What are your favourite vegan protein sources?

[Korn]

We had a poll about favorite protein sources, which got lost in the crash last year. I'm planning to add a new one. Please look at the list and suggest corrections/additions before I open the poll!
Thanks!

[Kim[ba]]

I know some of enjoy hemp seed

[Artichoke47]

I guess "rice" would be under "other protein-rich grains"? If so, I think the list is great!

[Seaside]

The list looks very complete to me.

[aqaneve]

I think lentils, soy milk and broccoli are my favourite sources

[feline01]

Not to be too picky but what about making it seitan/gluten. They're pretty similar but I much prefer gluten.

[Korn]

I guess "rice" would be under "other protein-rich grains"? If so, I think the list is great!

Yes, I'd say that protein-rich rice would belong to this group. According to the International Rice Research Institute there are about 120,000 (!!!) known rice varieties (I've previously heard that there are only '7000' different kinds of rice). Some sources claim that there are 250-300 registered varieties. Since our forum is read by people all over the world, and since most people unfortunately eat white, polished rice, it could be potentially misleading to say that rice as such always is protein rich, so to play it safe, I didn't write that rice as such (read: as most people know it) is protein rich. Some rice is pretty high in protein, while other rice, especially the polished and parboiled type, is not.

Wild rice generally has more protein than natural, unpolished brown rice, and brown rice has more protein than polished rice.

Human milk contains less than 10% protein (and only less than half as much protein as cow's milks), but on the list above I've tried to stick to plants/products that normally contains 10% or more protein.

Another thing to consider, is the absorbability of a given protein source. To use the example of breast feeding again milk, ie. soy milk (which can be rich in protein, depending on how watery it is), has shown to be a less good protein source for babies than human milk. Cow's milk, which contains between two and three times the amount of protein as human milk, is also poorly assimilated in the human body.

Other comments about the list above? If not, I'll open the poll soon...

[Korn]

The poll is now open...

[FR]

I chose seiten as my favorite. However, there are many others that I love like chick peas, lentil, black beans, soy milk, and whole grains. I am also loving mock egg salad made with tofu, yum!

[Gorilla]

i mostly prefer all kinds of beans, chick peas, and lentils - including their sprouted forms. i also love houmous.

i can take or leave tofu and soya milk, i'm not that keen on them but they can be pretty tasty sometimes. i don't eat much wholewheat because i'm avoiding wheat gluten (where possible) at the moment but i enjoy other whole grains such as spelt, oats and quinoa. i have never liked seitan and i went off mock meats a couple of years ago, i used to like veggie ones such as Quorn but when i went vegan i found the egg and milk-free ones absolutely disgusting, so don't eat them.

[DoveInGreyClothing]

I put nuts, if you are what you eat then I'm nuts!
Aren't mushrooms a good source of protein too?

[Seaside]

Posted by DoveInGreyClothing:

I put nuts, if you are what you eat then I'm nuts!

Same here, with the addition of seeds. I must be a seedy nut.

[Glen]

Beans! My favourites are red kidney beans, blackeye beans and pinto beans.

[dreama]

mock meat, Tofu, beans, fried mushroom and lentils.

[Rhiannon]

I like chickpeas, kidney beans and lentils the most so i chose those. I love seitan too though but it's very expensive so i do buy it very often. ooh and i love tofu aswell

[VeganMan]

Tofu.

When I ate meat and even quite a while after, I "knew" I could never eat tofu and thought people who did were insane.

But ever since my lovely wife taught me how to make a certain "tofu bake" recipe she found a while back, I've been set. Mixed with broccoli it tastes like the best omelet I ever had only three times better!

[Korn]

Aren't mushrooms a good source of protein too?

Hi, the few mushrooms I have checked for protein levels, contain only 1-2g pr 100g. But there are thousands of different kinds of mushrooms, and if you find some that contain 10 g or protein/100g, let me know, and I'll add them to this list...
(Be aware that some sources lists protein amount as 'percentage of calories from protein', which can be confusing and potentially misleading... as discussed in this thread.)

[Realfood Mary]

Vegan Spanish Omelette. Made with gram flour batter, sliced up spuds, onions and other veggies simmered in stock and olive oil. Strain the veg when cooked, pour batter over, sprinkle in some nutritional yeast, bake till set.

You can stick cherry tomatoes, olives etc on the top.

I use the stock oil mix to make stews with later.

Or get a tin of chickpeas, strain it, mash it, pat it flat in a quiche dish. Grill till crispy. Cook all your favourite veg (mushrooms, sweetcorn, peppers etc) and add to whizzed up silken tofu - possibly flavoured with tamari sauce. Bake till set. Gluten free vegan quiche!

[cedarblue]

Tofu.

When I ate meat and even quite a while after, I "knew" I could never eat tofu and thought people who did were insane.

But ever since my lovely wife taught me how to make a certain "tofu bake" recipe she found a while back, I've been set. Mixed with broccoli it tastes like the best omelet I ever had only three times better!

wouldnt like to post that bake recipe veganman would you??

[VeganMan]

wouldnt like to post that bake recipe veganman would you??

You will need:

1 roasting pan
1 large bowl (for mixing)
1 pound of frozen broccoli florets
1 pound of extra firm tofu
5 oz of vegan cheese (Vegan Gourmet our family favorite)
1 tablespoon of hot sauce
1 tablespoon of tamari
1 tablespoon of olive oil
4 oz of nutritional yeast
Generous amounts of turmeric, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin and coriander

Preheat the oven to 400°.

Don’t drain the tofu, just pour out the water out of the pack, take the whole block and squeeze between your palms until the gushing stops and you just have a steady flow of drops, then rotate 180° and repeat.

Brake down the tofu by hand into ¾ inch diameter flakes and place in the large bowl.

Pour in the hot sauce, then the tamari, and then the turmeric, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin and the coriander and mix it all together by hand.

Grate the vegan cheese and mix in by hand.

Mix in the broccoli by hand as evenly as possible.

Coat the surface and sides of the roasting pan with the olive oil.

Pour in the contents of the bowl and spread as evenly as possible.

Place in oven for 30 minutes.

Let stand for 15 minutes.

[Glen]

I like chickpeas, kidney beans and lentils the most so i chose those. I love seitan too though but it's very expensive so i do buy it very often. ooh and i love tofu aswell

Yay for chickpeas too!

[Franny]

Hi Venganman and Feline,

Just wanted to tell you that I made your tofu bake recipe and it was very good. I couldn't figure out how it would taste like an omelet, but it really did. Thanks.

[Kumem]

Beans and nuts are my favourite, but I cannot abide chickpeas. Yuck

[VeganMan]

Hi Venganman and Feline,

Just wanted to tell you that I made your tofu bake recipe and it was very good. I couldn't figure out how it would taste like an omelet, but it really did. Thanks.

Thanks.

By the way, loved your joke

(the one about the flies)

[Franny]

Thanks.

By the way, loved your joke

(the one about the flies)

Thanks. It's usually a hit on St. Patrick's day.

[Lilith]

What can you do with Quinoa other than make porridge out of it? Cos I find it pretty bland like that
I've tried adding herbs/spices..but its still not very exciting.

[gertvegan]

What can you do with Quinoa other than make porridge out of it? Cos I find it pretty bland like that
I've tried adding herbs/spices..but its still not very exciting.

Have a read of the Quinoa thread Lilith.

[Mystic]

I love legumes/beans of all sorts, but at the top of the list are chickpeas, lima beans, green split peas, red lentils (in the form of dhal) and black beans.

I am a very big fan of wholegrains, particularly oatmeal, brown rice and dense stoneground wholegrain breads - Essene bread is amazing.

I love macadamia nuts and macadamia nut butter too (especially if it is stuffed in gooey medjool dates)

[Lilith]

oops ! sorry guess i didnt look hard enough for one

[rainbow]

Where's the 'all of the above' option? Vegan food, yum, it's all good!

Edit:

Ah, I see, it's a multiple choice poll. I always spot these things after I've voted for just one option , when I realise that there are too many votes and then realise that it's a multiple choicer.
Well, I would have voted for most of them, except nuts and seeds perhaps (although I do like peanuts, but that's about it). I love peas, they're my favourite of all. Other people eat peas as an accompaniment to other things; I eat other things as an accompaniment to peas!

[Pob]

I voted for lots of them, too.
Mmmmm, beans!

I love my soya milk.

[moochbabe]

I chose seiten as my favorite. However, there are many others that I love like chick peas, lentil, black beans, soy milk, and whole grains. I am also loving mock egg salad made with tofu, yum!

I am almost afraid, that is exactly how I feel! lol, seriously, i always make mock egg salad and I chose seitan and my fav! I really like so many differnt things too though, like whole grains, etc, it's just so hard to choose!

[moochbabe]

Beans! My favourites are red kidney beans, blackeye beans and pinto beans.

I love beans too! I just think there's too many yummy vegan protein sources, sheesh!

[moochbabe]

Vegan Spanish Omelette. Made with gram flour batter, sliced up spuds, onions and other veggies simmered in stock and olive oil. Strain the veg when cooked, pour batter over, sprinkle in some nutritional yeast, bake till set.

You can stick cherry tomatoes, olives etc on the top.

I use the stock oil mix to make stews with later.

Or get a tin of chickpeas, strain it, mash it, pat it flat in a quiche dish. Grill till crispy. Cook all your favourite veg (mushrooms, sweetcorn, peppers etc) and add to whizzed up silken tofu - possibly flavoured with tamari sauce. Bake till set. Gluten free vegan quiche!

All of those things sound so good...it makes me wonder how I survived before I found some of the recipes on this site!

[xwitchymagicx]

I normally use Quinoea, soya, nuts, seeds more really except anything with gluten or tofu

I had TVP today which is pretty good

[foxytina_69]

well, these are my favorites:

tofu
soy milk
peanut butter
brown rice
beans in tomato sauce
split peas
tamari
stir fry sprouts
seaweed in the form of sushi
tahini
sesame seeds
sunflower seeds
brussel sprouts, broccoli and spinach, peas, snow peas, green beans.

[Roxy]

On Thursday I had 2 types of processed foods that seem to be quite a good source of protein.

One was Starlite Cuisine garlic "chicken" rolled tacos. They have 10grams each.

The other was 28g of GenSoy soy crisps which had 7g of protein.

[moochbabe]

i remember i used to eat those rolled tacos when i was a veg, i haven't bought them since becuase i try not to eat too much processed food and i wasn't sure they were vegan (i didn't check) but i remember they tasted really good and were great for something quick!

[Roxy]

I got double the amount of protein that I should have, today. I wonder if that's okay - because I was being quite physical at work today - doing lots of walking and carrying medium loads and doing lots of bending.

Anyway, there is a new product here in Canada called Roast Wheat (it's a meatless roast beef). I tried it for the first time tonight and if you are the type of person who likes fake meats, I think you would like this one. Anyway - it has a whopping 19g of protein per 75g of the product.

I also noted that the 90g of tofu that I had for breakfast had 14g of protein. Wow!

I wonder why omni's think we vegans don't get enough protein. It seems to be a very common nutrient in vegan foods.

[thecatspajamas1]

chick peas in my spaghetti sauce
oh, fried tofu from Wholefood!
walnuts...
semen (just kidding)

so many faves, really

[deadinside]

mmm Chickpeas. I love chickpeas so much, my sis always makes fun of me. She calls me "Chicka-pea" .

[moochbabe]

what a cute nickname though!

[BlueMonarch]

Anyway, there is a new product here in Canada called Roast Wheat (it's a meatless roast beef). I tried it for the first time tonight and if you are the type of person who likes fake meats, I think you would like this one. Anyway - it has a whopping 19g of protein per 75g of the product.
I also noted that the 90g of tofu that I had for breakfast had 14g of protein. Wow!
I wonder why omni's think we vegans don't get enough protein. It seems to be a very common nutrient in vegan foods.

Ya, i tried it, and its good. I dont mind mock meats, xcept when they really taste like it (There's this product that looks like really wide sausage rolls, and it tast way too similar. Freaked me out. Even my dad, who aint vege, said... sry, but my body is telling me that this is meat! but ne ways lol). I luv variety. What sux tho, is that MOST of these mock meats containt sooo much sodium! Find out the daily requirements for sodium for cold and hawt days, an u'll c that, when u eat those mock meats, ya gotta watch ur whole days sodium intake! :P

Other than that, I LUV Tofu! XD And I like werking out, body buildn and what not, so i even have fun with sports nutrition. Like Rice Protein pwd by Nutribiotics! That stuff is the bomb (just dont get plain, cuz yuk :P try Vanilla) and totally Vegan. Its nice to have a protein pwd other than soy.

[ScandinaVegan]

Why can't I wote on them all at once ???

(except the supplements and the fake meat!)

What's TVP ?

[insubordination]

My favourites are split peas, closely followed by cashew and macadamia nuts.

[Korn]

What's TVP ?

Hi, I've never tried it, but we have a thread about Textured Vegetable Protein here...

[Tigerlily]

I like beans.

*farts*

[~Lenore]

-Red beans, black beans, broad beans, kidney beans, lima beans, aduki beans, mung beans etc
-Chick peas, chick pea flour or chick pea meals like falafel, hummus, chana masala
-Tofu
-Miso, tamari (soy sauce)
-Soy milk
-Split peas, black-eyed peas or other peas/legumes
-Almonds, cashew / pistachio / brazil / hazel/ pecan nuts etc
-Sunflower seeds: roasted, raw or in food
-Pumpkin (squash/watermelon) seeds / kernels
-Flax seeds, hemp seeds or other protein rich seeds
-Wheat bran, wheat germ, wholemeal wheat flour
-Seaweed: kelp, spirulina...
-Wholemeal rye (ie. in bread)
-Brussel sprouts, spinach, brocolli or other nutrient rich green vegetables
-Mock meats, veggie burgers etc (only Boca original, though)
-Protein supplements like protein bars, protein powder (Luna bars!)

All the others, I've either never tried before (TVP, Seitan, Lentils, Tahini & Quinoa), or am allergic to (peanuts, but not seriously or fatally thank goodness).

[Jane M]

I like beans.

*farts*

Yes, beans are very good. (quietly opens window)

[Tigerlily]

*slowly walks out of room*