13 Surprisingly High-Protein Vegetarian Recipes (2024)

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    These meals will get plenty of protein into your diet without any help from bacon. (Yes, it's possible!)

    by Matthew BarbyCommunity Contributor
    13 Surprisingly High-Protein Vegetarian Recipes (2)

    1. Quinoa with Acorn Squash & Pomegranate

    13 Surprisingly High-Protein Vegetarian Recipes (3)

    athoughtforfood.net

    This colourful and fresh dish is packed full of protein-rich quinoa (pronounced Keen-Wah, for the food noobs). View the full recipe here.

    2. Curry Tofu Tacos With Pintos & Kale Slaw

    13 Surprisingly High-Protein Vegetarian Recipes (4)

    3. Walnut and Vegetable Lasagne

    13 Surprisingly High-Protein Vegetarian Recipes (5)

    Via pescetarian.kitchen

    This is one of my recipes (I LOVE walnuts). Walnuts have 15g of protein per 100g which isn't too far off that of most meats. View the full recipe here.

    4. Egg, Kale, and Bean Stew

    13 Surprisingly High-Protein Vegetarian Recipes (6)

    Via foodnetwork.com

    Egg - tick. Kale - tick. Bean - tick. Absurdly delicious-looking photo - tick. It's fairly common knowledge that eggs are high in protein (13g per 100g), but when you combine this with the beans (22g per 100g) and the kale (4.3g per 100g), it puts this meal up there with some of the meatiest dishes in terms of protein content. View the full recipe here.

    5. Black Bean & Wheatberry Chili

    13 Surprisingly High-Protein Vegetarian Recipes (7)

    vegetarianventures.com

    Black beans (and most beans) are full to the brim with protein. Not only that but they're rich in fibre and low in fat - bonus! View the full recipe here.

    6. Cream of Red Lentil Soup

    13 Surprisingly High-Protein Vegetarian Recipes (8)

    veggiebelly.com

    Lentils are another perfect source of protein for non-meat eaters. There's loads of different types of lentils and they're very versatile ingredients. This one's great to warm you up through those cold winter nights. View the full recipe here.

    7. Thai Massaman Curry with Sweet Potatoes and Tofu

    13 Surprisingly High-Protein Vegetarian Recipes (9)

    Via connoisseurusveg.com

    Without doubt, this is my favourite dish of all time. During my travels across Thailand, I virtually lived off of these. With nuts and tofu making up the base of this dish, you're going to get a ton of protein from it. Plus, it's delicious. View the full recipe here.

    8. Lemon Potato & Edamame Salad

    13 Surprisingly High-Protein Vegetarian Recipes (10)

    greenkitchenstories.com

    If you're not sure what edamame are, they're essentially soybeans full of deliciousness. They're higher in protein than tofu, lentils and quinoa (per serving) and also contain a ton of healthy fats, which is always helpful. View the full recipe here.

    9. Warm Millet with Broccoli & Walnut

    13 Surprisingly High-Protein Vegetarian Recipes (11)

    Via edenkitchen.com

    Millet is fairly similar to cous cous or quinoa, so if you like either of those, it's likely that you'll like millet as well. It's packed with protein (1 serving = 6g of protein) and is cheap and easy to cook with. What more could you want? View the full recipe here.

    10. Seitan Stuffed with Walnuts, Dried Cranberries and Mushrooms

    13 Surprisingly High-Protein Vegetarian Recipes (12)

    blog.fatfreevegan.com

    Possibly the best source of protein outside of meat, seitan is a versatile ingredient made from wheat gluten. It's simple to make and can be formed into tons of different recipes. View the full recipe here.

    11. Mixed Bean Vegetarian Chilli

    13 Surprisingly High-Protein Vegetarian Recipes (13)

    Via jamieoliver.com

    I love a good chilli. Whether it's as a winter warmer or on a warm spring evening, this recipe works great. The beans within the dish are a great source of protein and they taste great. View the full recipe here

    12. Breakfast Tofu Scramble

    13 Surprisingly High-Protein Vegetarian Recipes (14)

    Via connoisseurusveg.com

    High protein veggie breakfasts are few and far between - this tofu scramble also has a load of kale in it (a really protein rich vegetable). View the full recipe here.

    13. Corn and Quinoa Chowder

    13 Surprisingly High-Protein Vegetarian Recipes (15)

    Via pickyeaterblog.com

    Corn is another one of those vegetables that you don't realise how much protein is within it. It's nearly 20% protein (9g per 100g) and combined with the quinoa in this dish, which is around 14g per 100g, it makes it the perfect veggie dish. View the full recipe here.

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    13 Surprisingly High-Protein Vegetarian Recipes (2024)

    FAQs

    How to get 30 grams of protein per meal vegetarian? ›

    3 meal options with 30 grams of protein
    1. Quinoa and lentil salad. Both quinoa and lentils are loaded with protein. ...
    2. Scrambled tofu and veggie bowl. This vegan meal option can also offer a variety of nutrients along with enough protein. ...
    3. Masoor dal kebabs. Masoor dal is commonly used in Indian households.
    Oct 27, 2023

    What should a vegetarian eat to get enough protein? ›

    Eat beans, pulses, eggs and other sources of protein

    Pulses are particularly important for people who don't get protein by eating meat, fish or dairy products. Other non-dairy sources of protein include eggs and meat alternatives, such as tofu, mycoprotein (such as Quorn), textured vegetable protein and tempeh.

    Which vegetarian food has more protein than egg? ›

    Weight loss: Soybeans, chickpeas and almond butter are a few plant-based foods that can give you more protein than eggs.

    How can a vegetarian hit 100 grams of protein? ›

    For vegetarians, 100 grams of protein might look like:
    1. Four eggs (24 grams of protein)
    2. ½ cup of rolled oats (5 grams)
    3. Two tablespoons of peanut butter (7 grams)
    4. One tablespoon of hemp seeds (4 grams)
    5. ¼ cup of protein granola (10 grams)
    6. One scoop of plant-based protein powder (20 grams)
    7. Two snack cheeses (10 grams)
    Apr 6, 2024

    Are avocados high in protein? ›

    A 50g serving of fresh avocado contains 1 gram of protein and a whole 5-oz. fresh avocado (3 servings) contains 3 grams of protein. Though fresh avocados do not contain a significant amount of protein, they can be a creamy and delicious addition to a variety of meal plans and menus.

    What is the 30 30 30 protein rule? ›

    The 30-30-30 diet involves eating 30g of protein within 30 minutes of waking up, and then completing 30 minutes of low intensity exercise. This method first appeared in Tim Ferriss' book The 4-Hour Body in 2010 but was recently popularized by nutritionist and wellness podcaster Gary Brecka.

    How to get 120g protein a day vegetarian? ›

    7 Vegetarian Foods That Fulfill Your Protein Intake
    1. 1) Soybean. Cooked soybean provides 28 grams of protein per cup, roughly the same amount as that can be found in 150 grams of chicken. ...
    2. 2) Lentils or Dals. ...
    3. 3) Cottage Cheese or Paneer. ...
    4. 4) Pumpkin Seeds. ...
    5. 5) Milk. ...
    6. 6) Greek Yogurt. ...
    7. 7) Whey Protein.
    Nov 9, 2017

    How can vegetarians get 100g of protein a day? ›

    Plant-Based Protein

    Legumes, such as beans, lentils, and peas, are great vegan/vegetarian protein sources. Because they are low in one key amino acid (methionine), we call legumes incomplete proteins. However, when you combine legumes with other protein sources (such as nuts and seeds), they become complete proteins.

    Which vegetarian food has highest protein per 100g? ›

    Whole grains
    • Broccoli. ...
    • Mushrooms. ...
    • Lentils. ...
    • Chickpeas. ...
    • Peanuts. ...
    • Chia seeds. Chia seeds are very protein-rich, containing 18.29g per 100g . ...
    • Almonds. Raw, unsalted almonds are another protein-rich food, containing 20.33g per 100g , and 5.76g per ounce.
    • Hemp seeds. Hemp seeds are a good source of protein, with 31.56g per 100g .

    How can a vegetarian get 40 grams of protein a day? ›

    How to get protein without the meat
    1. Pulses. Pulses are an inexpensive protein choice, are high in fibre and a source of iron. ...
    2. Soya beans. ...
    3. Quinoa. ...
    4. Nuts. ...
    5. Seeds. ...
    6. Cereals and grains. ...
    7. Quorn™ ...
    8. Dairy.

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