Plant Protein

Introduction

Best Sources of
Non-Animal Protein

Healthline lists many popular sources of plant-based proteins with the amount of protein per serving and offers this Vegan Protein Sources Chart.

You can plan your meals out, but using an app like Cronometer (which is free) can remove all the guess work, and let you know without blood testing if you may be getting too much or too little protein or other important nutrients.

Cooking Basics

Legumes / Beans

Improving Legume Digestibility - Reducing Gassiness

The following two techniques improve your access to nutrition while reducing stomach discomfort and even the gas associated with eating proteins like beans.

#1 has a few extra benefits:

Tofu

Most packaged tofu comes in water. Taking the time to press the water out will help the tofu fry better, and m

Remove the Water

Either of these two methods will work well:

Crispy Tofu

The trick to getting crispy tofu is putting it in a frying pan with some oil, and leaving it alone long enough for it to brown before flipping it to the other side. Smaller cubes may need to be flipped more times to get all or most of the sides evenly crispy.

Soy-Free Tofu

Those with soy allergies, or other conditions such as hyperthyroidism may need to avoid traditional tofu, but there's a growing array of soy-free tofu alternatives. Click the Soy-Free button for brands and recipes.

Alternative Proteins by Food Type

The following buttons will take you to pages focused on recipes, products, and cooking methods that can replace some of the most common animal-based protein sources. They can be a fun way to retain family traditions, keep your favorite food in your meal rotation without the massive ecological footprint, and help expand your food preparation skills.

Many of the foods in this section tend to have much lower protein content than other meat alternatives, particularly the mushroom-based, and jackfruit-based alternatives. Tofu, chickpea, bean, and other high-protein alternatives can often be used to replace seafood without much adjustment, but if using the lower-protein alternatives, it's advisable to make up the difference by including sides such as peas, corn, rice, or others that will help balance out the meal's overall protein content.

Some of these are high protein, while others focus more on taste or creaminess. You can often use a combination of milk alternatives to blend their properties. For example soy milk for it's high protein content, plus oat milk for it's rich creaminess!

Some of these alternatives have a reasonable amount of protein, about equal to that of eggs, but minus the high fat content, and with zero cholesterol. Others have little to no protein, so plan accordingly when baking or cooking.

Tools & Apps

Diet Trackers

Grants & Funding

International