Meatless High Protein Foods

You may be a vegetarian, or simply just looking for a healthy alternative for some of your meat intake. Either way, there are plenty of other ways to obtain the protein you need to maintain a healthy balance. According to FDA U.S. Food and Drug Administration, our bodies need a minimum of 50g of protein every single day. Here are some ways to get the protein you need without eating meat.

One food in which you will find a good source of protein is tofu. In a serving size of a half cup of tofu, you will find about 10g of protein. The best thing about tofu is that when prepared with good vegetables you have a healthy meal that both tastes good and is nutritious!

Another protein-rich food is beans. Though all beans contain protein, soybeans are the only type that contains complete proteins by themselves, making them the best choice when using beans as a meat substitute. When something contains “complete protein” it means that it has all nine essential amino acids in the correct proportion.

There is a downside of soy products such as tofu and soybeans though. They are high in estrogen, which can increase the risk of breast cancer. It is advised that you do not eat them too often. So what other foods can be used in the place of meat?

Spreads such as hummus and peanut butter also contain a small portion of protein, and they are quite good for healthy snacking. Peanut butter is higher in protein, while hummus is lower in calories and fat which makes both contenders when picking something to eat either for lunch or as a snack in between meals.

In 2 tablespoons of hummus, there is about 2g of protein and peanut butter has around 7g. Being that hummus is overall healthier, you have to decide which is more important to you: the health aspect of the protein.

Another way to get your daily intake of protein is through dairy products. One great, healthy option is plain yogurt. It contains much less sugar than other yogurts and also has around 8g of protein per serving of 1 cup.

You can improve the flavor of plain yogurt immensely by adding wheat germ, which is also high in protein. Two tablespoons of wheat germ have 6.5g of protein so between yogurt and wheat germ you already get more than 20% of the recommended intake of daily protein!

Another dairy product that can be incorporated in your daily meatless diet is cheese. Now with this one, you have to be careful because cheese can be high in fat and cholesterol. One of the healthier types of cheese is ricotta. A half-cup of ricotta has 14g of protein and can be used for all sorts of meatless recipes like cheesecake, lasagna, sandwiches, twice-baked potatoes, and much more.

As demonstrated above, there are so many alternatives to meat that will aid you in getting a substantial amount of protein. These healthy replacements will benefit you greatly as you look to replace some or all of the meat you eat. Hopefully, you found some useful information and happy eating!