There is a lot about protein, the chat about eating more protein, and some meals making the rounds of ridiculous amounts of protein on social. You do not have to pack 60 grams of protein into one single meal. I also encourage you to find out your protein needs before you in- or decrease your protein intake. As a vegetarian, getting enough protein into your diet can be slightly more challenging / difficult than if you are eating meats. So, if you are looking to increase your protein intake, here are 5 Tips to Increase Your Protein Intake (For Vegetarians). And just a side note – this is not your “put cottage cheese on everything” post…
5 Tips to Increase Your Protein Intake (For Vegetarians)
With no further ado, let’s dive into my best tips to increase your protein intake (for vegetarians).
Swap Your Pasta
Tip number one is to swap your pasta. This blog is gluten-free. The chances that you found me, because you are gluten-free are high. So you are likely already using gluten-free pasta. If you swap this gluten-free pasta for either chickpea, red lentil, or green lentil pasta – you not only have an amazing gluten-free option, but you are also upping your protein intake without much effort. An absolute bonus? These pastas tend to cook a lot faster than original (gluten-free) pasta and the taste, especially in sauces, in minimal to none (unless you overcook the pasta, then it becomes a bit grainy).
Swap Your Rice
The same way that you can swap your pasta, you can also swap your rice for either quinoa or buckwheat (both complete protein sources). You can also do a mix of rice and lentils for example, or using a wild rice variety, which also tends to contain more protein than plain white rice.
Don’t Be Afraid To Adjust The Recipe
I do this an awful lot. Say the recipe calls for chickpeas. There is nothing stopping me to also add, for example, lentils, or tofu. If the recipe calls for “coconut yogurt” there is also nothing stopping me from using, for example, Greek Yogurt. If I am having a soup, there is nothing stopping me in adding an egg or two. You get the picture – there is nothing wrong with making a recipe your own by swapping in some ingredients in order to cater it to your dietary requirements and needs.
Use Tofu For Thickening Sauces
This one is one I have up my sleeve more times than not. Tofu can easily be blended into sauces, especially when they are using cashews or cashew cream as a base. For example, my Frankfurt Green Sauce (vegan) recipe calls for 1 cup of cashews and 1 cup of water. I have used 200 gr. of tofu for the base instead of the 1 cup of cashews. The taste is the same, and I would continue to make the recipe in the same way, but suddenly I have a lot more protein in the sauce. The same principle can be applied to my Vegan Penne alla Vodka recipe.
Find a Good, Quality Protein Powder
No matter how much whole foods you are consuming, as a vegetarian it is sometimes difficult to meet your protein needs. I suggest investing into a high quality protein powder. There are great brands out there that have amazing profiles, limited ingredients, and use good, qualitative sources. The taste differs from brand to bran, so you may have to find a brand that works for you, but it can absolutely support your protein requirements. Bonus: If you do find a great quality protein powder, you can also substitute in part for gluten-free flours in baking, thereby increasing your protein intake even further.
2 Additional Tips to Increase Protein Intake (For Vegetarians)
I kind of did the five tips and realized there is so much more I want to say… So I am adding two more things to the list…
Fuel Up At Breakfast
If you already hit a certain mark for protein intake at the beginning of the day, you will notice that you are starting your day a lot more satiated, fulfilled, and with less of a need to pack a lot of protein in for the rest of the day. I love to get 30+ grams of protein in in the morning, it ensures that I feel full and satisfied for hours!!
Build Your Meals Around Protein
Last but not least – try to build your meals around protein. It is very easy to “forget” protein when you are having, for example, a pasta dish. But if you think about your protein first (or at least not last), it becomes a lot easier to build your meal around it.
I hope these tips helped you a bit in navigating your protein intake and being able to increase it with a few simple swaps and shifts! Let me know what your favorite way to add protein is in the comments below!
