Top 10 High-Protein Vegetarian Foods
If you are a vegetarian or vegan you should be tired of hearing people telling you that you need to watch out for protein intake. You should also be full of explaining that in nature there are other sources of this nutrient besides animals. And, yes, this is true. If your questioners still doubt this, please link to this text. Because of that, here is a list with 10 super high protein vegetarian food.All protein amounts for the items listed below were taken from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) data and match the 100g (3,52 Oz) portion.
This plant holds an interesting amount of protein, containing 5.42g of the nutrient. That's more than milk, for example. If you don't like them the traditional way, you can make pasta or soup to accompany with bread and a good wine.
Beans are a good source of protein, and that's not a surprise to anyone. Depending on the type of beans, the amount of nutrient varies slightly. Black and red beans offer a little more protein, but on average, the legume has about 8g when cooked. One curiosity is that raw beans contain much more of the substance, but it's best to opt for the cooked form.
Once again, in the raw state, the food offers a very high amount of protein (19.30g). However, when cooked the number drops dramatically (8.86g). There is also the option of using chickpeas as flour. Since there is no need to cook the food in this form, the amount of protein remains high (22.39g). In addition, the grain is very rich in other nutrients such as magnesium and potassium.
You may have never imagined it, but sesame seeds can give an incredible boost to your protein intake. The seed carries 17.73g. Once again, the flour has an absurdly high nutrient amount - 40.32g for the partially defatted version.
More potent than sesame seeds, sunflower seeds provide 20.78 g of protein. The partially defatted flour provides 48.06 g. You can use the seeds in salads, make pate, and even include them in cookies.
The famous cheese substitute for vegans is another great source of protein. The amount of the nutrient will vary with the type and the preparation form. To this end, the best way seems to be fried, which offers 17.19g. Tofu is very versatile, and you can use it as a type of meat, to accompany soups, salads, stuff pizzas, make cheese, and many other possibilities. You can also try tofu's cousin, tempeh, which gives you 18.54g of protein.
After chia, this is the most protein-containing grain in its structure - it offers 14.12g (when cooked the amount drops to 4.40g). It is also a great option because of the versatility it offers. You can add it to soup, fruits, and salads, for example.
Any nut will have a good amount of protein, but the most interesting in this regard are almonds (21.15g), pistachios (20.27g), and cashew nuts (18.22g). It's beneficial to make a mix of these nuts, so you can get the best each one has to offer. Just don't overdo it, because nuts are rich in fats. Prefer dry ones.
Maybe you have never heard of edamame, but this food is simply green soybeans still inside the pod. Edamame comes frozen from the supermarket, and its preparation is simple: just leave it in boiling water for 3 minutes, and it's ready to eat (without the shell, please!). The grain provides 10.88g and can also be used in other ways, such as pasta and pâté.
This list says "vegetarian," not vegan, so it is acceptable.