Who has ever said that you have to consume 150 grams of chicken, fish, or meat in every meal if you want to get your daily protein requirements covered?
For many, it can be quite hard and challenging to eat all that meat to give your body the protein it needs. The solution? Is to get started consuming more plant-based protein food!
If you are sick and tired of eating meat, there is nothing wrong with going all-in on plant-based protein foods for a couple of days, weeks, or months. You can even do it if you are on a high protein diet and want to lose weight/
Remember, proteins are essential, especially when you are trying to lose weight because they are great to make you feel full and satisfied, also without cravings sweets.
They are also highly needed to optimize bodily functions and when it comes to rebuilding your body’s cells and muscular tissues.
Below, you will find 10 plant-based protein foods that will get you covered not only when it comes to proteins but also with vitamins and minerals.
All of them are great to use with a plant-based protein diet.
10 Best Plant-Based Protein Foods
So what are the best plant-based protein foods? To be honest, there are quite a few good picks when you first get started digging deeper. However, the 10 plant-based protein foods below are a great way to get started.
Broccoli 2.8 g of Protein per 100 Gram
Calorie-wise, Broccoli contains more protein per calorie than steak. You will have to consume more to get the same amount of proteins as a steak. But it will be all worth it because Brocolli is extraordinarily healthy and will give you lots of health benefits.
Brocolli is rich in vitamins K, C, and Folate. It will help build collagen and form body tissue and bone. Also, the Vitamin C will help you avoid flu and colds and is an excellent antioxidant.
Also, you will get a good dose of potassium that is essential for your nervous system and heart.
Finally, it is rich in fibers, which can be great to fill up your stomach so you will feel full and satisfied when you are trying to lose weight.
Avocado 2 g of Protein per 100 Gram
Avocado gives you around 2 g of proteins per 100 grams, which is not a lot. But I still like to have avocado in my arsenal of plant-based protein sources when I am tired of meat. Also, because avocado can have a rather dense sensation that will make you feel full and satisfied faster.
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The true power of avocado is its high content of monounsaturated fat. It is the type of fat that will benefit your health, improve your heart function, and your cellular renewal process.
If you are into the keto diet, avocado is a must-have food.
Almonds 21.15 g of Protein per 100 Gram
Just a handful of almonds can cover up to 1/8 of your daily protein requirements. It makes it to the perfect food if you need some fast proteins in the morning, at night, or after a workout.
Remember, you can spread almonds on a salad, or get creative with your cooking so you can eliminate various sources of meat.
Almonds are also loaded with fibers, vitamins, and monounsaturated fat.
Edamame 11 g of Protein per 100 Gram
One hundred fifty-five grams of edamame and you are close to getting the same amount of proteins as having a 100 grams chicken fillet. However, the quality of the protein is not nearly as high.
To get the best out of edamame, I recommend you to stack them up with other plant-based protein sources.
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Edamame can also be an excellent substitute for snacks. Just put a little salt on them, and they can be just as good as chips.
Tofu 8 g of Protein per 100 Gram
A great complement to edamame that will give you a full rounded source of protein is tofu. Just like edamame, it also derives from soybeans, but they look more like pieces of feta or cottage cheese.
The exciting part about tofu is that it doesn’t have a lot of taste. It makes an excellent choice for various dishes where you need extra protein but don’t want to destroy the flavor of vegetables.
Tofu and its cousin tempeh will give you between 10 to 19 grams of protein for around 100 grams.
Keep in mind that tofu is an excellent source of iron as well.
Cashews 18 g of Protein per 100 Gram
According to Health.com, cashews are the healthiest nut that you can get. At the same time, it is an excellent protein source, so having them daily is a good protein source that also will benefit your health.
Cashews are an excellent antioxidant that contains high levels of zeaxanthin and lutein. They will also help to protect your eyes, so you don’t get blind when getting older.
Notice that cashews do contain around 20% saturated fat that under normal circumstances can lead to higher levels of the bad LDL cholesterol. But according to Harvard Health Publishing, the saturated fat in cashews comes from stearic acid, which carries a neutral effect on your cholesterol levels.
Peanut Butter 25 g of Protein per 100 Gram
If you want to stack up on some extra protein or are struggling with a sweet tooth in the evening, a 2-tbsp serving of peanut butter gives you around 7 grams of protein.
But don’t go overboard because peanut butter contains a high amount of calories.
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If you would like to experiment a little with your peanut butter, then try to combine it with organic apples like shown on the image.
Lentils 9 g of Protein per 100 Gram
If you are looking for a good source of healthy carbs and don’t want to compromise on your protein intake having meat? Then lentils might be what you are looking for.
It gives you around 19 grams of protein in 198 grams of cooked lentils. You can use it in practically all types of dishes, salads, and soups.
Lentils will give you 50% of your daily recommended fiber intake and be excellent to promote a colon and gut.
Besides a high amount of slowly digesting carbs, fibers, and proteins, they are also loaded with vitamins, minerals. These will give you many health benefits, such as improved heart function and better bowel movement.
Wild Rice 15 g of Protein per 100 Gram
Wild rice is usually considered being a carbohydrate or starch. But they can contain as much as 7 grams of protein per 240 ml, which is not bad at all.
The bran of the rice is not taken away as with white rice. It makes them much healthier and useful if you want to use them as a protein source.
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Make sure the wild rice you buy is from a clean area with no pollution. Unfortunately, toxins such as arsenic can accumulate in the rice if it is grown in polluted areas.
Spirulina 57 g of Protein per 100 Gram
If you want to become more experimental with your protein intake, Spirulina is a must-have!
Initially, it is a blue-green alga, single-celled microbes that live in both salt and freshwater.
Here you are getting 8 grams of proteins in two tablespoons (30 ml) and can be a quick way to get your daily protein requirements covered.
Spirulina is considered being one of the healthiest supplements you can get and comes with a lot of different ingredients such as antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. Two spoons of spirulina will give you 22% of your daily iron requirements.
It is more a supplement than a food item you can use in various dishes, but it is a great complement to get if you want to increase your protein intake quickly. Spirulina is also high for those of you who want to lose weight, build lean muscles, and decrease your levels of bad LDL cholesterol.
Guava 2.6 g of Protein per 100 Gram
Unfortunately, fruit and berries usually are meager in proteins in case you want to get some proteins in this group of foods.
With 2.6 grams of protein per 100 grams, the tropical fruit guava is probably your best bet. It is low, but not as low as bananas or blackberries that come around 1.1 and 1.4 grams of protein.
Guava grows around Mexico, Central Amerika, and the Caribean. It gives you several health benefits such as lower blood sugar levels, better heart health, and improved digestion.
It may also have an anti-cancer effect and can help to boost your immune system if you want to make it stronger.
If you are on a diet, Guava can be a great fruit to eat as a snack when you want to keep your appetite low and lose weight.
Final Words On Plant-Based Protein Foods
Getting plant-based protein foods is not about becoming a vegetarian or vegan and then never have meat again. It is more about being creative with your diet, knowing that there are alternatives to meat when it comes to proteins.
To get the best out of your diet using plant-based protein foods, you can either stick to it for more extended periods or just have it a couple of times during the week. It is all up to you.
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One thing is going all-in on plant-based protein foods; another is to be able to lose weight. Unfortunately, veggies, fruits, and nuts are not a guarantee that you will lose weight and burn fat.
So if you are starting to become desperate because you are losing weight? Then check out PhenQ! It is a fat burner that gives you a lot of different qualities that can help you to solve most of the issues you are dealing with when trying to lose weight. Also, read the full review here.
Another approach you can use, that also works with plant-based protein foods is to suppress your appetite. It is a great way to lower your calorie intake without getting hungry. Here you can use a supplement like Zotrim or one of the best OTC appetite suppressants.
References:
https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/cashews-a-better-choice-than-low-fat-chips
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/280285
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tofu
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321474
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323781
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/protein-for-vegans-vegetarians
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3136577/
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-proven-benefits-of-spirulina
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guava
.https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/8-benefits-of-guavas