If you follow a balanced diet, then you most likely include both animal and plant-based foods. You make sure to include fruits, vegetables, complex carbohydrates, protein, and fiber. In fact, you probably make it a point to hit your daily protein goals, which should not be a challenge. Some people on plant-based diets, however, have a harder time meeting their daily protein needs. That may be because they do not understand which plant-based foods have the most protein.
The body requires an adequate supply of protein to build muscle and produce hormones and neurotransmitters. If you happen to follow a plant-based diet and are looking for foods to help increase your protein intake, the foods in this article should help you achieve that goal.
Kidney Beans
Not only are kidney beans rich in protein, but they also contain a lot of folate, which is an integral nutrient during pregnancy. Folate has several roles in the body and is necessary for healthy fetal development. One cup of kidney beans satisfies 54% of the recommended daily intake (RDI) of folate. One cup of cooked kidney beans also provides 15.3 grams of protein. Kidney beans also contain leucine, phenylalanine, lysine, and valine, all of which are essential amino acids.
Black Beans
Don’t worry, this list of plant-based foods rich in protein will contain other foods besides beans. We could not leave black beans off the list, as they offer 15.2 grams of protein per cooked cup. They are also rich in magnesium, a mineral that can help regulate stress. Similar to kidney beans, black beans contain lysine, valine, leucine, and phenylalanine, but they also contain isoleucine.
Peanuts
Peanuts are technically legumes, but most people consider them to be nuts. Both peanuts and peanut butter are rich in protein and pair well with both sweet and savory flavors. Peanuts contain leucine, phenylalanine, and valine, and offer 7.43 grams of protein per ounce. They are also great sources of magnesium, folate, and vitamin E, which exhibits powerful antioxidant activity.
Asparagus
This is a spring vegetable, but you can typically find it in grocery stores year round. It is particularly high in protective flavonoid compounds and offers lots of vitamins A, C, and K. Similar to kidney beans, asparagus contains folate, but offers less protein at 4.32 grams per cooked cup.
Green Peas
Didn’t your mom always tell you to eat your peas and broccoli? Well, she was onto something! Green peas are highly underrated, but they deserve lots of love because one cup satisfies over 20% of the RDI of vitamins A, C, and K. Green peas are also rich in folate, thiamine, leucine, lysine, and phenylalanine. They offer 8.58 grams of protein per cooked cup and make great additions to rice pilaf, pasta, or soups and stews.
Lentils
Dietitians encourage more people to eat lentils because these little guys are rich in protein, magnesium, potassium, iron, and folate. One cup of lentils provides a whopping 17.9 grams of protein, which is 30% more protein than what you find in two eggs. Lentils are also rich in leucine, isoleucine, valine, phenylalanine, and other amino acids. They are versatile ingredients that go great in grain bowls, salads, soups, and stews.
Edamame
A single cup of edamame contains more protein than two cups of milk! The same cup of edamame covers over 100% of your RDI of folate and 52% of your RDI of vitamin K, which is necessary for optimal bone health and blood clotting. One cup of cooked edamame also provides 18.4 grams of protein, and it also offers lots of amino acids, including lysine, phenylalanine, and leucine.
Fava Beans
Yet another bean that made it to the list! Fava beans are great sources of magnesium, copper, potassium, and zinc, in addition to protein. One cup of cooked fava beans offers 12.9 grams of protein and provides lots of lysine, leucine, phenylalanine, and valine. Fava beans go great in salads, soups, or you can even mash or blend them into a dip.
