How do Vegetarians get Protein?

Vegetarian here signing on.... If you are familiar with the world of being a vegetarian you almost always get asked questions about your diet.  "What do you eat?"  "What do your meals consist of?" and almost ALWAYS "Where do you get your protein?"  This is a great question since the belief is that protein primarily comes from meat sources.  FALSE!  One of the most common myths about becomming a vegetarian is that once you ditch the meat you can't meat the suggested guidelines for protein intake.  There are many other sources one can obtain protein, and if you are looking for a meat free or a less meat kind of diet, let me share with you a few.

Here are the top 10 sources of Veggie Protein:

1. Spinach (contains 49% protein)
2. Kale (contains 45% protein)
3. Broccoli (contains 45% protein)
4. Cauliflower (contains 40% protein)
5. Mushrooms (contains 38% protein)
6. Parsley (contains 34 % protein)
7. Cucumbers (contains 25 % protein)
8. Green Pepper (contains 22% protein)
9. Cabbage (contains 22% protein)
10. Tomatoes (contain 18 % protein)

(statistics brought to you by The GIVE project)

Other protein sources include:

Quinoa (1 cup of cooked quinoa is about 8 grams of protein)
Hemp (6 grams per ounce)
Spirulina (65-71 % a complete protein)
chia seeds (4 grams per ounce)
tempeh (1/2 a cup is about 25 grams protein)
almonds and almod butter or milk (between 6-8 grams per handful)
Lentils and beans (1 cup is about 18 grams of protein)
Organic plain greek yogurt (15-20 grams in a 6 oz. serving)
eggs (6 grams per egg)

Source: foodmatters.com

There you go!  Look at all of these healthy options that bring a ton of protein content!  I have people all the time come to me and ask for "healthy" vegetarian meals for their family because they are looking to consume less meat; either for health or budget purposes.  Now you can refer to this list and know what you are getting! Pin It