The Best Vegan Protein Substitutes for Meat

Eating vegan is a health trend that many people are leaning towards. They find that it often helps them to cut calories and overall eat healthier. And in return, they often feel better. However, with a vegan diet, while you are not eating meat, you still need to find sources of protein. Having a diet that contains no protein can be very detrimental towards your health and end up causing numerous health issues such as muscle weakness.

What Can I Eat Instead of Meat for Protein?

The key is to eat foods that still contain protein in these that are not meat. And luckily, there are several foods that can do this. The key is to look at the food and how much protein it contains to choose the one that best fits your needs.

The Best Vegan Meat Alternatives

With this being said, what is the best vegan meat alternatives that you can use? Check out this list and how much protein that they have.

1. Buckwheat: Believe if it or not, this is not a form of wheat. But is in fact a relative of rhubarb. In one cup of this cooked, you can get 6 grams of protein.

2. Quinoa: When cooked up, one cup serving has around 8 grams of protein in it. It has tons of other nutrients including fiber, iron, and even magnesium.

3. Soy: There are several forms of soy that you can incorporate into a diet to get the protein that you need. For example, firm tofu has around 12 grams of protein in it with a ½ cup serving; tempeh has 15 grams of protein per 3 ounce serving, natto has 18 grams of protein per 3.5 ounce of serving and edamame has around 17 grams of protein for every 1 cup serving. Soy is considered the go-to for meat substitutes when it comes to vegan diets.

4. Rice and beans: This will have around 8 grams of protein in a one cup serving. It is cheap and readily found in grocery stores.

5. Chia seeds: These have about 4 grams of protein with every 2 tablespoons. It can be easy enough to add chia seeds to a breakfast food or even using this as egg replacements in vegan dishes.

As you can see protein can be easily enough put into your foods when talking about protein, even if you are vegan.

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