Plant Protein to Meet Your Daily Protein Needs

Are you one of many that thinks that you need to eat animal products to ensure you are getting enough protein? Well someone told you wrong, honey.

In this article we talked about how to meet your daily protein needs on a plant-based diet, what foods you can eat on a plant-based diet, and also a breakdown of what a serving of protein rich plant foods looks like.

If there is one thing being on a plant-based diet has taught us, it’s this: getting enough protein is definitely not a problem!
Dr. T Colin Campell

Plant protein offers all the protein you need with so many more health benefits.

What exactly is protein?

Protein is a vital nutrient responsible for the growth, maintenance and repair of our bodies. A protein is made up of 9 essential amino acids.

To keep ourselves healthy we must consume a healthy amount of high-quality protein every day.

What kinds of protein are there?

All protein is plant protein!

Any protein you are getting from eating an animal is just recycled plant protein. Only plants have the ability to take Nitrogen from the air, break the molecules apart, and incorporate that Nitrogen into amino acids that then make protein according to Dr. Milton Mills

YOU DO NOT NEED TO EAT ANIMAL TISSUE IN ORDER TO GET ADEQUATE PROTEIN!

What is the daily recommended value for protein?

The recommended dietary allowance for protein assumes that adults need, on average, a little more than 0.5 grams of protein daily per kilogram of body weight, but because individuals vary in their ability to utilize proteins, the RDA adds 0.3 grams per kilogram as a safety factor- so a total of 0.8

If you would like to know your exact recommended value you can calculate how many grams of protein you need per day for your weight. For example, if you weigh 150 lbs you would divide 150 by 2.2 to get your weight in kilograms- so in this case, 68.18kg. Then you multiply your weight in kilograms 68.18kg by 0.8 which will give you 54.54g for your daily protein requirement.

Friendly reminder: Your body can’t store protein, so make sure you eat some every day.

High sources of protein

Almonds (1 oz or 24 nuts)	6 grams of protein
Avocado (1 medium)	3.6 grams of protein
Beans black, pinto chickpea (1 cup cooked)	15 grams of protein
Broccoli (1 cup cooked)	4.6 grams of protein
Spinach (1 cup cooked)	5 grams of protein
Lentils (1 cup cooked)	18 grams of protein
Oatmeal (¾ cup cooked in water)	4.6 grams of protein
Brown rice (1 cup cooked)	5 grams of protein
Quinoa (1 cup cooked)	8 grams of protein
Soybeans (1 cup cooked)	29 grams of protein
Tempeh (½ cup)	15.7 grams of protein
Tofu, firm (½ cup)	20 grams of protein
Wheat, shredded (2 biscuits)	5.2 grams of protein

What plant protein can you eat for breakfast on a plant based diet?

Peanut butter toast and orange juice

Oatmeal with seeds and berries

Cereal with soy milk

Waffles with peanut butter and oranges

Avocado bean toast

Cooked oatmeal (1½ cup)	9.2 grams of protein
Soy milk (1 cup)	7 grams of protein
Orange juice (1 cup)	2 grams of protein
Whole-wheat bread (2 slices)

What plant protein can you eat for lunch on a plant-based diet?

Hummus wrap

Peanut butter and jelly sandwich

Veggie meat and vegan mac and cheese

Salad with nuts, seeds, and apple

Hummus spread (½ cup)	6 grams of protein
Lettuce, tomato, cucumber, etc.	2 grams of protein
Peanut butter (2Tbsp)	8 grams of protein
Pita bread (1 pocket)	4 grams of protein
Grapes (1 cup)	2 grams of protein

What plant protein can you eat for dinner on a plant-based diet?

Black bean tacos (top with tomatoes, onion, and avocado)

Chili (I love the 3 bean trio-kidney, pinto, and black bean)

Veggie meat, pasta, and vegetable mix

Quinoa with black beans, carrots, butternut squash, and kale

Stir-fry Tofu (⅓ cup)	13.3 grams of protein
Stir-fry Broccoli (1 cup, cooked)	4.6 grams of protein
Stir-fry Cashews (1 oz)	4.6 grams of protein
Stir-fry Brown rice (1½ cup, cooked)	7 grams of protein
Spaghetti (1 cup cooked)	8 grams of protein
Fruit Fresh fruit salad (1¸ cups)	<2.0 grams of protein