High Protein Vegan Foods

The common failure on a vegan diet is not a lack of protein sources, it is relying on foods that are 3–9g per 100g. Beans and grains are useful, but cooked lentils are 9g per 100g and cooked quinoa is 4.4g — you would have to eat a lot of them.

Build meals around the dense options below, then let beans, grains and vegetables fill the rest of the plate. Because plant protein is digested slightly less efficiently, aim roughly 10% higher in total grams than an omnivore would.

Strongest vegan protein sources

Protein and calories per 100g, from the Protein Hunter database.

How to hit 120g of protein on plants

• Anchor every meal with one dense source: 150g tempeh, 200g firm tofu, 100g seitan or a plant protein shake.
• Combine a legume with a grain across the day — together they cover the amino acids each lacks on its own.
• Use soy milk instead of almond milk: 3.3g per 100g versus roughly 0.5g.
• Seeds are the easiest upgrade — 30g of hemp or pumpkin seeds adds around 9g with no cooking.
• Track one full week in the calculator. Most people discover their gap is at lunch, not dinner.