Are you afraid that eating meat may put you at health risk? If so, you just landed on the right page!
Some health-conscious people switch from a regular diet to a vegan diet to control their protein intake. Now you might wonder what a vegan diet is.
A vegan diet involves the input of more vegetables and fruits and reducing the protein intake that requires meat and fish.
Now, why does one want to lower their protein intake? That is also a question, As protein is an essential nutrient for the body that maintains and grows our body and muscles keeping our skin and hair healthy. The reason is that protein intake can lead to different diseases.
So people switch to a vegan diet. Lowering the protein intake doesn’t mean eliminating it from your diet.
The moderate amount concerns vegans about how to take a reasonable amount, not exceeding the required protein limit.
The average protein necessary for a healthy male is 56 grams and for women is 46 grams. Yet, many studies show that having a well-planned meatless diet can fulfill the average amount of proteins needed by the body.
Plant foods contain more protein than others that help in the growth of muscles, weight loss, and feeling of fullness.
To get a well-planned diet that is a source of protein for vegetarians, follow the vegan protein source chart below.
| Food | Proteins | Serving size |
|---|---|---|
| Vital Wheat Gluten | 75.2 grams | ¼ cup |
| Peanuts | 25.8 grams | 35 peanuts |
| Almonds | 21.1 grams | 24 almonds |
| Tempeh | 18.5 | 85 grams |
| Oats | 16.9 | ½ cup |
Vegan Protein Sources Calories
Calories are the energy released by the body when food breaks down. The more calories you take, the more power you have.
If the calories you take exceed the body’s needs, your body stores the extra calories as fat. Even fat-free food can have a lot of calories. Now the food that is a source of proteins for vegetarians, how many calories do they have?
Plant protein is a primary food for vegetarians in their diet; They contain enough calories with a good amount of proteins. Some non-meat protein sources have enough calories for vegans to gain enough proteins.
You can get a better idea of the calories and protein amount in the food by getting yourself a well-planned diet from your nutritionist. To get a better idea of veg foods and their calories and proteins, look at the vegan protein sources chart.
| Food | Proteins | Calories | Serving size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lentils | 90 g | 101 | ½ cup |
| Tempeh | 60 g | 60 | 85 grams |
| Peas | 50 g | 67 | ¾ cup |
Also read: A to Z Leafy vegetable list
High Protein Vegan Foods
It is a concern for vegans that they might not get enough proteins from their diet. There are several vegan protein sources. These vegan foods with high proteins are of different types, some of which are.
- Tempeh
- Lentils
- Chickpeas
- Peanuts
- Almonds
- Spirulina
- Mycoprotein
All the foods mentioned above are good plant protein sources; some are soy products that are good protein sources in a plant-based diet. Lentils contain protein, fiber, and critical nutrients like iron and potassium.
Low-Calorie Vegan Protein Sources
Higher calorie means the chance of getting fat which is not an option for vegans. Therefore, vegans rely on low-calorie protein sources, so they get enough calories with a good amount of protein. The Vegan food protein chart lists foods with low calories and higher proteins.
Some of these are.
- Spinach
- Beans
- Pinto beans
- Red kidney beans
The above food list shows these foods are good sources of low calories and high protein. Suppose you have concerns about your calorie intake without affecting your protein intake. Follow the vegan protein food source chart.
| Food | Calories | Proteins | Serving Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Balck beans | 114 | 8 g | ¼ cup |
| Pinto beans | 123 | 8 g | ½ cup |
| Red Kidney beans | 112 | 8 g | ½ cup |
Vegan Protein Sources Low Carbs
Carbs are short forms of carbohydrates, one of the primary three nutrients in food for the human body. These carbohydrates are sugar molecules. Your body breaks down carbs into glucose or blood sugar, the primary energy source for your body’s cells, tissues, and organs.
Moreover, carbs are of two types: good carbs and bad carbs. Good carbs are in plant-based foods, also known as complex carbs, and they promote a healthy digestive system and metabolism.
At the same time, bad carbs added to processed foods, such as sugars and starches, have many consequences.
Vegan Protein sources have good carbs, but the amount of carbs is low and high in some. Therefore, you can look at the vegan protein food chart to better understand the carbs amount in vegan protein food.
| Food | Proteins g/100 gram | Serving Size | Carbs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kale | 70 | 1 cup | 8 |
| Spinach | 90 | 1 cup | 4 |
| Avocado | 27 | ⅓ of a medium fruit | 2.5 |
Also read: Protein Digestion Time Chart
Vegan Protein Sources Compared To Meat
Animal meat comes to mind directly on protein levels in foods, which is somewhat valid. In comparison, plant-based proteins are considerably lower as compared to beef.
The reality is that plant-based foods are way healthier than animal meat ones, as they have more nutrients and fewer calories, a fiber that meat doesn’t have.
The meat, indeed, has more proteins and all other nutrients. Still, vegans prefer vegan protein sources over meat because its nutrients are healthier with higher calories than plant protein sources.
Well-planned vegetarian eating patterns can offer some nutritional benefits over traditional meat-containing diets.
| Food | Proteins g/100 gram | Meat | Proteins g/100 gram |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vital Wheat Gluten | 75.2 grams | Lean turkey | 260 grams |
| Peanuts | 25.8 grams | Lean Pork | 230 grams |
| Almonds | 21.1 grams | Lean Beef | 240 grams |
Indian Vegetarian Protein Sources
Most health-conscious people are in Asian countries such as India and other Asian countries. It is a view about Indian people that most of India comprise vegetarian people.
Therefore you should also look at the Printable protein chart Or the vegan protein sources PDF chart. Before taking a look, some of the Indian vegetarian resources are listed below.
- Rajma Masala.
- Palak
- Sprouted Moong Chana Cutlet.
- Sprouted Moong Bhel.
- Roasted Chana Dal Masala Vada (patty/cutlet)
- Buckwheat Dosa
Also read: Explore Dal Protein Varieties
Conclusion
Being a vegetarian is quite a challenge for the person. It would help if you had to take care of many things: your calorie intake, carbs, and protein levels, and whether the amount in the vegan diet is enough.
The most common vegan issue is their protein intake. Are they taking enough protein or not? The solution is vegan protein sources, the most common of which are plant-based foods.
The most straightforward way to get yourself a well-planned vegan protein diet is to follow the vegan protein sources chart or consult a nutritionist to get a properly balanced diet.