How can I incorporate more protein on a Vegan diet?

A common question asked by Vegetarians and Vegans alike is; how can I incorporate more protein on a Vegan diet? Well, as we all know, protein is such an important foundation for any diet. It’s required for the building, maintenance and repair of tissues in the body and is the building blocks of bones, muscles, cartilage, skin and blood. Typically protein is associated with diets high in meat, poultry, fish and eggs (think Rocky Balboa drinking his raw eggs before training!), this means that for Vegans especially, incorporating protein into your diet can be quite challenging. But not impossible!

Side effects to low protein?

If you’ve experienced any of the below symptoms you might want to consider taking a look at your protein intake:

• A sluggish metabolism
• Trouble losing weight
• Trouble building muscle mass
• Low energy levels and fatigue
• Poor concentration and trouble learning
• Moodiness and mood swings
• Muscle, bone and joint pain
• Blood sugar changes that can lead to diabetes
• Slow wound healing
• Low immunity

So where can I get my protein from?

It was once thought that various plant foods had to be eaten together to get their full protein value; this practice was known as “protein combining” or “protein complementing.” We know now however that intentional combining is not necessary, you should instead try to build a diet plan that contains a variety of grains, legumes and vegetables, you’d be surprised how quickly the protein adds up! There are also many protein-rich vegan foods including soy-based products like tofu, tempeh (a fermented soybean product), black beans, lentils, chickpeas, grains such as quinoa and bulgur, and whole-wheat bread. Are you a Vegan/Vegetarian having trouble keeping up the protein in your diet? What foods do you currently use? Check out our previous article on our top 30 picks for high protein vegetables.

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Sources: https://www.webmd.com/men/features/benefits-protein#1 http://www.bodybuilding.com/content/8-high-protein-vegetables.html https://healthyeating.sfgate.com/consequences-low-protein-daily-intake-6330.html