Many people today are reducing their consumption of dairy products and meat - some even decide to do without them altogether. Since meat and dairy products contain essential nutrients, it is important to cover these nutritional needs in a different way in a vegan diet. This particularly applies to the supply of proteins.
1. What are vegan protein sources?
Proteins belong, together with carbohydrates, fats and dietary fiber, to the group of macronutrients that the human body requires in large amounts as a source of energy.
Proteins should make up roughly 10 to 35 percent of daily calorie intake. This requirement is easily met with animal-based foods such as meat, fish, dairy, eggs, yogurt or cheese. Vegans, however, need to plan their diets more carefully to avoid a protein deficiency. By combining a variety of vegan protein sources, meaning plant-based foods rich in protein, daily requirements can be fully covered.
Vegan protein sources include legumes, soy-based products such as soy milk or tofu, nuts and a variety of grains. It is important to consider two characteristics of plant proteins. First, plant proteins have a lower bioavailability, meaning fewer nutrients reach the bloodstream. Second, most plant proteins are considered “incomplete”, as they do not contain all nine essential amino acids.
1.1. Higher requirements with lower bioavailability
Animal proteins found in meat, dairy or eggs are more than 90 percent digestible and can be efficiently absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract. They therefore offer high bioavailability.
Plant proteins face greater hurdles. Plant-based drinks not only contain significantly less protein than cow’s milk, but their proteins are also less bioavailable. Soy milk contains only 60 percent of the protein content of cow’s milk. Rice milk delivers about 8 percent and almond milk roughly 2 percent, with reduced bioavailability across all plant-based options.
Bioavailability varies among plant protein sources. Proteins in legumes are 80 to 90 percent digestible, while grain proteins reach only about 70 to 90 percent. This means that anyone relying solely on plant-based foods must not only match but surpass the protein levels provided by animal products to compensate for lower overall bioavailability.
1.2. How to combine plant-based proteins effectively
Most vegan protein sources do not contain all the essential amino acids the body needs. With the exception of soy, plant proteins are incomplete. To avoid deficiencies, it is crucial to consume a variety of plant-based proteins in addition to any “complete” proteins (from animal foods or soy).
Grains, for instance, are low in lysine but high in methionine. Legumes show the opposite pattern: they are rich in lysine but low in methionine. Together, legumes and grains form a high-quality protein source. They do not need to be eaten in the same meal. Dietary variety across the day is sufficient for a balanced intake.
2. List of the best vegan protein sources
Vegan protein sources can be divided into several groups. It is important to consume foods from each of these categories regularly.
Soy and soy products
Soybeans and their derivatives are excellent vegan protein sources. These include soy milk, soy yogurt, soy quark, tofu and fermented foods such as tempeh.
- Soy milk (2–4 g protein per 100 g)
- Soy yogurt (2–4 g protein per 100 g)
- Soy quark (5–7 g protein per 100 g)
- Tofu (15–18 g protein per 100 g)
- Tempeh (16–22 g protein per 100 g)
Legumes
Legumes include beans, peas, chickpeas, lentils and lupins.
- Beans (1–24 g protein per 100 g depending on variety)
- Peas (3–24 g protein per 100 g depending on variety)
- Chickpeas (6–20 g protein per 100 g depending on variety)
- Lentils (23–27 g protein per 100 g)
- Lupins (wide range depending on product)
Grain products
Grains include spelt, barley, oats, millet, corn, rice, rye and wheat. When consumed as whole grains with minimal processing, they can provide substantial amounts of protein.
- Whole-grain bread (4–11 g protein per 100 g)
- Oats (11–14 g protein per 100 g)
- Spelt products (wide range depending on product)
- Rice (6–10 g protein per 100 g)
Nuts and seeds
Popular nuts and seeds include cashews, peanuts (botanically legumes), hazelnuts, walnuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds, pine nuts, pistachios and macadamia nuts. They all offer high protein levels.
- Cashews (20 g protein per 100 g)
- Peanuts (30 g protein per 100 g)
- Hazelnuts (14 g protein per 100 g)
- Walnuts (4 g protein per 100 g)
- Almonds (19–25 g protein per 100 g)
- Pumpkin seeds (32–37 g protein per 100 g)
- Pine nuts (13–24 g protein per 100 g)
- Pistachios (19–21 g protein per 100 g)
- Macadamia nuts (8–9 g protein per 100 g)
If one were to pick a top three, legumes, tofu and nuts would be strong contenders. Ultimately, the right mix is what counts, and personal preference plays a major role.
Vegetables and fruit: Additional protein-rich foods
Many people are unaware that certain vegetables and dried fruits can contain surprisingly high protein levels. Top examples include:
- Raw kale (4 g protein per 100 g)
- Raw corn (3–4 g protein per 100 g)
- Raw Brussels sprouts (3–4 g protein per 100 g)
- Asparagus (3–4 g protein per 100 g)
- Garlic (6 g protein per 100 g)
- Sun-dried tomatoes (8 g protein per 100 g)
- Raisins (2–3 g protein per 100 g)
- Dried figs (3 g protein per 100 g)
- Dried apricots (4–5 g protein per 100 g)
- Dried bananas (4–5 g protein per 100 g)
These foods aren’t heavyweights compared with legumes or nuts, but they are useful additions for vegans due to their fiber content and overall nutritional value.
3. Low-calorie vegan protein sources
Whether a diet is vegan or not tells you little about its calorie content. A person eating large amounts of fries, soda and sweets may be vegan but neither healthy nor low calorie.
A healthy diet includes a wide variety of plant-based foods, small amounts of animal products, more unsaturated than saturated fats and as little sugar, processed foods and refined grains as possible. To lose weight while maintaining adequate protein intake, legumes and nuts are particularly suitable.
The contents of this article reflect the current scientific status at the time of publication and were written to the best of our knowledge. Nevertheless, the article does not replace medical advice and diagnosis. If you have any questions, consult your general practitioner.
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