Plant Based Protein Sources for Vegans and Vegetarians

"Where do you get your protein?" is a common question vegans and vegatarians receive. There is a ton of stigma amongst the general population that it isn't possible to consume enough protein on a plant-based diet. As a personal trainer, weightlifter, and athlete, I am here to show you that this myth is simply untrue. Here are the plant based protein sources that I have been consuming for the last five years to build muscle on a strictly vegan diet:

Tofu, Tempeh, and Other Soy-Based Proteins

When I first began eating a plant based diet, I tried to avoid soy consumption due to the stigma surrounding soy's effect on the male endocrine system. I tried to get my protein primarily from legumes, grains, nuts, seeds, and minimal protein powder. Tempeh (bleh) was the only soy product I would consume because I felt like it was less processed. To keep it short, I wasn't as successful at building muscle. It was incredibly difficult to eat 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight because the protein sources I was consuming had so much fiber. I would feel full before being able to eat enough protein.

Below is a picture of me while eating minimal soy, and very close to a whole foods plant based diet:

After adding in more dense protein sources into my diet, such as tofu and seitan, I was able to build significantly more muscle mass. Below is a picture of me a couple of years later after including tofu and seitan into my diet:

When choosing your soy-based proteins, it is important to be mindful of which ones. The options I recommend are super firm organic tofu, organic tempeh, and edamame. Organic soy in particular is important to choose because soybeans are more susceptible to the absorption of pesticides from the growing process. Soy options I generally avoid, but do not completely restrict are anything with soy protein concentrate such a proteins powders, soy milk, or textured vegetable protein (TVP). I prefer to find the least processed soy products possible.

Soy protein is a complete protein, which means in contains all the essential amino acids for building muscle. Other plant based protein sources are not complete, but can be combined with other protein sources to ensure that you are getting all the amino acids you need.

Seitan (Vital Wheat Gluten)

Seitan is a wheat based protein source that is used in a lot of processed meat alternatives. To prepare it, you use vital wheat gluten, which is basically wheat flour that is stripped of it carbohydrate. You bake with the vital wheat gluten flour to form a umami bread like substance. It is extremely protein dense, but less bioavailable than soy and other plant based protein sources. therefore, you may need to consume a bit more of it for it to effectively help you build muscle.

I use seitan in one of my daily meals. I usually opt for a store bought one such as Upton's brand seitan crumbles. I am not sponsored by Upton's and have no conflict of interest sharing this. I have made seitan before, as it is much more cost effective. However, baking seitan is a skill to be developed and it probably won't come out as well as a store bought one (at first, until you become a seitan baking expert).

Protein Powders

Plant based protein powders are a very convenient way to eat adequate amounts of protein for building muscle. Even non-vegans find these supplements helpful. Consuming 150+ grams of protein a day can be a lot of chewing and is difficult for the average person.

In terms of plant based protein powders, I try to look for one that has a blend of different protein sources. As we mentioned before, many plant based protien sources are incomplete proteins. So, my go to is a rice and pea protein blend. The protein from grains and legumes combined together provide all of the amino acids you need to build muscle. I would avoid plant based protein powders that only have one protein source. Many of them just have pea protein. I also opt for the organic varieties, since highly processed foods are more likely to contain more contaminants than less processed foods.

Legumes (Beans, Lentils, Peas, and Peanuts)

Legumes are commonly seen as a primary protein source for plant based eaters. With the exception of soybeans, I completely disagree. You cannot get enough protein to build a muscular body just with beans. You may get some protein, but to consume 150g of protein from beans would be a nightmare. Farting and bloating will likely be the outcome. I consume beans every day, but I am not getting all of my protein from them.

In addition, legumes are not a complete protein and needs to be paired with a grain to complete the amino acid complex needed for muscle protein synthesis.

I would say beans are a much better source of fiber and phytonutrients than they are protein. I mainly eat them for the nutritional benefits, not to build muscle. I just so happen to get 10-20g of protein from them every day. I aim for 200-250g of protein daily, so this is pretty insignificant.

So no, your peanut butter is not a significant source of protein. You will be sick from eating too much fat before you get enough protein from peanut butter.

Grains (Rice, Wheat, Oats, Barley, etc)

There are tons of grains to choose from, but the one's in the title are most commonly consumed. Grains are not a significant source of protein, but can be used to help make a complete protein source if paired with legumes. Beans and rice will create a compelte protein source, although you won't get very much protein from that. It adds up at the end of the day, but should not be solely relied on for building muscle.

Grains should be consumed mainly as a source of carbohydrates to fuel your workout performance. The grains I consume the most of are rice, oats, and sprouted mixed grain breads such as Ezekiel bread.

Nuts and Seeds

Once again, nuts and seeds should not be a primary protein source. Their amino acids profile is incomplete, and should be combined with some sort of grain protein to be complete. The main reason nuts and seeds should be in our diet are for the healthy fats and phytonutrients. Some nuts and seeds contain a lot of omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential for hormone production. This is the main source of omega-3s for plant based eaters. The nuts and seeds that contain the most omega-3s are walnuts, hemp seeds, chia seeds, and flax seeds. I try to consume some of these daily to keep my hormones in balance (not as a main source of protein). Nuts and seeds are also very mineral dense, another reason you should have them in your diet regardless of if you are eating plant based or not.

Mycoprotein

Mycoprotein is a mushroom based protein source. This is a different source than eating regular mushrooms. This is a processed isolated mushroom protein. These are relatively new in the food industry, so I have experimented with them with caution. Based on what I've read, Mycoprotein is a complete protein source. It contains a ton of fiber and is quite nutrient dense. Since this is a relatively new food, I am skeptical of the long term reprocussions of eating it. I have tried it, and to be honest, I did not like it. It was good at first but it was so filling because of the high fiber content, I felt like I couldn't eat much of it. I didn't feel amazing after eating it either.

Conclusion

To wrap this up, you should be mindful of where you are getting your plant based protein if you choose to eat a vegan or vegetarian diet. Avoiding meat, but being resistant to the idea of eating soy or protein powders is going to make it extremely difficult to build muscle on a plant based diet. This should be considered if you are going to eat this way.

If you need help figuring out how to optimize your plant based diet for muscle growth, feel free to reach out! We help people of all dietary backgrounds optimize their diet to match their fitness goals. It doesn't require any drastic changes to your diet. We try to make as few modifications to your current diet as possible so it doesn't feel like you're on an extreme, unsustainable diet.

Mitchell Bourisk