#104 How To Get Enough Protein As A Vegan
This blog post is tailored towards vegans, but is also helpful for anyone who needs help with getting enough protein in their diet.
Just because you are vegan, it doesn’t mean that you need to eat a low protein diet. Active individuals should aim for 1.4 to 2 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight. The more active you are, the more you will need. If you are extremely active (i.e. working out twice per day) you could have up to 2.4 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight.
Here are some vegan protein sources (and the amount of protein in each), which you should try to include in your diet.
| Food | Serving size | Calories per serve | Protein (g) per serve |
| Soybeans | 1 cup | 172 | 29.77 |
| Wheat germ | 1 cup | 414 | 26.62 |
| Tofu | ½ cup | 151 | 20 |
| Lentils | 1 cup | 115 | 17.13 |
| Whole wheat flour | 1 cup | 407 | 16.44 |
| Chickpea / garbanzo bean | 1 cup | 180 | 15.65 |
| Almonds | ½ cup | 405 | 13.5 |
| Black bean | 1 cup | 115 | 12.49 |
| Fava / broad bean | 1 cup | 109 | 12.85 |
| Lima / butter beans | 1 cup | 113 | 10 |
| Peanuts | ¼ cup | 160 | 7 |
| Peanut butter | 1 tablespoon | 122 | 5.5 |
| Potato (white) | 1 medium (150g) | 161 | 4.32 |
| Spirulina (dried) | 1 tablespoon | 20 | 4.02 |
| Green peas | ½ cup | 61 | 3.91 |
| Chia seeds | 1 tablespoon | 50 | 3.0 |
I have only listed a handful of high protein foods here. Vegetables and especially leafy greens also contain relatively high levels of protein (and nutrients!), so make sure you’re eating lots of these.
I also highly recommend that you invest in a vegan protein powder. Because it is more difficult for you to get the required amount of protein in your diet, a protein powder should be something that you have daily.
If you have any questions about anything at all, please feel free to comment below! I hope you have found this helpful xx
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Rachael is an Australian born certified personal trainer and nutritionist who holds a Bachelor degree in Science.
After struggling for years to find an exercise and diet program that is tailored to women striving for lean and toned body with no bulk she designed her Lean Legs Program. This program is tailored to each body type and focused on helping women get toned but feminine bodies, without getting bulky.
Her mission is to empower women and help them stay in shape in a healthy and balanced way.
Hi! I’m newly to a vegan diet and I can define my body type as skinny fat and I’m easily to get bigger legs? Should I reduce the amount of carbs (whole grain,..) in my diet?
In the last 2 months I went running every 2 days and I’m not noticing any result in my legs.
Thank you?
HI Tanja, vegans do not a little bit more carbs just because of the food you that are limited to. I would still eat whole grains, but just try to limit to a few times per week. Majority of your carbs should come from fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds. Try introducing power walking as that is great for slimming down legs x
Thank you for your advice? Do you have any suggestions for breakfast instead of oatmeal? Beans are ok or I have to limit them too?