If you are looking to lose weight, or control your weight then one of the most frequently advised tactics is to reduce your carbohydrate intake and increase your protein intake.
One of the first thoughts when faced with the prospect of consuming more protein can be a worry about eating meat all the time. There is some great news however and if you think that meat is the only sources of protein, think again!
In this article, we’ll give you some of the best and tastiest sources of protein that are not meat.
1) Amaranth
When it comes to nutritional content, amaranth is very similar to teff and quinoa, although just much smaller in terms of size. This classic pseudo-grain gives 7 grams of protein into your meals in just a single cup of cooked amaranth. Not to mention that it’s also a good source of magnesium, B vitamins and iron aside from protein. You can try to incorporate it in your delicious hamburgers that you could pair with lentil and all kinds of various distinct spices.
2) Green Peas
Green peas always taste so great aside from being jampacked with protein! They have 8 grams of proteins in every cup, so you could mix a little of these nice eatables to let you get through the day. Green peas are also abundant in leucine–which is an amino acid which plays an extremely vital role for metabolism purposes and especially weight loss. Now, that’s quite difficult to find in your usual plant-based foods. It’s time to look for more recipes with green peas!
3) Seitan
More popularly known as wheat gluten is seitan, which packs a hefty 75% of protein. That’s quite a mean feat, and 100g of it offers more than what you actually require daily for your protein needs. Extra benefits included the fact that it’s low in carbs and sodium, a tremendous source of calcium, plus high in iron content. Seitan in fact is the best substitute for turkey or your good old regular chicken, so you could make the most of this in any kind of dish which requires for that in order to have a truly tasty option with lots of protein.
4) Almonds
Not just rich in protein, but also, another reason to love almonds is its packing a lot of fiber that’s very useful for digestion. Not only that–other advantages of almonds is that it also contains potassium, magnesium (helpful in sleeping problems), iron and calcium for better and stronger bones. Almonds also contain high fat content, but majority of it is healthy fat. Look for organic almonds so that you could steer clear from pesticides, plus other chemicals as well which are existing in conventional almonds.
5) Chia Seeds
There are lots of reasons why you should love these amazing seeds. They consist of 4 grams of protein in each 2 tbsps, they help you keep fuller for longer periods. More importantly, they are a huge help to your digestive system.
6) Greek Yogurt
Yogurt is another fantastic protein source; with double the amount of protein as a regular yogurt, a 6-ounce container boasts 17 grams of protein. It is ideal for either a breakfast or can be combined with your snacks.
7) Edamame
This is by far the only veggie which is a complete protein, edamame, or soybeans are a great choice to meat. One half cup of soybeans has a tremendous 34 grams of protein, as compared to your half cup of chicken that comes in at approximately 17 grams.
8) Quinoa
Providing you with 14g of protein per 100 g, quinoa has been given due prominence because of its healthy benefits and particularly for its gluten-free element.
9) Chickpeas
Also known to many as garbanzo beans, these legumes contain 7.3 grams of protein in only half a cup. Aside from being appetizing enough to be tossed into salads, they are also low in calories and fiber-rich foods.
Wrapping Up
As you can see, there are a variety of great tasting foods that can help you get more protein on board, without going near a meat dish. Why not try something new from the list?!
About the Author
Tyler Cooper was born and raised a vegetarian and has been a huge advocate of healthy living for as long as he can remember. Tyler is the lead contributor to UpcomingHealth.com, a community for health enthusiasts to learn and share health tips, news and information.
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