Whether you’re cutting out animal proteins for health or ethical reasons, you might be worried about getting enough protein. These are some of the best plant-based protein sources you can eat!
First, I wanted to share the story that sparked my hunt for good plant-based protein sources, and you can get the full cheat sheet that I found below! If you’re looking for the quick and dirty version, here are the top six plant-based protein sources from this allergy-friendly list:
The list above leaves out grains legumes, because some people have allergies to these foods. If beans and whole grains are on your a-OK list, though, they make great plant-based protein sources. Here’s another list of vegan protein sources that’s got plenty of beany and whole grain goodness, if that’s more your speed.
Ditching Protein from Dairy: Our Story
My daughter had a milk allergy from birth to the age of three. She would have upset stomach, a stuffy nose, diarrhea, and irritability linked to dairy consumption. Her pediatrician said most kids outgrow a dairy allergy by age one. Because she’d never eaten dairy, my daughter (who is now 11) still doesn’t like cow’s milk, but did consume cheese, yogurt, sour cream.
Until recently.
Not too long ago I decided to try taking her off dairy once again. Why all of these years later? Because she has been having almost daily headaches and often complains of stomach pain. She has had only one headache since going off dairy and her stomach has been a non issue. Maybe food allergies never really subside at all?
While the no dairy thing has been a success, I did notice that we were forgetting to include enough protein in her diet. She does like meat but I don’t cook a lot of it ,and since we were forgoing the yogurt, her main protein source was all but erased.
Kris Carr originally shared this awesome list of plant-based protein sources, and it’s been helping us a lot in planning our dairy-free meals! Since soy is another common allergen, I was glad to find a list of soy-free plant-based protein sources.
Plant-Based Protein Sources, by the numbers
