Health Canada has recently adjusted their guidelines to recommend a regular intake of plant-based protein. Although they aren’t saying you should necessarily cut out all animal foods, they do recommend that Canadians make a shift toward a higher proportion of plant-based foods.

If meats, dairy, and other animal products are a regular part of your diet, making this shift into plant-based protein might seem a little daunting. Fortunately, it’s a lot easier than you might think!

Here are nine easy, protein-rich vegan ingredients you can sub into your diet (spoiler: they’re not all tofu!). To figure out how much protein you need in your diet, scroll down to the bottom.

Beans

Beans really are the “magical fruit!” They are so versatile and very high in protein per serving – ½ cup of black beans has 10g of protein! (To give you a basis for comparison, ½ cup of diced chicken breast contains about 20g of protein).

Beans can be used anywhere you’d use animal protein, but they are particularly great in soups, stews, grain salads, and curries. Try this recipe for Sweet Potato, Chickpea, and Spinach Curry from Oh She Glows!

Oats

Oats are a great source of both fiber and protein, and they’re an economical choice too! 1 cup of rolled oats contains 12g of protein, so they’re an excellent option for breakfast to keep you fueled for the day.

You can also blend oats into your smoothies, or bake healthy breakfast cookies with them! Here’s Jamie Oliver’s recipe for Easy Oaty Fruit Cookies, and one of my favourite recipes for Brownie Batter Overnight Protein Oatmeal.

Lentils

This plant-based legume packs around 20g of protein in a 1-cup serving, (cooked) making them a great substitute almost anywhere you’d use ground meat. Use them in Bolognese Sauce, Shepherd’s Pie, Lasagna, or even burgers.

Or, try an authentic lentil-based recipe like Tarka Dhal, or Lentil Soup. Clearly, you can do a lot with these little legumes; it doesn’t hurt that they’re cheap too, so stock up on them!

Seitan

This vegan protein comes from wheat gluten, and contains about 30g of protein per 100g! Like Tofu or Tempeh, it soaks up the flavour of whatever it’s cooked with.

This means you can use it with flavourful sauces, in recipes like Seitan “Buffalo Wings”, Tikka Masala, or Seitan Mongolian Beef. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can even make your own from scratch!

Fortified Plant-Based Beverages

Fortified plant drinks can be good sources of protein too. Soy milk contains 7g of protein in 1 cup, and hemp milk contains 2g of protein in 1 cup (although you can increase the protein content if you make it from scratch).

Pea Milk is a new trend as well, and Ripple Pea Milk contains 8g of protein per 1-cup serving. However, although these drinks make healthy additions to your diet, it is important to note that Health Canada recommends that “nutritious foods … such as homogenized (3.25% M.F.) milk should not be restricted for young children.”

Peanut Butter

Yes, decadent peanut butter is a source of protein! It’s a great option with 4g of protein per tablespoon, but if you need a peanut butter alternative, pumpkin seed butter has 10g of protein per 30g.

Make homemade granola bars with either, or simply spread on toast, serve with crackers, or make African Peanut Stew!

Nutritional Yeast

This enigmatic food is a nutritional powerhouse. It’s an inactive form of yeast (unlike baking yeast) full of vitamins (notably Vitamin B12) and 8g of protein per ¼ cup! It’s often described as “Nature’s Cheeto Dust” and so tastes excellent on popcorn, in vegan cheese sauces, or as a substitute for parmesan cheese.  

Quinoa

This grain is often love-it-or-hate-it, but it really is a great source of protein with around 8g of protein per cup. It cooks up in just 15 minutes and can be used for any dish you’d use rice. It also makes a great addition to soups or salads.

Try this Quinoa Chilli or Black Bean Quinoa Salad. If you’re not into quinoa, try these other awesome protein-rich grains: spelt, kamut, teff, amaranth, or sorghum!

Chia Seeds

These tiny little seeds have a lot of protein for their size – 2g in 1 tablespoon! Sprinkle them on salads or oatmeal, or make yourself a delicious little chia pudding. They’re an easy addition to almost any meal, without adding any strong flavour.

#TreatYoSelf to some plant-based, protein-rich nutrition! It’s a simple (and delicious) way to keep your body healthy.

To calculate how much protein you need in a day, follow HealthLink B.C.’s guide: simply multiply your weight in kilograms by 0.8 to find your average daily protein need.

Kelowna born and raised, Keddy Pavlik of TheTreatLife has been passionate about the local food scene basically since birth. If she's not in the kitchen, you can probably find her at the farmer's market or taking pictures of food. Photo Credit: Jordana Dickson.