Until I really started looking into it, I was convinced that you can’t get enough protein and important vitamins if you are on a plant-based diet. That couldn’t be further from the truth! Sure, there are some vitamins like B12 that vegans typically will have to supplement, but really that is nothing major!
Soy-Based Proteins
Full disclosure – I don’t love tofu! I just think it has such a rubbery texture. But I quickly learned that avoiding tofu doesn’t mean that vegans (or aspiring vegan in my case!) won’t be getting any protein! Protein hides in so many things!
There are also ‘mock-meats’ like Seitan, but I’ve had a lot of vegan friends say that kind of creeps them out. In my opinion, if you are going vegan, the aim is to make and find new recipes rather than try and make your old recipes with fake meat! But if that’s your thing, you do you girl!
Other than tofu there is tempeh and edamame that both originate from soybeans. There is a constant debate if they are good for you because people have opinions on soy and the genetically modified aspect of it. But I’d choose tempeh and edamame over tofu any day!
Lentils
My favourite is lentils, they are so quick and easy to make and can be thrown into any recipe. They can be put on salad, soups or even eaten on their own. I love to make lentil salads that is full of fresh veggies and dressed with red wine vinegar and olive oil. So delicious! So easy and so fresh!
Beans
Beans, Beans, Beans the more you eat the more … protein you have! Kidney, black, chickpeas, you name it! The majority of legumes are packed full of fibre and are so easy to add in or eat as a snack. Roasted chickpeas are so delicious just by themselves! I like to pan fry them in garlic, olive oil and a little bit of oregano.
Nutritional Yeast
Also, for those vegans craving some form of a cheese flavour, nutritional yeast will be your new best friend. It doesn’t look so scrumptious though … it comes in yellow flakes. But as my daughter always says - don’t judge a book by its cover! You can really sprinkle it on anything, and it will take your plant-based dish to a whole new level. I love topping it on my popcorn and my pasta. Cheese flavour with a heck of a lot of protein! Win-win in my books!
Super Food Fav
Don’t forget about your so-called ‘superfoods’! Quinoa is also chocked full of protein and can easily be a replacement of rice and served as an easy side! Side note – quinoa is way easier to cook and takes less time than rice!
Hemp
The last one that I find myself incorporating very regularly is hempseeds.
Don’t be alarmed hempseeds will not get you high!
They just originate from the same plant. They are so easy to incorporate and are high in not only protein but magnesium, iron, and zinc! I like to add them to my smoothies or use them as a topping on my pasta. They don’t taste like much, but your body will thank you!
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