How to Get Your Protein through Veggies
Posted on Jan, 11, 2018
As a vegetarian, I’m often asked how I manage to get enough protein. While many of us are trained to only think of meat and other animal products as good protein sources, plants actually provide an amazing amount of protein per calorie. This means you can eat a plate full of veggies and get a lot of protein (plus fiber and antioxidants) with few calories. To me, that is a great deal! Here are some of my favorite plant protein sources, along with their calorie and fiber profiles.
Lentils, 1/2 cup cooked
Calories
Fiber
Protein
115
8g
9g
Peas, 1 cup steamed
Calories
Fiber
Protein
134
8g
8g
Asparagus, 1 cup cooked
Calories
Fiber
Protein
40
4g
4g
Brussels sprouts, 1 cup cooked
Calories
Fiber
Protein
56
4g
4g
Broccoli, 1 cup cooked
Calories
Fiber
Protein
54
4g
4g
Corn, 1 large ear cooked
Calories
Fiber
Protein
113
3g
4g
Potato, 1 medium baked
Calories
Fiber
Protein
168
4g
5g
Swiss Chard, 1 cup sautéed
Calories
Fiber
Protein
35
4g
3g
Now imagine a dinner plate filled with some of the above choices, such as a 1/2 cup of lentils, an ear of corn, a baked potato, and a cup of broccoli. It would definitely be a filling meal! You would consume:
450 calories
20 grams of fiber
22 grams of protein
Pretty cool, huh? And that doesn’t count the magnitude of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants in your meal! The USDA RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance) of protein for adults is about 40g-70g per day depending on your weight and gender. One meal of veggies gets you half way there!
- Veronica