Vegans, new and experienced, are all familiar with the famous question: “But how do you get your protein?!” Well from now on when someone asks you that, simply send them this blog post. 😉
The amusing and rather bewildering part about that question is that the average person (vegan or otherwise) has little to no education in nutrition and is basing their concerns solely off of the *cough* propaganda *cough* that the extremely wealthy & powerful meat and dairy corporations have fed us via the media and our educational systems. These corporations have been able to effect both what we eat and what we believe about what we eat.
Take a look at the food pyramid we’re all taught about in elementary school: meat, eggs and dairy products generally occupy 20- 30 % of the entire chart. This is not an accident. The narrative surrounding animals products being essential to our survival and our optimal health is fed to us through ads, cooking shows, news programs and even doctors recommendations and nutrition courses. The motive behind pushing this narrative is not our health at all, but rather an endless greed on behalf of these corporations. These ideas simply aren’t accurate and have be debunked through exposés into the real motives behind animal product industries such as in What the Health and Cowspiracy (both on Netflix).
With a bit of research into what protein really is, what our bodies use it for, where to find it and how much we actually need, you can begin to understand how far we’ve been led astray and how easy it is to consume plant-based protein. After all- plant sources of protein are where animals get their protein, so when you consume meat, you’re simply consuming the (pre digested and processed) plant protein along with the carrier of the protein (the animal).
Here you’ll find 20 high-protein plant-based foods that will keep all your concerns at bay regarding consuming enough protein as a vegan. The amount of protein in each of these foods is listed is in grams (g) per 100 grams. I’ve included a conversion from grams to ounces and cups below. Because 100 grams of lentils is very different from 100 grams of chia seeds, I’ve grouped the foods below into three categories:
(1) Foods that serve as the center of meals and thus can be easily eaten in large quantities
(2) Food that are categorized more as snack items and should be eaten more sparingly
(3) Foods that are intended to be used in small quantities.
All of this information was collected on the USDA website.
Please note the conversion :
100grams = 3.5 oz OR 1/2 cup
(1)
1. red kidney beans
23g per 100g
2. lentils
23g per 100g
3. black beans
23g per 100g
4. pinto beans
20g per 100g
5. tempeh
20g per 100g
6. seitan
19g per 100g
7. wild rice
13g per 100g
8. oats
12.5g per 100g
9. ezekiel bread
11g per 100g
10. tofu
10.5g per 100g
(2)
11. pumpkin seeds
33g per 100g
12. peanuts
25g per 100g
13. NATTO
19g per 100g
14. almonds
17.8g per 100g
15. cashews
16.6g per 100g
16. edamame
10.6g per 100g
(3)
17. spirulina
57- 66.6g per 100g
18. hemp seeds
30g per 100g
19. flaxseed
19g per 100g
20. chia seeds
18g per 100g
Conclusion
I hope that this list of high-protein, plant-based ingredients empower you in eating a plant-based, vegan diet, knowing that you’re consuming all the protein your body requires, showing conscientiousness towards all living creatures and moving the direction of humanity towards love, oneness and peace on earth.
Blessings,
Tamara
