People adopt plant-based diets for many health reasons, but there has always been a common concern around consuming enough protein through plant-based foods. If you didn’t know, you are actually likely to get enough protein from vegetarian sources without even trying. Being fully vegetarian or vegan has become significantly easier over the past three years due to the plethora of plant-based meat alternatives such as Beyond Meat and Impossible Burger. The rise of fully vegan restaurants has paralleled the growing numbers of vegans in the United States- in 2017, 6% of Americans identified as vegan. That number is only growing.
Whether you’re deciding to be vegan or vegetarian due to health concerns about animal protein, animal welfare, or environmental activism, it is essential that you’re still getting the same amount of protein you would absorb if you were eating animal products. So, we’ve rounded up a list of 5 of the best plant-based protein sources, so you don’t have to. Read on to learn more about how you can incorporate these foods into your plant-based diet to feel fueled and strong throughout the day.
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Nuts and Nut Butters: If you’re looking for a protein-rich snack, our Daily Crunch sprouted nuts will be your go-to! We put raw nuts through a 3-step ‘Soak, Sprout, Dehydrate’ process which results in our signature sprouted nuts that are more nutrient dense, easier to digest, and crunchier than raw or roasted nuts. We flavor our snacks with real, clean ingredients — nothing you won’t recognize or can’t pronounce. One 5oz bag of Daily Crunch Sprouted Almonds contains 30g of protein and one 1.5oz bag contains 9g of protein.
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Chickpeas, Lentils and Other Beans: These beans and legumes are all high in protein, and so delicious in salads and bowls. Beans and chickpeas contain about 15g of protein per serving and lentils contain 18g of protein per a cooked cup!
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Nutritional Yeast: Speaking of nutritional yeast, our Golden Goodness Turmeric + Sea Salt sprouted almonds are coated in nutritional yeast and are a delicious mid day protein-filled snack. Nutritional yeast has a cheesy flavor, making it a popular topping on pastas, eggs (if you’re not vegan), and tofu. It’s also a complete source of plant protein and has 14g of protein per ounce!
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Protein-Rich Vegetables: There are a plethora of vegetables that are high in protein, and when paired with other plant-based protein sources, you will definitely be getting enough protein in your diet. Broccoli, spinach, brussels sprouts, artichokes, asparagus and potatoes all have about 4-5g of protein per a cooked cup. Now this might not sound like a lot, but when you’re eating mostly vegetables for dinner, this will definitely be a protein-packed meal that will keep you full and fueled for the rest of your day.
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Oats/Oatmeal: Start off your day with a big bowl of oatmeal (delicious topped with our sprouted almonds), and you will definitely be full until lunch time hits. A cup of oats contains about 12g of protein! Besides being a great breakfast or post workout snack option, oats can be ground up into plant-based oat flour for baking, be used as the main ingredient in no-bake protein balls, and so much more.
