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Vegetarian Foods with Lots of Protein

Protein is essential for repairing muscle tissues, maintaining hormonal balance, building blood enzymes, muscles, cartilage, and strengthening the immune system in general. Your body is built on protein and hence it’s imperative that you consume healthy proteins on daily basis to meet your body’s requirements. It’s usually advised that one must consume protein (in grams) equivalent to their body weight, i.e if you are 75 Kgs in weight then you should consume anywhere between 60-75 grams of protein. In this article we will discuss of the foods with lots protein for vegetarians and non-vegetarians.

List of Non-Vegetarian Protein Foods

One must remember that protein is not fat inducing and thus eating a high-protein diet will not cause you to gain excess weight and the protein metabolism can help burn fat. So you must choose foods that are low in fat but rich in protein if you are weight conscious or if you want to eat healthy. Here are a few non vegetarian foods that have lots of protein.

Seafood – These are considered to be the healthiest sources of animal protein because of their “low fat” content. Some oily fish like salmon are high in fat, but these are good fats (omega-3) which are essential for your body. 100 grams of cooked fish would contain anywhere close to 25-30 grams of protein depending on the variety you are eating.  Tuna is considered to be a great source of protein especially when you are weight training or looking to put on muscle mass.

Poultry – For years body builders have touted chicken, or poultry in general, as a great source of protein. 100 grams of cooked chicken would contain close to 25 grams of protein, 100 grams of turkey meat would contain 20-24 grams of protein. It’s true that chicken, other poultry, contain saturated fats, so be sure to choose “white meats” as compared to dark meat while buying your poultry.

Beef, Pork and Mutton – There has been a lot of apprehension about consuming animal meats because of their high saturated fat content but one can safely choose to eat lean cuts and white meats (like tenderloin) which are low in fat. Always ask for lean cuts or white meats while buying beef, mutton or pork. If you go in for red meats be sure to discard the excess fat while baking, or grilling, the meat. Beef is a very good source of protein as 100 grams of it contains close to 30-32 grams of protein, the same is true for mutton and pork meat.

Eggs – One can safely consume an egg a day and get 6 grams of protein from it. If you are weight training, you can eat more. Some body builders eat 6-10 eggs a day, or more, to supply protein for the muscle repair and creation. If you are leading a sedentary lifestyle, you should restrict yourself to one or two eggs a day.

List of Vegetarian Foods with Protein

Some vegetarians are concerned if their diet provides them with sufficient protein, and if it’s possible to “weight train” on a vegetarian diet. The truth is that one can obtain as much protein from a vegetarian diet as from a non-vegetarian diet, and plant proteins are easily assimilated by the body while also provide several anti-oxidants and phyto-chemicals which help boost the immunity.  Some good vegetarian food sources with lots of protein.

Legumes – These are basically seeds which are found in pods. There are close to 45 different types of legumes available for common consumption and one can prepare several tasty dishes with them. They are an excellent source of protein with one cup providing close to 25-30 grams of plant protein. Lentils, Red Kidney beans, Lima beans, Soy beans and Mung beans are excellent legumes for daily consumption.

Nuts – Walnuts, Almond and Pistachios are a great source of plant protein and they also provide several essential minerals, fats and vitamins for the body. You can eat close to 20 nuts on daily basis to get 25 grams of protein. Though Peanuts are not actually “nuts” in the true sense of the word, but they are also a good source of protein.

Diary – Most vegetarians consume diary products like cheese, milk and yogurt, and these are all excellent sources of protein. Yogurt especially is a great food to include in your breakfast and lunch as it not only provides 8 grams of protein per cup but also aids in digestion. Cheese is a power packed food with 100 grams containing close to 25 grams of protein, just make sure you consume the low-fat variety if you are on a diet. Milk is consumed all over the world and is the staple diet of many cultures, a cup of milk contains close to 8 grams of protein.

These are some of non-veg and veg foods with lots of protein which can be eaten on daily basis. Combining plant and animal protein is a great way to nourish the body with essential amino acids and build muscles at a faster pace. You don’t have to overdo your protein intake to increase your muscles, just consume protein in equivalence to your body weight and you will not go wrong.