The Best Protein Sources for Vegetarians When making the decision to cut meat from your diet, it’s essential to plan out your meals to ensure that your body gets the same amount of iron, amino acids, and protein that it’s used to. In the U.S., it’s typical to see most diets comprised of protein-rich meat products, and this can make life inconvenient for vegetarians. However, it’s good to keep in mind that it’s absolutely possible to eat a healthy amount of protein and maintain your primarily plant-based diet. If you want to become a vegetarian, but are having trouble finding alternative sources of protein, the various grains, legumes, and energy bars explored below could be the answer. Soy – You can find soy in a variety of different styles and forms (including tofu, tempeh, and natto), and, with as much as 20-30 grams of protein per cup, it’s not difficult to see why people have gravitated toward it as the go-to meat substitute. Soy contains all of the essential amino acids that your body needs. In addition, soy-based products have become immensely popular in the U.S. diet over the past few decades, but it’s important to ensure that you have a variety of different protein sources other than just soy, now that meat is out of your diet. Green peas and other legumes – Full of protein, most types of legumes (including beans) make hearty, healthy additions to any diet. Beans and peas can be easily served as side dishes, but peas, in particular, can be integrated easily into many meals for an instant protein boost. If you’re having pasta soon, try making a vegan pesto using peas, toasted pine nuts, fresh mint, and olive oil. With 7.9 grams of protein per cup, it’s certainly worth a try! Hemp seeds – Hemp seeds have earned the title of “perfect protein” due to their powerhouse amino acid levels. There are 20 amino acids (including the 9 “essential” amino acids found in soy) that the body needs, and all of them can be found in hemp seeds. Two tablespoons of hemp seeds contain a whopping 10 grams of protein, giving you about 160 grams per cup of seeds. Aside from the protein, hemp seeds are also rich with iron, magnesium, zinc, and omega-3 fatty acids, which help keep your heart and mind healthy. Quinoa – Just like hemp, quinoa is also in the “perfect protein” club due to its extraordinary amino acid levels, which include amino acids that the human body cannot produce on its own. Its growth in popularity over the past few years can be attributed to how easy it is to cook and slip into a variety of recipes, both hot or cold. While chili, corn, and casserole recipes can make use of quinoa in its warm grain form, it’s also good chilled as a part of a salad or vegetable-based side dish. Promax bars – With 18-26 grams of protein per bar, Promax bars are designed to be an easy, on-the-go way to supplement your body’s protein intake. With varieties available for every need (including Original, Carb Sense, Lower Sugar, and Pro Series), and almost a dozen different flavors, these high-protein bars are naturally free of meat products.
Making the switch to a mostly plant-based diet can be a challenge for anyone, but, if you explore the variety of protein-rich foods available at your local grocery store (or order supplementary protein bars online), it will be a lot easier for you to get the protein you need and still stay true to your vegetarian lifestyle.
Company Bio – The Promax story began in 1996 when the founder of the company, Mike Walls, worked tirelessly to create a great-tasting energy bar. Now, Promax Nutrition features a wide range of different types and flavors of high-protein, and low-carb bars, and they remain committed to creating portable nutrition products for active people that want to achieve a healthier lifestyle.