Surprising sources of plant-based protein to help you make those vegan gains

We all know there’s protein in tofu. Otherwise vegans wouldn’t be able to survive because it’s all we eat, right? Wrong, we’ve also been known to incorporate grass on a regular basis.

Okay. Jokes aside. If you’re looking to up your plant-based protein game and you’re sick of protein powder, bars, tofu and black beans, it may be time to check out some of the lesser-known sources of vegan gains.

Edamame

A not-so-popular option, edamame, or soy beans, is often overlooked as a good source of whole-food plant protein.

Easy to incorporate in stir-fries, salads or soups, a single cup of edamame contains 0.6 ounces (17 grams).

Peas

As a super-cheap starchy vegetable, you get your bang for your buck buying peas.

They’re not only easy to hide in soups, salads and sauces but surprisingly high in protein at 0.2 ounces (8 grams) per one-cup serving.

Vegan meats

Vegan meats, while perhaps not the healthiest food in the world, are (mostly) delicious and a great source of protein.

Field Roast Sausages contain around 0.9 ounces (26 grams) of protein each, while the massively popular Beyond Burger contains 0.7 ounces (20 grams), and there are countless other meat alternatives to choose from.

Image source: Instagram

Spirulina

Spirulina’s kind of gross. Somebody had to say it, but the good news is it’s easily hidden in smoothies, green juices, sauces and anything that contains a lot of chocolate.

This nutrient-rich superfood comes in at 0.14 ounces (4 grams) of protein per tablespoon.

Peanut Butter

While natural peanut butter is celebrated as a source of healthy fat, it’s often overlooked as a source of protein.

A two-tablespoon serving contains 0.2 ounces (8 grams) of the good stuff, so now you’ve got your excuse to eat the entire jar. Kidding. We don’t actually recommend this. No judgement, though.