Plant Protein: The Complete Guide- cheap, versatile, & numerous nutritional benefits!

[richeal]

The below info is also compiled into my educational blog at https://www.sealo.org/blog/plant-protein-the-complete-guide

I'm sure we've all experienced the dread of defrosting chicken. The person I'll be 48 hours from now may not be down with the decisions I make now. I know y'all aren't tryna spend half a paycheck at the grocery store every month, which is another reason why plant proteins are elite- they're a fraction of the cost of meat, most are shelf stable for essentially ever (no more anxiously trying to cook meat within 3 days or throwing it into the freezer cemetery), and you don't have to worry about cross contamination.

Plant proteins are full of nutrients, and the fiber content helps you feel full, improves blood sugar control, and promotes better digestive health and regular bowel movements. Most of them are also great for cardiovascular health and boosts your immune system. These are some common plant proteins and how to use them.

*For those of you who want to try or need alternative butter/cheese, try Miyoko's or Earth Balance Butter and Daiya cheese. There are many brands of vegan cheese you can experiment with, Follow My Heart is also quite popular.

1) Protein pasta: Barilla protein pasta and Banza taste the most similar to real pasta. Lentil pasta is also good but it's very chewy. You don't need to worry about adding a protein source to your pasta anymore!

Protein: 10-11g/2oz

1. Pasta Primavera with Vegetables
2. Lemon Pasta

• Can sub vegan butter
• For added protein, try a side of salmon or shrimp

1. Pesto Pasta

• Saute vegan pesto sauce (Trader Joe's has a great one, there are also shelf stable ones) or regular pesto sauce with veggies of your choice [zucchini, mushroom, cherry tomatoes etc] until veggies are tender. Adjust amount of sauce to taste.
• Add cooked pasta and mix together

2) Edamame/dried edamame: These little guys are so densely packed with protein. You can use them in salads or just eat as a snack. You could also use them in stir frys. I get the frozen bags of shelled edamame which you can heat up in the microwave and they taste just as good as the fresh ones.

Protein: 17g/1 cup

Nutrients: isoflavones, vitamin K, vitamin C, iron, magnesium, potassium, folate [may reduce risk of breast cancer, menopause symptoms, and risk of prostate cancer. lowers risk of cognitive decline, improves depression, reduces inflammation]

1. Veggie Fried Rice- get a frozen pack of veggie fried rice and saute with sesame oil and frozen/fresh edamame. If you'd like to make your own, try:

• https://shortgirltallorder.com/best-vegan-fried-rice
• https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/fried-rice-recipe/

1. Asian Broccoli Salad with Peanut Sauce
2. Edamame Summer Salad

3) Lentils: This is the underdog of plant protein. They're extremely versatile and neutral tasting so you could use them in soups, salads, wraps, probably even sandwiches.

Protein: 24g/1 cup cooked

Nutrients: iron, folate, magnesium, potassium, zinc [helps with anemia, reduces risk of colorectal cancer, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant properties]

1. Lentil Soup
2. One Pot Lentil Tacos
3. Mediterranean Lentil Salad

4) Nuts: Upgrade your depression meal to an easy charcuterie board. Add some carrots/hummus and dried/fresh fruit and you've got your bases covered. Use sliced/chopped nuts as a topping in salads, yogurt parfaits, acai bowels, and oatmeal.

Protein: 4-7g/1 ounce

Nutrients: Mono & polyunsaturated fats, vitamin E, magnesium, selenium [antioxidant properties, maintains muscle and nerve function, lowers cholesterol and triglycerides, reduces risk of heart attack and stroke]

1. Walnut Rosemary Crusted Salmon
2. Almond Flour Banana Bread

• Flax seed egg: combine 1 tbsp of flaxseed meal (or blend 1 tbsp of flaxseed) with 3 tbsp water. Stir and put in the fridge for at least 15 mins. Replaces 1 egg. Works especially well with pancakes, quick breads, brownies, muffins, and cookies

1. Apple Pecan Arugula Salad
2. Rainbow Charcuterie Board - mix and match:

• Olives, salted or honey roasted nuts, dried fruit, fresh fruit, dates, crackers, hummus, white bean dip, jam, crispy baked chickpeas, cucumbers, carrots, radishes, sliced bell peppers

5) Seeds: Another great topper for salads, yogurt parfaits, acai bowels, mixed bowls, and oatmeal. Examples: pumpkin, hemp, flax, sunflower, chia

Protein: 2-4g/1 tablespoon

Nutrients: omega 3 fatty acids, vitamin E, magnesium, zinc [reduces cholesterol, antioxidant properties, anti-inflammatory, helps manage blood pressure]

1. Smoothie Bowl
2. Coconut Chia Pudding with Mango

• Use full fat coconut milk for a creamier pudding
• Add mango for a sticky mango & rice vibe. You can add any other fruit as well (berries, peaches, papaya, etc)

1. Flax Seed Muffins

6) Tofu: Oldie but a goodie. People have gotten really creative with ways to use tofu- tik tok and IG are full of creators showing different ways to cook it. You can make a flour breading and air fry it, use it in curries/stews/soups, sandwiches, and stir fries. You can even use silken tofu to make dessert such as mousse!

Protein: 8g/3 ounces

Nutrients: Calcium, iron, magnesium, isoflavones, manganese, vitamin A [a complete protein- has all the essential amino acids your body needs, supports bone health, alleviates peri-menopausal symptoms]

1. Air Fryer Tofu with Honey Garlic Sauce
2. Soon Tofu Medium Starter Kit [check "where to buy" on the top, or you can find other soup mixes and add tofu. You can also find something similar at your local Asian/Korean market. This one is just easy if it's around]
3. Vegan Mapo Tofu

7) Beans: Blend it into a dip, put it in soup/burritos/stews/chili/salads, put on nachos etc. It also has a ton of fiber. You can get dry beans if you want to save even more money.

Protein: 7g/one half cup

Nutrients: Potassium, magnesium, folate, iron, zinc [heart health, muscle and nerve function, transport of oxygen in body, reduces risk of some types of cancer, stroke, and type 2 diabetes]

1. Homemade Vegetarian Chili
2. Black Bean Dip
3. Black Bean Soup

8) Nutritional yeast: This one is a hit or miss- some people don't like the taste of it, but personally I find it has a cheesy profile that's great in pasta sauces, salad dressings, on veggies, added to soups/stews or sprinkled on top of popcorn. I would suggest buying a small amount (they sometimes have this in the bulk section) to see if you like it first.

Protein: 8g/one half cup

Nutrients: vitamin B (1, 2, 3, 6, 12), potassium, calcium, iron [boosts energy, promotes skin/hair/nail health, reduces inflammation]

1. Garlic Tahini Dressing
2. Vegan Mac and Cheese
3. Vegan Jalapeno Poppers

9) Soy milk: Use for anything you normally use milk in- coffee, cereal, oatmeal, smoothies, or just have a glass chilled. it's creamier than most other nut milks and even the unsweetened ones taste good.

Protein: 8g/1 cup

Nutrients: vit B6, magnesium, folate, zinc, retinol, omega 3 fatty acids. May be fortified with riboflavin, calcium, vit A, vit B12, vit D [helps with anemia, reduced risk of dementia, reduced symptoms of menopause]

1. Mac n Cheese
2. Smoothie Basics
3. Easy Brownie in a Mug-

10) Oats: Yes everyone and their mom is making overnight/baked oats and you should too. There's an endless number of combos and you get to have dessert for breakfast! I like to add about half a scoop of pea protein to my baked oats (per ramekin).

Protein: 6g/one half cup dry

Nutrients: potassium, zinc, vit B1, iron, phosphorus, vit C, manganese, folate, choline, vit E, copper, selenium, avenathramides [improves metabolism, bone health, antioxidant properties, transporting oxygen through body]

1. Raspberry Cookie Baked Oats
2. Brownie Batter Baked Oats
3. Chocolate Chip Baked Oats
4. Basic Overnight Oats

 

[xiconexertoroyah]

@richeal Incredible post. Excellent info. Lentil gang R/D

 

[richeal]

@xiconexertoroyah Thank you! Fr lentils are so under-talked about. Growing up I was like what the hell are lentils lol

 

[faustovilaverde]

@richeal Lentils are great, and so so so easy and versatile. This is a great resource, thanks! I'm gonna try some of those baked oats!

 

[richeal]

@faustovilaverde Np! I hope you like the oats! The raspberry biscoff one is my favorite. I used Trader Joe’s cookie butter. If you don’t wanna use that white chocolate chips would prolly also be really good

 

[ayanda]

@richeal Would be nice to have all proteins / volume standardized, for people that need a lot of proteins. Actually, you have per cup, per half-cup, per table spoon, per oz and per ounce, which makes comparison difficult. Great post though

 

[richeal]

@ayanda It's based on the typical serving size that's used on nutrition labels- because for example someone probably isn't going to use 1 cup of seeds, so I was trying to make the measurements proportional to that. Or if a package of tofu has 12 ounces they can kind of guesstimate how much protein they're getting based on if they use 1/3 or 1/2 of the package etc if they don't have a food scale. I can add more types of measurements if you'd find that helpful though- for example would you prefer if for ounces I also put grams?

 

[ayanda]

@richeal I'm from EU, so I would love to have a per gram everywhere! I have no idea what are ounces and cups!