How Do Vegans Get Their Protein?

According to Healthline, there are 18 protein sources that are great for vegetarians and vegans. The article and sources can be found here.

A common concern about vegetarian and vegan diets is that they may lack sufficient protein. However, many experts agree that a well-planned meatless diet can provide all the nutrients you need, including protein. That said, certain plant foods contain significantly more protein than others, and new and older studies alike suggest that higher protein diets can promote muscle strength, feelings of fullness, and weight loss.

Here are 18 plant foods that contain a high amount of protein per serving.

Top 50 High Protein Low Calorie Vegan Foods

By Dale Cudmore June 4, 2022

It’s hard to get a lot of protein on a vegan diet without eating too many calories, especially if you’re targeting some tough macros while trying to lose weight. Ultimately, you will need to rely on vegan protein powder, soy products, or seitan. But there are other good sources of plant based protein as well to include in your diet as well. To help you, I’ve compiled the best vegan food sources when it comes to maximizing your protein intake and minimizing overall calories.

Table of Contents High Protein Low Calorie Vegan Food Sources Table

• Vegan Foods LOW in Protein to Limit

• The 9 Best High Protein Low Calorie Vegan Foods

  • 1. Vital Wheat Gluten (Seitan)

  • 2. Mushrooms

  • 3. Leafy Greens

  • 4. Soybeans

  • 5. Broccoli and Cauliflower

  • 6. Beans (Legumes)

  • 7. Squash and Zucchini

  • 8. Brussels Sprouts

  • 9. Seeds

High Protein Low Calorie Vegan Food Sources Table

In a practical diet, you should certainly be eating as many vegetables as you can (they have tons of vitamins and minerals as well), but most of your protein intake will likely come from other top foods on this list like:

• Beans

• Seeds

• Alternative meats (i.e. tofu and seitan)

• Protein shakes (usually made from pea protein)
  

The 9 Best High Protein Low Calorie Vegan Foods 1. Vital Wheat Gluten (Seitan) Vital wheat gluten is essentially protein powder extracted from wheat. Since it is pure gluten (a protein), people with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity can’t eat it. However, most people don’t have any digestive problems from eating it, and it’s by far the best high protein low calorie vegan food – Just over 81% of its calories come from protein. It’s used to make seitan by combining vital wheat gluten with other ingredients to form some sort of mock meat. Depending on the seitan recipe that you use, the macros will vary. However, most seitan recipes are still very high in protein after adding other ingredients, and usually, only incorporate a few other ingredients like nutritional yeast (also high in protein).

2. Mushrooms With just over half their calories coming from protein, mushrooms are an amazing vegan source of protein. If you don’t like mushrooms, it may just be the way that you’re cooking them. Here’s a great video from one of my favorite vegan YouTubers on how to cook them properly: On top of protein, mushrooms are a decent source of other nutrients like B vitamins, including:

• Potassium

• Riboflavin

• Niacin

• Selenium

• Vitamin D

3. Leafy Greens Leafy greens don’t have many calories, but a large percent of those calories can come from protein. For example, in a 100 gram serving of watercress, there’s 2.28 grams of protein (9.12 calories) and only 12 calories total. The obvious limitation is that you’re not going to be able to get all of your protein from leafy greens, or you’d be eating all day. But, salads consisting of these can help you reach your macro goals. Almost all leafy greens have a relatively high amount of protein for their calorie content, but here are the top ones from the list above, from best to worst:

• Watercress

• Rapini

• Water spinach

• Spinach

• Collard greens

• Bok choy

• Mustard greens

• Arugula

• Lettuce (red leaf)

• Kale

4. Soybeans Soybeans have a lot of protein, but also quite a bit of fat and carbohydrates. Approximately 35% of calories in soybeans come from protein. Most people don’t eat soybeans whole, instead the most popular ways to consume them are:

• Tofu

• Tempeh

• Soy milk

Both tofu and tempeh are made from soybeans and are great sources of protein. It turns out that they have a slightly higher percent of protein than soybeans themselves, usually around 40% depending on the brand. And since soybeans have a pretty good profile of the nine essential amino acids, tofu is essentially a complete protein. Even soy milk is a decent source of protein compared to other plant milks, and can be added to smoothies and cereals for a bit extra. In addition to protein, soy products also usually contain a significant amount of:

• Iron

• Calcium

• Magnesium

5. Broccoli and Cauliflower Both broccoli and cauliflower are similar cruciferous vegetables that have a substantial amount of protein and overall nutrition. Due to being about 90% water, they are low in calories. In addition, just over 30% of their calories come from protein, and both broccoli and cauliflower are good sources of:

• Vitamin C

• Vitamin K

• Folate

• Potassium

• Manganese

• Iron

6. Beans (Legumes) When it comes to protein content, lentils are the best of the legume family. However, all legumes have a respectable amount of protein, they just also have quite a few carbohydrates. For example: 1 cup of lentils has 18 grams of protein and 40 grams of carbohydrates (but 16 grams of fiber). The best thing about legumes for vegans is that you can eat a lot of them without too much difficulty. You can’t really get 100 grams of protein from lettuce in a day, but you could from beans if you wanted to (although that’s pushing it). In terms of protein content, here are the most common legumes from best to worst (excluding soybeans):

• Lentils

• Fava bean

• Kidney beans

• Peas

• Black beans

• Mung bean

• Green bean

• Adzuki beans

• Navy beans

• Lima beans

• Chickpeas

There are literally thousands of vegan recipes that feature beans, so there’s always a way to mix things up to avoid boredom. Most of these recipes are high in protein and low in calories. Beans and other legumes are also among the best vegan sources of:

• Iron

• Choline

• Magnesium

• Folate

• BCAAs

7. Squash and Zucchini All varieties of squash are very low in calories because they are mostly water. The calories they do have come almost entirely from carbohydrates and protein. About 30% of a squash’s calories come from protein.

On top of being one of the best vegan sources of Vitamin C, they also have a significant amount of vitamin B-6 and magnesium. Most recipes with zucchini or a spaghetti squash either involve cutting and roasting them, or using them as a low calorie pasta substitute.

8. Brussels Sprouts Brussels sprouts are another one of those vegetables that a lot of people hate because they were served poorly cooked ones. But roasting some lightly oiled and seasoned brussels sprouts is a great filling vegan snack that also has quite a bit of protein. There’s 3.4 grams of protein per 100 gram serving, and just 43 calories (although that changes if you add other ingredients).

9. Seeds Seeds have a lot of protein, but a lot of healthy fats, which is why they’re way down here on this list. In terms of protein content, hemp seeds are the best, but just about all seeds have a decent amount, including:

• Pumpkin seeds

• Sunflower seeds

• Flaxseed

• Chia seeds

• Sesame seeds

Try Mama Bear's Vegan Kitchen 6-Seed Romano to sprinkle on your food to get all of these seeds in one hit!

While not all seeds have a great omega 3 to 6 ratio, they are still one of the best vegan sources of omega 3 fats. In addition, most seeds contain a lot of:

• Manganese

• Phosphorus

• Copper

• Magnesium

• Zinc

• Iron

I’m going to cut off the list at this point, which is where foods start to have 20% of calories or fewer coming from protein. This includes other vegetables, peanuts (and peanut butter), and whole grains like oats.