How Do You Get Enough Protein?

I have received many questions about being vegetarian over the years. One of the most common has been "How do you get enough protein?".

According to Kristen Rindress, R.D., "The average American eats twice as much protein as they need. The DRI for protein for a healthy adult is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram per day, which translates to 54 g/day for a 150 pound person*." Plant protein foods more often are naturally low in saturated fat and high in fiber. Try beans, peas, soy products, nuts, and seeds in recipes such as Chili Con Tofu, Candied Walnuts with Herb Salad and Paprika Spiced Hummus.

Here is a list of vegetarian protein sources: [1]

AMOUNT PROTEIN(gm)
Soy Products:
Tempeh 1 cup 30
Soybeans, cooked 1 cup 22
Tofu, firm 4 oz 11
Tofu, regular 4 oz 9
Textured Vegetable
Protein (TVP), cooked 1/2 cup 8
Soy milk, plain 1 cup 7

Beans:
Lentils, cooked 1 cup 18
Black beans, canned 1 cup 15
Kidney beans, canned 1 cup 13
Chickpeas, cooked 1 cup 12
Pinto beans, canned 1 cup 12

Vegetables:
Peas, cooked 1 cup 9
Spinach, cooked 1 cup 5
Broccoli, cooked 1 cup 4
Potato 1 med. 6 oz 4

Nuts and Seeds:
Peanut butter 2 Tbsp 8
Walnuts 1 oz 7
Almond butter 2 Tbsp 5
Sunflower seeds 1/4 cup 6

Grains:
Seitan(kind of a grain)4 oz 26
Quinoa, cooked 1 cup 9
Spaghetti, cooked 1 cup 8
Bulgur, cooked 1 cup 6
Whole wheat bread 2 slices 5
Brown rice, cooked 1 cup 5

You can see, it is actually quite easy to meet your protein needs with a well-balanced vegetarian diet.

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* 0.8 grams/kilogram is approximately 0.36 grams/pound
[1] USDA Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 23, 2010