Vegan diets are becoming increasingly popular around the world, and studies indicate that it may also offer a number of benefits, including improved heart health, stable blood sugar levels, weight loss, and lower cholesterol. Additionally, vegetarian diets have a richer nutritional profile. A storehouse of potassium, magnesium and other important vitamins, they also contain fiber, antioxidants and other healthy plant compounds. Vegans avoid animal-based dairy products and favor plant-based alternatives such as soy milk, almond milk, or tofu. This also includes all plant-based proteins, such as legumes, nuts and seeds.
But recently, nutritionist, Bhuvan Rastogi took to his Instagram handle and shared why relying on legumes and grains for protein is insufficient. He briefly explained why vegetarians should include dense protein sources in their diets rather than relying only on legumes, grains, or nuts, which may not be enough to meet their protein needs. He further explains that relying solely on nuts and nut butter to meet the RDA for protein is not the best approach for vegetarians.
The 5 vegetarian dense protein sources proposed by Bhuvan are as follows:
soy milk
Filtered soy and water with additives make soymilk. Only soy milk provides comparable protein among currently available vegan milk substitutes. It also has low levels of fat and carbohydrates. In general, soy milk contains 8 grams of protein and 4–5 grams of fat per 250 ml, which is similar to skim milk.
Tofu
Tofu is the curd product of soy milk. This is a high protein, low carbohydrate option. Tofu contains 3 grams of fat, 4.5 grams of carbohydrate, no fiber, and 7–9 grams of protein per 100 grams. The amount of protein can change depending on how much water is in the tofu. As a result, the protein content can range from 4 grams in silken tofu to 16 grams in the super firm variety. Tofu is incredibly adaptable because it can be cooked, stir-fried, and mixed into soups to make them more creamy and rich in protein.
tempeh
This fermented soybean is compressed in the form of cubes or strips. The protein content of tempeh is higher than that of soy milk and tofu, and like cheese, it has a higher level of satiety due to the presence of fat and fiber. Tempeh contains 19 grams of protein, 7 grams of fat, 8 grams of fiber and 2 grams of carbs per 100 grams without fiber.
Soya Chunks / Granules
These fat-free soy beans are also known as soy-textured vegetable proteins. It is a protein option with incredibly low fat and carbohydrates. 52 grams of protein is present in 100 grams of soya granules or chunks.
vegetarian protein supplements
They are dense plant-based protein sources. Soy and peas are the most popular. With no fat and very few carbohydrates, it is an excellent source of protein.
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