Protein Healthy Food – How to Get the Most Out of Your Meat Free Meals

Even those who do not choose to be entirely vegan or vegetarian, can gain huge nutritional benefit from eating meat-free meals. The strain put on our digestive systems from consuming too much animal based protein and fat is palpable, not to mention the ethical and environmental impacts that go hand in hand with the consumption of meat.

With farming methods becoming less ethical, the process of stock being reared and slaughtered and arriving on our plates has become so disconnected that it is almost impossible to be truly mindful about our consumption. If we knew what occurred before the hygienic, plastic packaged version, would we really continue to consume animals today?

Complete Proteins

“Complete” proteins, are proteins that contain all 9 essential amino acids in equal amounts. The reason that we need to eat these ‘building blocks’ of protein, is because the human body is unable to produce them on its own. The nutritional excuse of needing meat based protein is no longer a valid one – and to prove this we have compiled a list of COMPLETE plant based protein sources. Even if you can’t cut out animal based consumption completely – at least you can trade a few meals for cleaner, plant based counterparts.

The 10 BEST Sources

Quinoa: Protein, 8 grams per 1 cup serving, cooked

Buckwheat: Protein, 6 grams per 1 cup serving, cooked

Hempseed: Protein, 10 grams per 2 tablespoon serving

Chia: Protein, 4 grams per 2 tablespoon serving

Soy: Protein, 10 grams per ½ cup serving (firm tofu)

15 grams per ½ cup serving (tempeh)

15 grams per ½ cup serving (natto)

Mycoprotein (Quorn): Protein, 13 grams per ½ cup serving

Rice and Beans: Protein, 7 grams per 1 cup serving

Ezekiel Bread: Protein, 8 grams per 2 slice serving

Seitan: Protein, 21 grams per 1/3 cup serving

Hummus and Pita: Protein, 7 grams per 1 whole-wheat pita and 2 tablespoons of hummus