Who Says Vegans Don’t Eat Protein?
While you don’t need to be vegan to practice yoga, most yogis are leaning towards a vegan way of life… so much that we identify a “yogic diet” with a healthy, vegan diet.
What does it mean? Vegans don’t eat any foods from animal sources, including dairy, cheese, eggs and to the extreme even honey. The reasons for many are the proven health-related benefits and for others the practice of the yogic principle of ahimsa (non-violence, compassion).
If you’re considering a vegan diet, your first concern will most likeyl be how to get enough protein. There’s a misguided perception that protein can only be obtained from animal sources such as meat, fish, eggs and dairy…that’s simply not true.
Plant-based proteins are abundant in forms and variety and not only build strong muscles, but will also have you feeling radiant and will boost your overall health and vitality in ways you may have never experienced before.
So how do you get your plant-based protein?
- Non-Dairy Milk: A mere 1 cup of soy, almond or sesame milk can pack at least as much protein as dairy milk (between 7 and 10 grams vs 8 grams for cow milk)!
- Veggies: Especially dark green leafy ones. One cup of cooked spinach has about 7 grams of protein. One cup of boiled peas? Nine grams. Two cups of cooked kale? 5 grams.
- Beans: With one cup of pinto, kidney, French or black beans, you’ll get about 13-15 grams of protein, a full belly and heart-healthy fiber.
- Lentils: One cup cooked delivers a whopping 18 grams of protein!
- Tofu: Four ounces of tofu will get you about 9 grams of protein.
- Nuts, seeds and their butter. Any variant will do, including peanut butter, almond butter and cashew butter. A couple of tablespoons of any one of these will get you 8 grams of protein.
- Grains. Tahini, hummus or sprouted-grain bread are some of the countless options. Pack a sandwich with vegan sprouted-grain bread and you’ll get about 10 grams of protein in the bread alone.
- Quinoa: Delicious, versatile and delivers about 9 grams of protein per cup.
So… why not give it a try and see how you feel with a vegan diet?
Let me know if you have questions or want recipe ideas!
