15 Quietly Powerful Vegan Protein Foods You’ll Want On Your Plate

In today’s world, with the introduction of environmental and ethical awareness, ‘n’ number of people are considering the idea of going vegan. In fact, according to a survey, the global number of vegans has increased by over 300%. However, it might be challenging to eliminate dairy and meat food items from the diet. However, turning vegan is a choice, and there are many vegan protein foods available to complete the nutritional value in the body.  

When turning vegan, many people also think that an individual will not get enough nutrients from their diet. But contrary to this popular belief, vegan diets can provide enough nutrients. 

On the other hand, there are various vegan foods rich in protein, even some provide complete proteins, which even meats lack.

So, getting in-depth knowledge about protein sources in a vegan diet is a very important factor while following it. So, let’s learn more about the significance of protein-rich foods in a vegan diet.  

What Do You Understand By Vegan/Veganism?

By a different definition, firstly, veganism is a way of living in which people seek to exclude all forms of exploitation and cruelty to animals for food, clothing, or any other purpose. 

Veganism also promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of animals, the environment, and humans.

Therefore, in a healthy way, it denotes the practice of disbursement with all products extracted wholly or partly from animals.

Why Protein Is Essential? Even On A Vegan Diet

Most of us still think of eggs, chicken, or a big glass of milk when they are asked what protein is for you. Protein isn’t just for gym goers or bodybuilders, actually, everybody’s body needs it to function properly, and you need it too.

Role Of Protein In the Body

What exactly does protein do?

• It helps build and repair muscles and tissues.
• It keeps your hair, skin, and nails healthy.
• It supports your immune system so you don’t fall sick easily.
• It even helps make enzymes and hormones that keep your body running smoothly.

So, protein is behind all the major functions of your body. You are not able to see it working, but without protein, things start falling apart.

Common Misconceptions About a Vegan Diet

• “Vegans don’t get enough protein.” That’s not true. There are many plant based vegan protein foods such as lentils, chickpeas, tofu, and even peanuts.
• “You need animal protein for complete protein.”On the contrary, some plant based foods like quinoa, soy, and buckwheat are complete protein sources.
• “You will lose muscles if you go vegan.” No, you will not if you eat smart. There are many vegan athletes who are the living examples that plant protein works just fine.

Daily Protein Requirement For Indian Vegans

Now it’s time to talk about numbers, but don’t worry, it will be simple.

On average, an adult needs about 0.8 to 1 gm of protein per kg of body weight. So if you weigh 60 kg, you will need around 48-60 gm of protein every day.

This data is in line with the ICMR-NIN 2020 guidelines (Indian Council of Medical Research – National Institute of Nutrition). They recommend 0.83 gm per day as the safe level of protein intake for healthy adults in India.

But the thing is, Indian diets are mostly heavy on carbs. The daily staple of Indians includes dal chawal, or roti sabzi. So, if you are vegan, you need to be a little more mindful.

Top 15 Vegan Protein Rich Foods You Can Find In India

How do you get protein on a vegan diet? When we think of protein, we may think of steak or chicken, which is partially true. But there are several plant foods that have much more protein than others. Hence, many studies indicate that diets rich in protein enhance the sensation of fullness, muscular strength, and weight reduction.

Without delay, here are a few vegan foods filled with protein:

1. Lentils (Dals) – The Desi Powerhouse

Serving Size: 100 gm cooked dal

Protein Content: 9.02 gm according to USDA

How To Use It: 

• You can cook lentils with turmeric, salt, and water, then temper with mustard seeds, cumin, garlic, and curry leaves for a classic dal tadka. 
• You can also use lentils in khichdi, sambar, and paratha stuffing. 
• Additionally, you can grind soaked dals into the batter for idli, dosa, or moong dal cheela.

2. Chickpeas (Chana)

Serving Size: 100 gm raw chickpeas

Protein Content: 20.5 gm according to USDA

How To Use It: 

• With chickpeas, you can make Punjabi chole with onion, tomato masala. 
• You can toss the boiled chickpeas with chopped onions, lemon, and chaat masala to make a quick chana chaat.
• You can also turn chickpeas into tikkis, tufted parathas, or even ground them into flour known as besan to make cheelas.

3. Kidney Beans (Rajma)

Serving Size: 100 gm raw kidney beans

Protein Content: 23.6 gm according to USDA

How To Use It: 

• With kidney beans, you can prepare comforting rajma masala with tomato, onion, and garam masala and serve it with rice. 
• If you love kebabs, you can also make veg kebabs with boiled rajma.
• Additionally, you can add rajma into pulao, or stuff inside your rolls with veggies and chutneys.

4. Green Peas (Matar)

Serving Size: 100 gm raw green peas

Protein Content: 5.42 gm according to USDA

How To Use It: 

• Using peas in your diet is comparatively easy. You can add to your curries, fillings, or stuffings.
• You can in aloo matar, matar tofu recipe, or in your pulao.
• Additionally, add them to poha, cutlets, or stuff in parathas. 
• You can also blend the cooked peas to make soups.

5. Soy Products (Tofu, Tempeh, Soy Chunks)

Serving Size: 100 gm of raw tofu, tempeh, and raw soy chunks

Protein Content: Tofu– 8.08 g, tempeh– 20.3 g, soy chunks- 52 g

How To Use It:

• You can use tofu in place of paneer in the recipes and make dishes like tofu bhurji, palak tofu, or tikka tofu masala. 
• To include soya chunks, you can make its curry or add it to biryani, pulao, fried rice, or simply sautéed in Indian spices for a protein rich side dish.
• For a quick snack, you can marinate tofu in Indian spices and pan fry it.

6. Quinoa – The Fancy One That Is Worth It

Serving Size: 100 gm 

Protein Content: 11.9 g according to USDA

How To Use It:

• You can use quinoa as a rice replacement in khichdi, puliyodarai, or vegetable pulao.
• You can also make quinoa upma, use it in a salad bowl, or bind it into cutlets with veggies and spices.

7. Peanuts And Peanut Butter

Serving Size: 100 gm of raw peanut and peanut butter

Protein Content: Raw peanut– 25.8 g, peanut butter– 22.2 g

How To Use It: 

• You can roast and eat with jaggery as a snack, or grind the peanuts into chutney with coconut and chillies.
• You can also add peanuts to sabzis like bhindi, gobi, and bitter gourd.
• Add peanut butter to your smoothies or spread it on chapatis for a nutty protein boost.

8. Nuts and Seeds (Flax, Chia, Pumpkin, Sunflower)

Serving Size: 100 gm of flaxseeds, 100 gm chia seeds, 100 gm of  sunflower seeds

Protein Content: Flaxseeds– 18.3 gm, chia seeds– 16.5 gm, sunflower seeds– 20.8 gm

How To Use It:

• You can smartly include seeds in chutney or grind and mix them into roti dough. 
• Add them to your raita, porridge, or make Indian-style granola with nuts and seeds.
• Additionally, you can add flax seeds and chia seeds to your smoothies or use them in laddoos and kheer. 

9. Millets 

Serving Size: 100 gm 

Protein Content: 10 gm according to USDA

How To Use It:

• You can prepare roti with bajra and jowar flour. 
• Try ragi dosa or upma, they are delicious and healthy.
• Additionally, ragi malt is a traditional breakfast drink. 
• You can also use millets for making khichdi, pulao, or even idli batter.

10. Amaranth (Rajgira)

Serving Size: 100 gm

Protein Content: 13.2 g according to USDA

How To Use It:

• You can make thepla, rotis, or cheelas with rajgira flour. 
• Have you ever tried puffed rajgira? You can make them into chikki and laddos.
• You can add cooked amaranth seeds to salads or with jaggery and coconut as a breakfast bowl.

11. Oats

Serving Size: 100 gm

Protein Content: 13.5 gm according to USDA

How To Use It:

• You can make upma, dosa, idli with oats flour. You can also use oats in making cutlets.
• To make a protein rich breakfast, you can mix oats in roti dough. 
• Additionally, you can blend them into smoothies with fruits and plant milk.

12. Edamame (Young Soybeans)

Serving Size: 100 gm

Protein Content: 11.9 g according to USDA

How To Use It:

• You can have edamame after steaming in your salads with chaat masala.
• Additionally, use them in stir-fries with Indian spices. You can also add edamame to your dosa fillings or add them to your pulao.
• It also works well as a protein snack, and kids love them too.

13. Moringa (Drumstick Leaves)

Serving Size: 100 gm

Protein Content: 9 gm

How To Use It:

• It is one of my favourite dishes of all. You can have moringa leaves, its flowers, and the drumstick, obviously.
• You can add the leaves to your dal, roti dough, or make saag of moringa leaves. Moringa flower curry comes out really delicious, you must try it.
• Lastly, the drumstick curry is super delicious and healthy. You can also add them to your sambar or dal to give a protein boost.

14. Spirulina

Serving Size: 100 gm

Protein Content: 57.5 g according to USDA

How To Use It:

• Spirulina has a strong taste. You can pair them with tangy bases and Indian spices to balance their taste.
• You can have it with lemon water, or you can add it to your smoothies to increase the protein content.
• You can also stir a small quantity into your dals and soups to increase the protein content.

15. Nutritional Yeast

Serving Size: 2 tablespoons

Protein Content: 8 gm

How To Use It:

• You can add a pinch of nutritional yeast on your toast or parathas for a cheesy flavor.
• You can stir a spoonful into your hot dal, veg curries, and dal khichdi. It will add savory flavor and provide more nutrients.
• Additionally, sprinkle them on your popcorn or roasted makhanas for a crunchy and cheesy flavor. 

If you want a personalized vegetarian protein diet for weight loss, you can connect with dieticians, and they will be happy to help you. To connect, book your consultation from the link below!

High Protein-Rich Fruits and Vegetables

Firstly, in all fruits and vegetables, small amounts of protein are present. With this in mind, people often enjoy fruits and vegetables raw, cooked, or blended into smoothies and sauces. Further, you can also enjoy them at any meal or snack.

Similar serving sizes of high-protein fruits and veggies pack the following amounts of protein

Fruits/ Vegetables	Protein
Broccoli (1 raw cup or 90 grams)	2.5 grams
Banana (1 fruit, 125 grams)	1.5 grams
Blackberries (1 cup or 145 grams)	2 grams
Spinach (3 raw cups or 85 grams)	2 grams
Sweet Potato (1 medium-sized, cooked, 150-gram potato)	2 grams
Guava (1 cup or 165 grams)	4.5 grams

High Protein Vegan Indian Meals (Without Protein Powder)

You do not need fancy protein powders to hit your daily protein goals. Indian kitchen has it all, you just need to mix and match smartly. 

Breakfast Ideas

• Moong dal chilla
• Besan cheela with tofu stuffing
• Peanut poha with green peas
• Oats upma with soaked moong dal
• Sprouted moong salad

Lunch Combos

• Rajma with brown rice
• Chana masala with quinoa or chapati
• Tofu bhurji with phulka
• Mixed dal and millet roti
• Soya chunk curry with jeera rice

Smart Snacks For Protein Boost

• Roasted chickpeas or chana
• Peanut butter on whole grain toast
• Hummus with veggie sticks or crackers
• Soy nuts or roasted edamame
• Homemade ladoos with nuts, seeds, and dates

Dinner Recipes

• Vegetable stir-fry with tofu or tempeh
• Khichdi with moongdal and veggies
• Stuffed bajra roti with sprouts or mashed soya
• Lentil soup with quinoa or toasted multigrain bread
• Masoor dal tadka with vegetable pulao

Tips To Maximize Protein Absorption On A Vegan Diet

Eating vegan protein rich foods is great, but you need to make sure that your body is actually absorbing it well. Here are some tips to maximize protein absorption in your body:

Smart Food Pairing

• Grain + Legumes: Combine your grains with legumes together like dal and rice, chole and chapati, dal khichdi with veggies. Together, they form a complete protein.
  Nutritionists say the ratio of grain to legume should be 3:1, and millet with legume should be 2:1. This is because legumes lack methionine amino acid, and grains lack lysine.
  
• Add vitamin C rich foods: Squeeze lemon on dal, toss some amla in your salad, or have oranges before or after your meals. This is because vitamin C helps your body absorb iron better, and that’s great for energy and protein absorption.
  
• Have nuts and seeds: Add some flax, sesame, or sunflower seeds on your veggies, or you can mix them in your chutneys to get an extra boost of protein. Most nuts and seeds can give you around 5 to 7 gm of protein in just 2 tablespoons.

Cooking Methods That Preserve Protein

• Don’t overcook your dals. We all love creamy dal, but cooking it too much breaks down the protein. So, cook till just done, not mushy-mushy.
• Soak before you cook. It is important to soak dals, rajma, and chana overnight. This helps to get rid of the anti-nutrients like phytic acid that block the absorption of nutrients.
• Sprout it out. Eat sprouted moong, kala chana, and moth beans because they are easy to digest, and you get more nutrients.
• Use less oil and gentle heat. When it comes to saving nutrients in your food, try stir-frying or steaming it. They definitely beat deep frying method of cooking.

When Should You Consider Plant Based Supplements?

• If you are doing intense strength training or trying ot build muscle, it is possible that your food alone is not able to meet your needs.
• You can consider supplements when you’re short on time or always skipping meals because of your hectic schedule.
• Additionally, you can consider in case you are feeling tired or weak, this can be a sign that you are not getting enough protein. You can consult with our dietitians too. If you want our help, book your consultations with the link below.

Bottom Line

In short, veganism is a lifestyle that avoids all forms of animal exploitation for food, clothing, or other purposes. It promotes animal-free alternatives for health, ethics, and the environment.

Why Protein is Essential, Even on a Vegan Diet

Protein is vital for muscle repair, skin, hair, nails, immunity, and hormone production.

Protein Requirements for Indian Vegans

Adults need 0.8–1g of protein/kg body weight. For a 60 kg person, that’s 48–60g daily (ICMR-NIN guidelines). Indian diets are often carb-heavy, so vegans need to plan better.

Top 15 Vegan Protein-Rich Foods in India

1. Lentils (Dals)
2. Chickpeas (Chana)
3. Kidney Beans (Rajma)
4. Green Peas (Matar)
5. Soy Products (Tofu, Tempeh, Soy Chunks)
6. Quinoa
7. Peanuts & Peanut Butter
8. Nuts & Seeds (Flax, Chia, Sunflower)
9. Millets (Ragi, Bajra, Jowar)
10. Amaranth (Rajgira)
11. Oats
12. Edamame
13. Moringa (Drumstick)
14. Spirulina
15. Nutritional Yeast

High Protein Fruits & Vegetables

• Broccoli
• Banana
• Blackberries
• Spinach
• Sweet Potato
• Guava 

Tips to Boost Protein Absorption

• Pair Smart: Grain + legume (3:1), millet + legume (2:1) = complete protein
• Add Vitamin C: Helps absorb iron and boosts protein function
• Include Nuts & Seeds: 2 tbsp = 5–7g protein
• Soak & Sprout: Improves digestion and absorption
• Cook Gently: Avoid overcooking, use steaming/stir-frying

Do You Need Plant-Based Supplements?

Only if:

• You’re doing intense training
• Skipping meals often
• Feeling weak/tired frequently

Consider consulting a dietitian for personalized advice.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Vegan Food Is Highest In Protein? 

Seitan is one of the highest vegan protein sources. It can offer around 25 grams of protein per 100 grams. Additionally, other vegan protein examples include tofu, tempeh, lentils, and chickpeas.

How Can A Vegan Get 100g Of Protein A Day?

A vegan can get 100 g of protein with foods like lentils, chickpeas, tofu, tempeh, quinoa, nuts, and seeds. Moreover, it is important to eat balanced meals and snacks with protein-rich ingredients at every meal to reach the target.

What Are 5 Sources Of High Plant-Based Protein?

Five high plant based protein sources are lentils, chickpeas, tofu, tempeh, and seitan. These foods are nutrient-rich and are great for building muscle on a vegan diet.

What Vegan Foods Are Complete Proteins?

Quinoa, tofu, tempeh, edamame, and amaranth are vegan foods that are complete proteins because they contain all nine essential amino acids. 

Fun Fact

Do you have a busy life, and so you are unable to follow a proper diet to lose weight? Well, then don’t worry, you just need to follow some weight loss tips by Fitelo, and you are ready to go.

Contact Us Today

Finally, your search to find the right guidance to be a part of all those fat-to-fit stories ends here. So, contact us today if you are looking for a diet plan with cheat meals. Also, we will discuss how we can help you achieve your weight loss goals.

Disclaimer

This blog post was written to help you make healthier food choices altogether. So, be aware and take care. The important thing to consider is your own health before starting a diet that is restrictive diet. Therefore, always seek advice from a doctor/dietitian before starting if you have any concerns.
Thus, eat healthy and live healthy. And enjoy a long, happy life.