High-Protein Vegan Recipes? How About 30 Grams of Protein in One Serving?
One of the constant claims I hear at the gym is that vegans don't get enough protein from their food, and that it's impossible to build muscle mass on a plant-based diet.
So, let's do a quick calculation: For a person who is not recreationally active, the daily recommendation, according to the Ministry of Health, is 0.8 – 1.0 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight.
This means: a woman weighing 50 kg needs to eat 50 grams of protein per day (based on 1.0 gram of protein per kilogram).
The recommendation changes for an athletically active person, where the dosage increases to a range between 1.1 – 2.0 grams per kilogram of body weight. Meaning:
A man weighing about 70 kg who trains at the gym needs 105 grams of protein (based on 1.5 grams of protein per kilogram).
So the natural question is, can a plant-based diet provide these amounts of protein, even without protein powders? Where do you get so much protein? Put your doubts aside!
Because nutrition consultant and fitness instructor Noam Bachar and I have formulated 3 vegan recipes for you, each containing 30 grams of protein and not exceeding 500 calories. This makes them ideal for lunch or a post-workout meal.
So the next time someone asks you where you get your protein from, you'll know what to tell them :)
Quinoa, Green Pea, and Seared Tofu Salad
Ingredients:
- 1.5 cups quinoa (cooked, oil-free)
- 1 cup fresh/frozen peas (cooked, oil-free)
- 150 grams stir-fried/baked/cooked tofu (oil-free)
- 1 level tablespoon raw tahini, diluted with water and a little lemon
Nutritional Values:
475 kcal, 30g protein, 60g carbohydrates, 13g fat (of which 2g saturated fat), 13g dietary fiber, 170 mg calcium, 7 mg iron
Black Lentil, Buckwheat, and Edamame Salad
Ingredients:
- 6 natural cashew nuts
- ½ cup black lentils (cooked, oil-free)
- 1 cup green buckwheat (cooked, oil-free)
- ¾ cup (85g) frozen, cooked soybeans
Nutritional Values:
455 kcal, 30g protein, 57g carbohydrates, 12g fat (of which 1g saturated fat), 20g dietary fiber, 38 mg calcium, 6 mg iron
Lentil, Mung Bean, and Broccoli Stew
- 1 cup brown rice (cooked, oil-free)
- ½ cup Chinese peas, mung beans (cooked, oil-free)
- 1 cup red lentils (cooked, oil-free)
- 2 cups raw broccoli, chopped as desired
- 10 tablespoons cooked spinach
Nutritional Values:
415 kcal, 30g protein, 67g carbohydrates, 3g fat (0g saturated fat), 24g dietary fiber, 410 mg calcium, 670 mcg folic acid
Need more protein? How about a protein shake from ingredients you have at home?
