Where do you get your protein?? Is arguably one of the most common questions vegans are faced with. Especially vegans that play sports or workout.
It has been long thought that the best place to get protein is from meat, dairy, and eggs. These products are definitely great sources of protein, but are they the only sources? Better yet, are they really even the most optimal sources? The answers might depend on who you ask, but the reality is that these are NOT the only or best sources of protein, and you absolutely CAN get all the protein you need on a vegan diet!
First, it might help to know what exactly protein is, and where it comes from.
Where it comes from, I’ll let you in on a little secret, it DOESN’T come from animals!
Protein is made up of amino acids. You don’t need to really know what each amino acid is, just that they’re the building blocks of protein, like bricks for a wall! Protein’s job is to repair and rebuild tissues all throughout the body, including muscle.
One amino acid in particular to know, however, mainly for fitness enthusiasts, is Leucine, which is the main driver of MPS (muscle protein synthesis, or muscle growth) which I will discuss shortly what a good source is!
These amino acids that make up protein actually come from plants. Animals, or livestock, then eat the plants and the amino acids build back into protein inside the tissues of the animal.
What this essentially means is that animals are just a sort of “middle-man” for protein, not the direct source! Meaning the original, direct source of protein actually comes from… PLANTS!
Another critique of the vegan diet in regards to protein is that plants do not contain all of the essential amino acids necessary to build a “complete” protein.
The reality actually is that ALL plants contain ALL of the essential amino acids, just in varying amounts! All this means is that a certain amino acid can be high in, say, whole grains, but low in legumes, and vice versa. Simply including the various food groups in your diet, while eating a sufficient amount of overall calories, will make up for the amino acid variability!
All that being said, which plant foods are great sources of protein?! Here’s a list of 10 top sources of vegan protein!
1. Tofu/Soy
Soy is not only a great protein source, but also a complete one, and a great source of the amino acid leucine. Making soy a great food source for athletes and bodybuilders! Soy is a form of legume (beans, peas, lentils), and has many varieties including soy milk, tofu, soybeans, tempeh, and edamame.
- Soy milk: about 7g of protein per serving
- Tofu: about 8g to 14g of protein per serving (ranging from silken, to extra firm, to super firm)
- Edamame: about 17g of protein per 1 cup
- Tempeh: about 20g of protein per 100g
2. Seitan
Seitan is made from wheat gluten. It has a chewy-like texture and is oftentimes used to mimic steak, or other types of meat.
- Seitan: about 21g of protein per 3oz (85g) serving
3. Bean & Lentil Pasta
Bean and lentil pastas are another great source of not only protein, but complex carbohydrates, and fiber, as well. There are many different types ranging from black bean, to chickpea, to lentil pasta. Using these in replacement of regular white pasta can be a great way to add extra protein and healthy carbs to any pasta dish!
- Bean and lentil pasta: about 14g to 23g of protein per serving
4. Legumes
Legumes (beans, peas, chickpeas, lentils) are next on the list. There are so many different varieties, and so many different ways to use them! They can be used as main ingredients, like in a lentil loaf, or they can be a side dish, or even an ingredient in recipes like a bean burger. They, too, are great sources of protein, as well as complex carbs, and fiber. They also help to lower cholesterol!
- Legumes: About 6-8g of protein per serving
5. Whole grains
Whole grains such as oats, quinoa, and brown rice, are much like legumes in that they are great sources of complex carbs, fiber, and you guessed it, protein! Also similar to legumes, they are relatively easy to incorporate into virtually any meal!
- Oats: about 10g of protein per cup
- Quinoa: about 5g of protein per serving
- Brown rice: about 3g of protein per 100g
- Buckwheat: about 13g of protein per 100g
- Whole wheat pasta: about 6g of protein per 100g
- Whole wheat bread: about 5g of protein per slice
- Wild rice: about 4g of protein per 100g
6. Nuts & Nut butters
Great source of protein, and also healthy fats, nuts and nut butters can serve as great additions to your meal regime! Be advised, though, as the high fat content means that nuts and nut butters are naturally higher in calories. If losing weight is your goal, just make sure to track how much you are eating. If you’re looking to gain weight or build muscle, and just need to get calories in, then you won’t have to worry about tracking as much.
- Nuts and nut butters: about 5g to 9g of protein per serving (typically ¼ cup for nuts and 2 tbs for nut butters)
7. Seeds
Seeds such as chia, flax, hemp, pumpkin, etc. are packed with protein, fiber, healthy fats, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. They are great mixed in with oatmeal, smoothies, sprinkled over salads, or mixed with water to form a pudding-like texture!
- Hemp seeds: about 9g of protein per 1oz
- Pumpkin seeds: about 7g of protein per 1oz
- Flax seeds: about 5g of protein per 1oz
- Sesame seeds: about 5g of protein per 1oz
- Chia seeds: about 4g of protein per 1oz
8. Vegan Protein Powder
Nowadays, vegan protein powders are becoming more and more common. They can be made with pea protein, rice protein, soy protein, etc. And when made with pea protein, they have been shown to be just as effective as the very popular whey protein! Meaning even more that athletes, bodybuilders, and fitness enthusiasts of all sorts won’t be missing out on any potential progress in their endeavors by being vegan!
- Vegan protein powder: about 10g to 30g of protein per serving (typically 1 scoop)
9. Nutritional Yeast
Although the word ‘yeast’ might throw you off, nutritional yeast is actually healthy, and packed with protein! It has a cheesy-like flavor, almost like parmesan cheese, and is a great topping for dishes like pasta, pizza, veggies, popcorn, etc.
- Nutritional Yeast: about 8g of protein per serving
10. Protein-rich vegetables
Most people probably wouldn’t think to turn to veggies for protein, but there are a few that can really help to top off your protein/amino acid needs for the day! These foods have anywhere from 2g to 5g of protein per serving, and are also packed with fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals!
- Artichokes
- Green Peas
- Asparagus
- Broccoli
- Spinach
- Potatoes
- Kale
SAMPLE HIGH-PROTEIN FOODS/MEALS (not limited to)
BREAKFAST
- Oats w/ soy milk
- Oats w/ peanut butter
- Oats w/ protein powder
- Tofu scramble
- Whole wheat toast w/ nut butter
- Protein smoothie w/ oats, protein powder, plant milk, fruit, greens
LUNCH
- Cubed tofu w/ rice & veggies
- “Budda” bowl w/ legumes, whole grains, veggies
- Tofu or chickpea salad (chicken or tuna salad substitute) sandwich on whole wheat bread
DINNER
- Whole wheat or bean pasta dish (spaghetti, vegan alfredo, etc.)
- Tofu or seitan tacos w/ side of beans & rice
- Multiple bean chili
- Bean or quinoa burger w/ whole wheat buns
SNACK
- Rice cakes w/ peanut butter
- Fruit & nuts
- Protein shake
- Vegan yogurt w/ fruit & nuts
How much protein do we need?? What about meal-timing and frequency?
HOW MUCH DO YOU NEED?
How much protein you need is, of course, individual, and comes down to many factors such as body composition, activity level, specific goals, etc.
One of the factors determining how much protein we need, relative to our weight, is our ratio of body fat to lean mass (muscle). Body fat doesn’t need protein, but lean muscle tissue does. This means that those who are leaner and have more muscle mass relative to body fat will benefit more from higher protein intakes, whereas those who are more overweight and have more body fat relative to muscle mass won’t require as much protein.
AVERAGE/SEDENTARY PERSON
For those who are not very active and do not partake in any fitness or athletic endeavors, protein needs will be pretty low, and relatively easy to meet. The key things to focus on are eating a sufficient amount of overall calories, while including amino acid variability, or, eating from each of the main food groups!
RELATIVELY ACTIVE/HEALTHY
For people who lead active and healthy lifestyles and are mainly concerned with overall health and longevity:
1.2g – 1.6g per kg / 0.4g – 0.8g per lb
BUILD MUSCLE/IMPROVE PERFORMANCE
For those specifically looking to build muscle and strength, or improve athletic performance:
1.6g – 2.2g per kg / 0.8g – 1.2g per lb
FAT LOSS
For those looking to lose body fat, the ranges above can also apply, relative to your goal of either losing fat and overall improving health, or losing fat while maintaining or building muscle/athletic performance.
PROTEIN/MEAL TIMING
Protein and meal timing continues to be a huge debate. Some people swear by intermittent fasting, others swear by 4-6 meals per day, the list could go on.
The simplest answer has always been that as long as you hit your protein target for the day, it doesn’t matter what your meal frequency or timing is, and overall, for the average person, this advice is just fine!
But for those looking to maximize muscle strength or size, would getting all of your protein in 1 or 2 meals really be the most optimal? What about a small amount of protein several times throughout the day?
Well, if we want to talk about “optimal” we have to consider a few things. First, just like everything we consume, our bodies can only use a certain amount at a time, this includes our muscles. That doesn’t mean that if we have extra protein it will just be wasted, but rather it might be used for something else in the body instead of muscle protein synthesis (MPS).
So in order to maximize MPS, similar to people having different protein requirements based on factors such as body weight, different people will require different protein requirements per meal.
Based on countless studies, the average amount of optimal protein intake per meal is around 25g to 40g, separated into 4-5 meals throughout the day. This gives the muscles the protein they need without extra spilling over and being used elsewhere, as well as not having enough to maximize MPS.
Anabolic window
This term refers to the time period after exercise in which muscles use up the most protein for MPS. It has been thought for years that protein is needed immediately after a workout, and that the anabolic window only lasts about an hour, in which after, muscles won’t prioritize protein for MPS as much.
This has been proven to be false. In fact, for about 48 to 72 hours after exercise, yes, up to 3 days, your muscles are recovering, and MPS is taking place. So no need to rush for your protein after a workout! There is a time period immediately after a workout where MPS is at its highest point, but again, it’s not only 45 minutes to an hour, but rather up to 3 hours.
The biggest rule, regardless, is to still make sure you’re hitting your overall protein target for each day.
Getting protein on a vegan diet is a lot easier than you might think! The most important thing is to make sure you’re eating a sufficient amount of calories, while including a variety of plant foods.
For athletes or bodybuilders, hitting your calorie needs while prioritizing higher protein foods first would be most optimal.
Apps such as Cronometer or Myfitnesspal are great free tools to help track your calories, protein, and more!
Excellent article Lane. Very informative and well written.