your guide to vegan protein sources
low cal examples & the importance of protein

what is protein?
protein is one of the three macronutrients our body gets from food. it’s composed of amino acids, 9 “essential” ones we need to get from food and it’s predominantly used in muscle synthesis, enzyme creation and cellular transportation, as well as other things!!

how much do you need?
unlike fats & carbs, your body cannot store protein & will resort to cannibalizing muscle (including organs like your heart) if you’re not eating enough, so it’s important you try to be mindful of intake. for a sedentary individual, 0.36g/lb is recommended

what if i work out?
studies have shown that for muscle gain, including diets in a calorie deficit, that there’s no benefit to eating more than 0.73g/lb-0.82g/lb. this number is easy to hit on a plant based diet, and i have no trouble falling in that range while high restricting!!

in this thread, i’m going to touch on high protein lower calorie vegan foods that are both whole foods and processed foods!! personally, i follow an 80/20 rule where 80% of my diet come from whole foods and the rest wherever :) first is whole foods:

let’s start with a classic that doesn’t deserve the hate it gets: soy :) soy is incredibly high in protein and perfectly safe to consume in reasonable amounts. extra firm tofu is a staple of mine and is 179 cal 19.3g of protein for 1/3 a block

tempeh is tofu’s, chewier, nuttier cousin. it’s super delicious and great to use as a “bacon” and comes in at 159 cal 16.8g protein for 1/2 cup

edamame is soy beans and can be eaten as the beans or taken out of shells, i like to buy them frozen and add to salads or nourish bowls. it comes to 188 cal and 18.5g of protein for 1 cup

next is grains!! you probably know quinoa and brown rice have protein, but here’s two others that are even higher in protein for cal content first is farro, so delicious and u can get it from the bulk foods store. 169 cal and 6.5g protein per cup, cooked

couscous is super easy to make and also pretty high in protein!! 177 cal and 6g per 1 cup, cooked

for legumes, lentils are a staple of mine. so versatile and the protein adds up quickly!! 230 cals and 17.9g of protein per cooked cup

green peas are another favourite, i always have a bag in my freezer to bulk up soups and curried :) 125 cals per cup and 8.2g of protein

everyone knows about chickpeas & black beans but let’s talk about some of the lesser known beans!! cannelloni beans, or white kidney beans, are 200 cal 12g protein per cup. they work great in stews or homemade veggie burgers :)

pinto beans are also high in protein!! use them in a burrito or mexican inspired nourish bowl :) 195 cal for 12g protein per cup

who would i be if i didn’t include nooch,, nutritional yeast aka nooch are cheesy tasting flakes super high in protein and fortified in b12. it’s a staple in every vegans kitchen :) cal count varies slightly by brand but it’s all delicious & high in protein

i wanted to include homemade seitan, which isn’t a whole food per say, but the recipe i use by “it doesn’t taste like chicken” uses vital wheat gluten and tofu and is super high in protein and a wonderful meat substitute :) this one is 167 cal 25g protein for one tender

honourable mention: veggies!! all veggies have protein and some like mushrooms, spinach, asparagus and broccoli actually have considerable amounts. include lots of veggies into your diet & you’ll be surprised how much protein it adds :)

now for processed! this will vary by region, but here are some personal favs. first is tvp, i’d technically consider this a whole food as it’s derived from soy but i forgot to add it whoops use in place of ground in any sauce, 155 cal and 23.5g per half cup dry

simply protein,, my favourite protein bars of all time. 150 cal and 15g (some flavours 16g) per bar. they’re crunchy and super delicious, check out chocolate coconut and maple pecan, a 10/10 in my book

protein wraps!! i get these ones from walmart and they’re 10g protein for 120 cals :) an easy way to bulk up protein for a veggie or tofu wrap or for a tortilla pizza

chickpea and lentil pasta!! the only pasta i use, the texture is great and it’s so high in protein, 198 cal 13g protein for 1 cup pasta, cooked

oat yogurt!! soy is typically higher in protein but i’ve yet to find it in my city so this is the brand use. 60 cals 5g protein for 3/4 cup

protein powder ofc,, this is the brand i use bc it has the best macro ratio i’ve found. it’s not the tastiest but i use half a scoop most of the time and it’s fine. 115 cal 31 g protein per 1 scoop

lastly, vegan meat substitutes. there’s so many out there in varying protein concentrations, but i don’t mind having them occasionally due to how low cal they can be. a favourite of mine is the yves veg dogs which are 45 cals 8g protein per veg dog

end of thread
i hope this was able to answer any questions you had about protein and showed u that it’s super easy to hit protein goals on a low cal plant based diet :) there’s plenty of more examples i didn’t include, but these are just some of my favourites!!