Where do vegans get their protein?
Protein is the first thing that new vegans are concerned about and the last thing they should be concerned about. All plant foods—except for fruits and fats—supply protein. Beans are the richest sources, but vegans get protein from nuts, grains and vegetables, too.
The building blocks of protein are amino acids. Humans can manufacture most of the amino acids they need. But there are nine—called the essential amino acids—that must come from food. All plant proteins contain all nine of these essential amino acids. Some foods are a little short on certain amino acids, but when vegans eat a variety of foods—beans, grains and other sources of protein—they get a good supply of all the essential amino acids.
Grams of protein in plant foods
| 3 oz seitan | 22 |
| 1/2 cup tofu | 10 to 20 |
| Veggie burger | 6 to 18 |
| 3 oz tempeh | 15 |
| 1/2 cup cooked soybeans | 14 |
| 1/2 cup cooked pinto beans | 8 |
| 2 tbsp peanut butter | 8 |
| 1 cup soymilk | 7 |
| 1/4 cup sunflower seeds | 6 |
| 1 cup brown rice | 5 |
| 1 cup chopped broccoli | 4.5 |
| 1/2 oz walnuts | 4.5 |