Going vegan or changing your diet to a vegetarian diet is often the best way to go when you want to live a healthy lifestyle. However, protein is your biggest concern, and many people might not be sure how to get enough protein on the Mediterranean diet.
What are the Best Protein Options for Vegetarians?
Protein powder is one of the best forms of protein for any diet, and the level of protein you will get from each shake is much better than what you will find in most foods. However, there are plenty of great foods with excellent protein options that will ensure you get enough protein for your diet to be successful.
Since protein is the hardest part of the Mediterranean diet, we have decided to look at some of the best protein options on the Mediterranean diet. Many of these food sources should be perfect for those looking to improve their protein intake. You can use them to make sure that you get efficient protein for your needs.
6 Protein Options For Vegetarians
As mentioned, this article aims to help you find the right options for your needs. These protein options should make life so much easier and allow you to incorporate different protein sources into your vegetarian diet. Here are some of the best protein sources to add to the Mediterranean if you are choosing the vegetarian route:
Vegan Protein Powders
One of the most impressive options on this list is vegan protein powders. There are plenty of different options, but the pea protein powder is one of the best when looking for quality. It would be best if you got far more protein in each serving of protein powder than you would when eating different food sources.
The only downside to these protein powders is often the price, and many people might get frustrated due to the expensive price tag on these powders. However, comparing it to the protein levels in food should be much more cost-efficient. We would recommend that you start with an effective protein powder.
Peas
Much like the previous protein powder option, peas are often what these protein powders are made from. If you don’t want to buy expensive powders, you can consider adding more peas to your meals. However, the quantity of protein will still be very low, and you will need to eat plenty of peas to make up for it.
The great thing about adding plenty of peas to your Mediterranean diet is the calories. These peas don’t have much in terms of calories, which means that you can eat many of them. However, overeating on peas might cause some digestive issues, and we recommend that you consider the shake or adding it to your meals sporadically.
Varieties Of Beans
Beans will be another great way for you to integrate protein into your vegetarian diet. The great thing about beans is that most variations of the food will have some form of protein that will add to your nutrition. Beans are affordable, and you should find that almost every store has them, which makes them easily accessible.
However, we should mention that beans have plenty of fiber, and much like peas, they could cause you some digestive discomfort. You must consider mixing up the different foods to ensure that you don’t have to deal with any digestive issues that could cause you some discomfort.
Tofu
One of the best meat alternatives you find in many vegan dishes is the addition of tofu. Tofu is one of the best foods that you can use when it comes to adding some protein to your meals, and since much of it comes from the soybean, it is one of the healthiest alternatives you could ever add to your meals if you need to.
One of the downsides is that not everyone likes the taste of tofu, and it is something that you will slowly need to get used to. Tofu is not as high in calories as many other protein sources, which means you can eat plenty of it. You can also add it to almost any meal you cook to spice up the meal or protein content.
Greek Yogurt
While there are some great protein sources for you to choose from, Greek yogurt is one of the all-time favorites. It can be consumed almost any time of the day, and there is so much that you can do with the yogurt. If you like making breakfast one of the most important meals of the day, Greek yogurt is important for you to add.
While Greek yogurt does not have any fat, it is one of the meals that people consider healthy but adds plenty of unhealthy additives. It would be best if you focused on Greek yogurt and when mixing it with other foods, it should all complement your diet.
Cottage Cheese
While vegans might not agree with this option, vegetarians will find that the cottage cheese contains plenty of protein and does not have any calories. You can eat as much cottage cheese as you want, and you will still find that you are under your calorie limit. Cottage cheese also works great when mixing into other foods.
While it has plenty of protein per serving, it is also one of the more expensive alternatives to add to your diet. We recommend you consider adding cottage sparingly or use it on days that you cannot make your intake.
What Are The Best Protein Options For Vegetarians Summary
Protein is the building blocks of muscles, and the amino acids found in protein sources are great to ensure that you remain healthy and in peak condition. These are some of the best protein sources for following the Mediterranean diet as a vegan. However, we would love to read some of your thoughts on the options you might use.
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