Getting More Protein on a Whole Food Plant-Based Diet

Protein is important, especially for tissue repair…you need protein to repair broken down muscle fibers after working out as well as for repairing the immune system after a fight with a given pathogen.  It’s also really important for helping reduce body fat.  Needless to say, it’s a key macronutrient.  If you want more info on protein, check out my previous blogs (The Proper Balance of Protein, Is a High Protein Diet Safe? An Evidence Based Answer, The High Protein Diet Just Got Worse!  Carnivore No More: Cavemen are Dead for a Reason)…but if you’re not eating animal products (good plan), and you just want to know “how in the world do I get the protein I need from plants”, that is exactly the practical purpose of this blog!

It’s not hard to get, but it does take a little training to remember to always be adding protein to everything you eat.

Here goes…

1. Eat more beans– beans are amazing!  They’re inexpensive, loaded with fiber, protein, sulfur and more (for more info on the details of beans, click here)
   1. Bean salads- These are usually made by combining 2-4 different types of beans with some creamy fat (avocado is great) and then some chopped vegetables (use whatever you like)…Add sauerkraut if you love it, Pink Salt and any other garlic or spices.
   2. Beans on a salad- Just add them to your green salad
   3. Chili- you can hide TONS of beans in a chili
   4. Add to soups/stews- if you don’t want it to feel too “beany”, blend them with your broth and it will feel like a thick creamy broth
   5. Black bean dip
   6. Hummus – homemade is best- I always add loads of garlic and hot peppers
   7. Chickpeas can easily be blended into mashed potatoes
2. Eat more lentils
   1. Add to mashed potatoes
   2. Add to soup/stew/chili
   3. I have a brilliant client who blends red lentils into her pasta sauce – her family is getting more protein, fiber, minerals, etc and they don’t even know it!
   4. You can even blend cooked red lentils into your smoothies
   5. I also add them to salads or any steamed vegetables
3. Eat organic tofu
   1. Baked
   2. In stir fries
   3. In smoothies
4. Eat whole grains instead of refined grains- most bread doesn’t have much protein but whole grains do.  Quinoa, brown rice and oats are some of the best!
5. Eat more higher protein vegetables – this doesn’t mean other veggies aren’t good…these just have more protein than most
   1. Peas
   2. Edamame (must be organic)
   3. Broccoli 
   4. Brussel sprouts
6. Drink green smoothies and add:
   1. Protein powder (Warrior Food: Natural Medium and Large, Vanilla Medium and Large or PRL Plant Protein)
   2. Spirulina Manna
   3. Hemp seeds, chia seeds, walnuts or Brazil nuts
   4. You can even add cooked lentils (you won’t even know if you add the red ones)
7. Make a protein drink by adding:
   1. Protein powder of course (PRL Plant Protein and/or Warrior Food: Natural Medium and Large, Vanilla Medium and Large)
   2. Organic tofu- another good source of protein that blends up extra creamy
   3. A frozen banana
   4. Anything else you like- hemp seeds, chia, flax, cacao powder, Vietnamese cinnamon, etc.
8. Add a good quality protein powder to everything you already eat!
   1. I like to make my own apple sauce by blending 2-3 organic apples and then add protein powder (Warrior Food: Natural Medium and Large, Vanilla Medium and Large or PRL Plant Protein), organic Vietnamese cinnamon, chia and hemp seeds to it!  I have also done this with pears, strawberries and even pineapple.
   2. Add protein powder (Warrior Food: Natural Medium and Large, Vanilla Medium and Large or PRL Plant Protein) to your coconut yogurt
   3. Add protein powder (Warrior Food: Natural Medium and Large, Vanilla Medium and Large or PRL Plant Protein) to your oatmeal (sometimes called, “Prot-meal”)

You can do this!  If you still need help, feel free to call the clinic today to schedule your initial consultation.  It would be an honor to help you! 269-204-6525

Nothing said or implied in this post is intended to treat, cure, diagnose or prevent any disease.  It does not take the place of a qualified health care practitioner and is intended for educational purposes only.