Priya Palan, dietician at Zen Multispecialty Hospital, Mumbai, recommends a list of protein-rich vegetarian sources you can easily include in your diet.
Key Points
- Protein is crucial for muscle building, metabolism, skin and hair health, immunity and tissue repair, with a recommended intake of 1 gram per kg of body weight daily for active individuals.
- Beyond traditional options like paneer and dal, a variety of vegetarian foods such as chickpeas, black-eyed peas, soybean, kidney beans and tofu offer significant protein content.
- Incorporating diverse plant-based proteins can make vegetarian meals more nutritious and interesting, supporting overall health and energy levels.
If you are a vegetarian, one of the biggest challenges is to include protein in your daily diet.
Apart from paneer and dal, most Indians fail to recognise or include the wide variety of other protein-rich foods that can make meals both nutritious and interesting.
Whether you are an athlete preparing for a marathon or a homemaker who wants to make healthy dietary choices, here's why protein is important for you.
Why is protein so important?
Protein is necessary for building muscles, staying healthy and enhancing your metabolism.
A protein-rich diet also helps improve your skin and hair health, boost your immunity and battle the bulge.
Including the recommended amount of protein in the diet can help repair your tissues, while keeping you active and energetic throughout the day.
Do you know that apart from eggs, meat and paneer, there are several other sources of protein?
How much protein should you have in a day?
Active children usually require more protein than adults.
However, the basic and minimum requirement would be 1 gram of protein per kg (your body weight) per day. For adults in sedentary jobs, the requirement would be slightly less.
If you are a vegetarian who is tired of paneer, these are some healthy sources of protein you can consider including in your diet.
Top vegetarian protein sources
1. Chickpeas (kabuli chana)
Whether it is black chana or even kabuli chana, these legumes contain protein around 7 to 9 g per 100 gm (cooked) and are rich in fibre.
They can be eaten in the form of curry, chaat, hummus, sauteed cutlet or can also be roasted and eaten.
- Recipe to try: Chickpea walnut mix
2. Black-eyed peas (lobia)
A cup of cooked lobia contains around 10 grams of protein.
It is a comforting and delicious subzi, and you can also have it in curry form.
You can eat it once a week and fulfil the daily protein requirement.
- Recipe to try: Black-eyed peas patty
3. Soybean
Known as the protein king, soybean is a powerhouse of nutrients.
Rich in plant-based protein, soybean tends to give you approximately 25 to 27 grams of protein from 50 gms of soya.
However, it is necessary to have it in the quantity recommended by the expert.
You can have it as a subzi, opt for adding to preparations like pulao, stuffed paratha.
You can have soya chunks curry, cutlets, kebabs or just stir fry it and enjoy!
4. Kidney beans (rajma)
Rajma chawal is both comforting and tasty. It is also rich in protein. One cup of rajma can give you around 7 to 9 gm of protein.
When you pair it with rice, you get a wholesome meal.
You can eat it in subzi form or have it as rajma tikki, in salad or in wraps.
- Recipe to try: Punjabi rajma masala
5. Tofu
Just like paneer, tofu is considered as one of the best plant-based complete proteins as it contains all the nine essential amino acids.
If you are looking for a substitute for paneer, you will be glad to know that tofu contains around 10 grams of protein per 100 gm.
You can have stir-fried tofu or grilled tofu skewers; include it in your salad, subzi, sandwich or as a wrap.
6. Amaranth (rajgira)
Rajgira contains 9 to 10 grams of protein per 50 grams.
It increases the feeling of fullness and is rich in minerals like calcium, iron and magnesium.
It can be eaten in the form of roti, puri, halwa, paratha, chilla, thepla, thalipeeth, pulao and tikkis.
- Recipe to try: Rajgira thalipeet
7. Quinoa
Loaded with protein and fibre, quinoa is a healthy gluten-free alternative food rich in antioxidants.
It has 8 grams of protein per cooked cup and can replace rice in pulaos.
You can also have it in a salad or khichdi.
8. Green peas
Green peas are not just rich in protein, they are superfoods due to their high nutritional value.
You get 5 grams of protein per 100 grams.
You can have it as a subzi or curry, add it to soups or make a pulao.
9. Greek yoghurt
Made by straining regular yoghurt to remove extra liquid, Greek yoghurt is thicker than regular curd.
It is a good source of probiotics and has about 10 grams of protein per 100 grams.
It can be eaten as it is or added to smoothies or dips.
10. Buckwheat (kuttu)
Mainly served during a fast, it is a good high-protein option compared to traditional cereal grains.
It provides around 6 gm of protein per cup and can be included in dosas, rotis and porridge.
- Recipe to try: Kerala kuttu
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