Veganism is probably one of the most important trends of modern times. What does it actually mean to be vegan? In general, it means refraining from consuming animal products in your diet – this means that you do not eat fish or meat, but also no other products of animal origin, such as milk and dairy products or eggs. If you adhere to this credo, you will also refrain from using animal products for everyday items such as clothing or cosmetics. For many people, the motives are manifold. There are, among other things, ethical motivators, as well as climatic and partly religious reasons that lead people to veganism.
Vegan people have to deal with the same questions every day:
"But are you getting enough nutrients?"
"How does that work without meat?"
“Aren't you malnourished?”
"But you need proteins!"
Simple questions that vegans probably can't hear anymore. However, even if many people believe that certain ingredients are missing from a vegan diet, this is usually not true. There are plenty of plant-based alternatives to an “omnivorous” diet. This means that vegans lack nothing with a balanced and varied diet. Today we want to go into more detail about good plant-based protein sources, and there are plenty of them.
Delicious & nutritious – our top list of vegan protein sources
Proteins are important for humans. This is well known. Protein is a biological macromolecule that is made up of amino acids through peptide bonds. The German name "Eiweiß" is misleading, because protein is not necessarily an animal product. Quite the contrary! Below we would like to introduce some important plant-based protein sources so that you have a small support or source of information if you need it.
Nuts and seeds
Let's start with something that everyone actually likes – whether they're vegan or not. Nuts ! Any form of nuts, whether almonds or hazelnuts, cashews or pistachios. These little friends are an incredible source of protein. A handful of almonds contains 6g of protein. In addition, nuts are full of healthy fats, and eating them has a positive effect on cholesterol levels. And for those who want to eat their nut ration in a less crunchy form, we recommend: nut butter! Whether almond, cashew, or the ever-popular peanut butter – they are all wonderful as a topping on your favorite cereal or porridge.
Our second runner-up:
chia seeds
. This “super food” is also an excellent source of protein. In contrast to conventional seeds, they have almost twice as much protein. In any case, they deserve the name superfood. Another plus: they provide almost five times more calcium than milk! Just like nuts and nut butter, chia seeds also fit perfectly into any breakfast bowl.
Our personal hero: oatmeal
Next (and probably the most important food for us as manufacturers of
breakfast products
) is
oatmeal
. Cereals are generally characterized by a very high protein content. Oatmeal is no exception. They are also considered one of the
most nutritious fitness
foods par excellence and are also very filling. With a protein content of 15% and a lot of valuable B vitamins, the flakes are very popular. So also with us, the oatmeal can be found in almost all of our
mueslis
,
crunchies
and
porridges
.
Beans, lentils and broccoli
Although they are probably less popular at breakfast, beans, lentils, and broccoli must of course also be on our list. Beans , which stimulate digestion for good or sometimes ill in many people, are an excellent source of protein. They can be used very well in a wide variety of dishes and are therefore a welcome guest in the vegan diet.
In the same breath as beans, lentils are always a good source of vegan protein. The legume has a fabulous protein content of 22%. One tablespoon thus contains 8g of protein. For such a small thing, that's a substantial amount of protein.
Next, we present a vegetable that is very popular with adults, but often causes problems for children (and probably also for some adults) – broccoli . This green tree vegetable is also an incredible source of protein. Low in calories and rich in vitamin K and vitamin C. Is there more to say? It is perfect either whole or pureed in soups or pasta dishes or simply as a side dish to a wide variety of dishes. By the way, do you already know our spicy broccoli porridge? It's certainly one of our most polarizing products, but it's hard to beat in terms of nutritional value. 😉
And last but not least on our list of vegan protein sources:
Tofu and seitan
Many already know, and many might not – tofu is probably the best source of protein in the vegan world. Yes, tofu has probably already mutated into a classic in the vegan diet. Its preparation could not be more diverse: whether as a whole in the so-called "tofu steak" or diced in a salad, it always finds its place. It tastes best when seasoned and savory in natural olive oil. An important basic rule about tofu: the firmer it is, the more protein there is to obtain from it! 100g of tofu contain up to 17g of protein.
Finally, an "Honorable Mention": Seitan ! Actually, this meat substitute would be the winner of this small protein list – but we deliberately did not want to include meat substitutes directly in the list. After all, it is about a vegan lifestyle – and not about a "replacement product". Nevertheless, seitan also tastes delicious if prepared properly, and with 25g of protein per 100g of seitan, nothing else can compare.
Finally, a small disclaimer: In our shop, you can find many different forms of nuts, oatmeal, and other vegan
snacks
and dishes. And if you are looking for protein sources, you can also easily find them: simply select "vegan" from the allergens and set the filter to "protein source" or "high protein content". Have fun!
