There is one question that vegans get asked more than any other, “OK but what about protein…Don’t you need to eat meat to get your protein?” Well this article will hopefully provide you with the tools to dispute such questions. The list of ever growing vegan athletes and even bodybuilders is testament to the protein power of plants. The next time you are told that you cannot possibly be getting enough protein from your vegan diet, just show them a picture of vegan bodybuilder Jim Morris…now there’s a physique! See our previous article on this subject and now here are 3 More Top Vegan Protein Sources!
1. Amaranth
Amaranth is a glorious grain. Fabulous in salads or as a base for porridge, it provides over 9 grams of protein per cup. As well as its protein content, amaranth provides a good dose of calcium, which can be a more tricky nutrient for vegans to obtain.
Video below featuring Dr Michael Greger of Nutrition Facts.org with his views on vegan protein
2. Tempeh
Tempeh is genius. Made from the whole soybean, tempeh is a meatier, more nutritious cousin of tofu, rocking in at a whopping 31 grams of protein per cup!
3. Seitan
Seitan is derived from wheat gluten, but prepared correctly and with a bit of ingenuity, can really start to mimic meat. Not only this, but seitan easily squares up to its meat counterparts in the protein stakes; a serving of seitan will provide you with around 20 grams.
So there we are, a few more foods to dispute the myth that the vegan diet is lacking in protein. As long as you are following a healthy, varied vegan diet, protein is one of the easiest nutrients to derive. The bottom line is, if you are eating enough calories and you are choosing the right calories to consume, protein really is the least of your worries and shouldn’t be a concern for anyone thinking about transitioning to veganism. On that subject, why not check out these vegan women who lift?
