A List of Plant Protein Foods

When searching for a list of proteins I found this simple list that provides protein content of selected vegan foods. This is a great resource for those who eat a vegetarian or completely plant based diet.

Often when people hear that I eat a plant based diet they will ask me “where do you get your protein from?” I will tell them that I don’t worry about getting enough protein when I eat a proper diet because protein is found in most plant foods. We get our protein from plants out of the ground, just like the animals do.

The most important element in a plant-based diet is to make sure to eat enough calories. However, if you eat a lot of sugary or processed foods, you may miss getting the quality proteins in your diet.

FOOD AMOUNT PROTEIN(gm) PROTEIN(gm/100 cal)
Tempeh 1 cup 41 9.3
Seitan 3 ounces 31 22.1
Soybeans, cooked 1 cup 29 9.6
Lentils, cooked 1 cup 18 7.8
Black beans, cooked 1 cup 15 6.7
Kidney beans, cooked 1 cup 13 6.4
Veggie burger 1 patty 13 13.0
Chickpeas, cooked 1 cup 12 4.2
Veggie baked beans 1 cup 12 5.0
Pinto beans, cooked 1 cup 12 5.7
Black-eyed peas, cooked 1 cup 11 6.2
Tofu, firm 4 ounces 11 11.7
Lima beans, cooked 1 cup 10 5.7
Quinoa, cooked 1 cup 9 3.5
Tofu, regular 4 ounces 9 10.6
Bagel 1 med.
(3 oz)
9 3.9
Peas, cooked 1 cup 9 6.4
Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP), cooked 1/2 cup 8 8.4
Peanut butter 2 Tbsp 8 4.3
Veggie dog 1 link 8 13.3
Spaghetti, cooked 1 cup 8 3.7
Almonds 1/4 cup 8 3.7
Soy milk, commercial, plain 1 cup 7 7.0
Soy yogurt, plain 6 ounces 6 4.0
Bulgur, cooked 1 cup 6 3.7
Sunflower seeds 1/4 cup 6 3.3
Whole wheat bread 2 slices 5 3.9
Cashews 1/4 cup 5 2.7
Almond butter 2 Tbsp 5 2.4
Brown rice, cooked 1 cup 5 2.1
Spinach, cooked 1 cup 5 13.0
Broccoli, cooked 1 cup 4 6.8
Potato 1 med.
(6 oz)
4 2.7
Sources: USDA Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 18, 2005 and manufacturers’ information. Chart provided by the Vegetarian Resource Group.

As you can see, you can get plenty of protein when you eat a variety of plant foods and sufficient calories.  Proteins are found in most foods, so it is not difficult to get an adequate amount of protein in a vegan or vegetarian diet.

Check out this article by Dr. Holly Wilson on getting protein in a vegan diet

It is advisable to see your healthcare professional when making changes to your diet. You may want to check your levels periodically for Vitamin D, B12, B-complex and protein to make sure that you are getting enough of these in your diet.

Nutritional Yeast and B12

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Plant-based diet

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