Top 10 sources of Protein for Vegans

My husband and I have been talking about trying out the vegan lifestyle.  He is already a vegetarian and I don’t eat much meat, but for various reasons we’ve considered going vegan – or at least doing it for a period of time.

So…I’ve been looking at what the top sources of protein are for non-animal/non-animal product eaters.  For the most part they were pretty much what I would have expected, but a couple were a surprise.

Here are the Top 10 –

1. Tempeh (a soybean based food)

2. Seitan (wheat based, but not starchy, supposedly a good mock meat)

3. Soybeans

4. Other types of beans

5. Tofu

6. Quinoa (this is a grain, but when cooked has a similar consistency to rice or couscous)

7. Peas

8. Peanut butter/almond butter (or just the nuts themselves, seeds are good as well)

9. Brown rice

10. Spinach

I haven’t actually tried either of the first two on the list, but everything else I have.  They all make for delicious meals or snacks.

One thing not to forget is that vegetables are a great source of protein.  Peas and spinach (as listed above) are two of the most protein rich vegetables, but many other vegetables have protein as well.  So, as a vegan (or vegetarian, or even a meat eater), just by including lots of vegetables in your diet, you ARE getting protein.  It is easy to forget this.

I’ll be posting some great recipes using the above ingredients, so make sure to check back with us.

To your health

Kimberly

Recipe for a vegetarian burger

Even for non-vegetarians, vegetarian burgers can be a delicious choice for a meal.  I will almost always choose a veggie burger over a real one.  Depending on what you put in your veggie burger, they can be a great thing to add to your diet if you’re trying to lose weight, consume more vegetables, or just be a healthier person.

I found a recipe for a vegan burger on http://www.simpleveganrecipes.co.uk, which I thought was worth sharing.  The great thing about this recipe is that it uses no animal products and has beans in it for that extra protein and fibre content.   And you can change up the spices a little bit to suit your preferences.

For you vegetarians out there who feel like you miss out on barbeque season, I would imagine you can take this same recipe and grill the burgers rather than frying them.   I’m certainly going to try it…once some barbeque weather is here.

Butter Bean Burgers

1 onion, chopped finely

1 red or green pepper, chopped finely