Vegetarians tend to avoid eating any animal product. This can be anything from meat, fish, and dairy products. Whatever their motivation for this choice is, they consciously choose to avoid eating animal products instead of supplementing them with plant-based alternatives. Contrary to what most people think, vegetarians’ lifestyle is not dull. They can incorporate exciting meals into their diets, thanks to soy products. Below are some of the exciting ways such individuals can increase their protein intake.
1.Eat more Soy Tofu, Edamame, and Tempeh
Cutting out animal products from one’s diet is not a ticket for eating boring and dull meals. USSEC promotes a lot of healthy soya meals, meaning that there will always be alternatives for everyone. Anyone desiring to take some tofu should consider soy tofu. It comes in different hardness, meaning that people can choose whatever works for them. Fortunately, there are numerous tofu cooking methods, not to mention the diverse food combinations it goes with.
It is also possible to enjoy the tofu in different ways, including glazed, pan-fried with sesame oil, or even chose to grill after marinating for some time. The bottom line is that soy tofu is one of the best delicacies anyone can consider including in their diet as a protein booster. It is interesting to note that the benefits attached to it make it even more exciting. In case you want to have a different taste of the soy, consider going for the Edamame.
Edamame is made from young yet-to-mature soybeans. They are boiled in salt and serve as an appetizer or sometimes added to different dishes. It gives a grassy taste that many people prefer. On the other hand, Tempeh is a cooked mature soybean that is then fermented before getting pressed into patties. They make excellent snack bars, not to forget the health-boosting effects they come with.
2.Make Nuts Your Go-to Snacks
Nuts are generally wholemeal produce, especially if you choose the right type of nut for yourself. Make sure you have a pack of roasted groundnuts or cashews around you every time. When an apple becomes too boring, then a handful of healthy nuts should do the trick.
What’s more, these nuts come loaded with numerous useful nutrients and healthy fats that the body needs to grow optimally. Besides that, it is also great because they can easily be converted into butter that makes a great addition to toasted bread and breakfast cereals. This is one of the most meaningful and exciting ways to incorporate healthy proteins into one’s diet. What’s more, it is an inexpensive way too.
3.Beans and Lentils
Experts recommend a healthy intake of proteins in legume form. This means that vegetarians should invest in buying different types of legumes for their consumption. Fortunately, many bean varieties, ranging from kidney beans, pinto beans, and even black beans. Discover what tastes best and stick with it. Besides regular beans, consider adding other legumes such as chickpeas, greens, peas, green grams, lentils, and lima beans.
All these will help enrich your meals and continuously take away the monotony of consuming the same dishes. Find exciting ways to have beans, such as making hummus. Add it to chili dishes, or serve it as a side dish. The bottom line is to ensure a healthy serving of your favorite beans every once in a while.
There are several exciting ways to have beans and lentils. For instance, include them at the breakfast table by bringing your favorite can of baked beans to eat with toasted bread and peanut butter. Alternatively, make some healthy bean stew and take it with rice or roti, depending on personal preference.
4.Add Seitan to Your Diets
This is a unique protein source loved by most vegans and vegetarians. It is prepared from wheat’s protein, gluten. If the desire is to have an actual meat-like alternative, this is the best choice, mostly when cooked. Some people refer to it as wheat meat. Every 100grams of seitan has 25grams of protein, making it one of the rich plant proteins around.
It also supplies a decent amount of selenium and has a small supply of phosphorus, calcium, and iron. Scout for it in the refrigerator section in the local store near you. It makes a great meat alternative for vegetarians, especially those who are just starting this journey and maybe feeling overwhelmed by the lack of meat.
5.Spelt and Teff
Vegetarians will always have a lot of varieties when it comes to protein. Teff and spelt are examples of rich protein foods that can be supplemented and added to their diets. They contain 10 to 11gams of proteins in every 240 ml of precooked grain. Besides that, they also have other useful nutrients and fiber, which makes them great for vegetarians. What’s more, users can choose to make flour out of them for making different meals such as pasta and other wheat products. It is also possible to bake with the flour from these grains.
Final Thoughts
Vegetarians need to observe adequate food balance to avoid suffering from any deficiency. It is easy to achieve this by simply checking out the various plant-based protein sources available. Try a few variants before settling for the favorites.
