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I’m a vegetarian – 9 high protein foods that are always in my shopping cart
Consuming enough protein as a vegetarian can be a difficult concept to grasp, but it’s not a difficult process once you figure out the high-protein foods that will become staples in your diet.
Besides a three-month brush with veganism in my early teen years, I have been consistently vegetarian for just under five years. Admittedly, I started eating fish again earlier this year. While the change in food choices was a difficult transition initially, I am now in a position where I naturally know what foods I need to include in my diet.
Spinach is a vegetarian’s best friend
Spinach has become the butt of the joke for carnivore communities who constantly joke that vegetarians only eat spinach. Well, the joke’s on them because it’s delicious.
Not only is spinach packed – and we mean packed – with fiber and iron, but it also hides 5.3 grams of protein per cup.
Top tip: You absorb more nutrients from the spinach when it is cooked.
You can’t go wrong with beans and lentils
There’s a whole world of interesting beans, lentils, and peas available that contain great amounts of protein and other health-enhancing properties.
- Edamame – 31.3g per cup
- Lentils – 17.9g per cup
- Large white beans – 17.4g per cup
- Pinto beans – 15.4g per cup
- Kidney beans – 15.3g per cup
- Black beans – 15.2g per cup
- Butter beans – 14.7g per cup
- Chickpeas – 15g per cup
What came first – the vegetarian or the egg?
Eggs are a pretty standard inclusion in most vegetarian diets but don’t try TikTok’s fluffy scrambled eggs hack if you want to keep your lunch down. For one medium-sized egg, you’re looking at around 6.4 grams of protein.
Greek yogurt is a vegetarian’s high-protein dream
Whether it’s included in your morning smoothie, used to make salad dressings, or whipped up for saliva-inducing desserts, greek yogurt is full of vitamin B12, calcium, and selenium.
It is also a protein-rich dairy product that boasts 23g of protein per cup!
Cottage cheese is an easy inclusion
I was a little hesitant with cottage cheese at first, but it has quickly become a regular occurrence in my weekly meals. It can be added to sauces, slathered on a baked potato, or even be used as a dipping sauce.
One cup of cottage cheese contains 24g of protein.
Let’s go nutz for nuts
Providing you’re not allergic to them, nuts can be the cherry on top of your favorite meals. They are not just for Christmas parties or the bar.
- Almonds – 20g per cup
- Cashews – 20.97g per cup
- Hazelnuts – 11g per cup
- Macadamia nuts – 11g per cup
- Pistachio – 25g per cup
- Walnuts – 15g per cup
- Pecans – 10g per cup
- Peanuts – 38g per cup
Peas are hiding a protein secret
The humble pea is no doubt a regular feature in your meals as they are one of the more widely accessible vegetables. One cup of peas is going to gift you roughly 8.6g of protein.
Tofu is the chicken of the veggie world
Tofu gets a bad wrap from people who don’t know the different varieties and how to cook them.
Think of tofu like the chicken of the vegetarian world; you can basically do anything with it, season it how you want, and include it in various meals. There are 9.1g of protein in one cup of tofu.
