative
The list above should have your wheels spinning about how to get enough protein while living a plant based diet. You can make some fun creations if you use your imagination and make your palate happy.
Are you considering changing to a plant based diet? Check out our post with everything you should know before trying a plant based diet.