Amazing Vegetarian High-Protein Foods

Protein is important for the healthy growth of our body. Your hair, fingernails, muscles are all made mostly of protein. Of the 22 amino acids needed for health, our body can make 13 of them. Nine of them, we must get from the foods in our diet.

Each protein food source consists of a different set of the possible 22 amino acids. Some protein sources contain all the amino acids we need such as meat. It is not necessary to eat meat to be healthy. If you don't eat meat, fish, or eggs, it is important to learn how to combine different vegetarian protein foods so that you provide your body with optimal protein. I would like to highlight some great protein sources that you may not have tried.

So that you can compare vegetarian protein foods to meat protein choices, here are some common meat protein foods showing the protein per 100 grams: beef hamburgers contain 18 grams of protein; turkey contains 28 grams of protein; and a egg contains about 6 grams of protein.

Amazing Vegetarian Protein Sources:

Hemp Seed Protein: Hemp provides 34.6 grams of gluten-free, easily digested and absorbed, high quality protein. Hemp's protein gives a great balance of all 22 known amino acids including the 9 essential ones. It also contains antioxidants, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. It is also a great source to provide your Omega Fatty Acids. In fact, it contains the perfect balance of Omega 6 fatty acids to Omega 3's. It is usually purchased as a energy bar or powdered protein drink. Hemp has advantages over soy beans, because it is never genetically modified. Hemp does not require herbicides and pesticides in its growth either. Hemp is produced by cold-pressed processing that does not require hexane in the production process. This process is used to preserve the vitamins and minerals in the product. When buying Hemp Protein Powder read labels. You want a product that supplies 50% protein by weight and supplies 15 grams of protein per 30 gram serving. A pound of hemp seeds will provide one adult nutrition for two weeks. It should be one of the foods in your emergency food storage plan.

Moringa Tree Leaf Powder: The dried leaf of the Moringa Tree. This tree is grown in many countries. Its fresh or dried leaves are being used to end starvation in many countries. In the United States, the tree is grown in areas like Florida, Arizona, Mexico, and Southern California. Moringa dried leaf powder contains 27.1 grams of high quality protein per 100 grams. Dried Moringa leaves contain the protein equal to meat per 100 grams. Moringa leaves are an amazing food containing iron, vitamins, minerals, trace minerals, fiber, and chlorophyll. Moringa leaves either fresh or dried are an excellent source of protein and Iron for vegetarians. Fresh Moringa leaves are used in salads and in any recipes where you would use spinach leaves. I use the powder in our green drink and the fresh leaves in nightly salads. . In the US you can only find Moringa products in Asian Markets, Asian Communities, and online. Moringa leaves are not expensive. In the Asian markets it is not known by Moringa but Malungaay.

Seitan: (Wheat gluten, wheat meat, Mock Duck, gluten meat or gluten). It is made from the gluten of meat. Seitan is used instead of Tofu or soy-based foods. It is often used in Asian, Buddhist, and macrobiotic cooking instead of meat. It comes in blocks, strips, and flavored with onion and mushrooms. You will find it in Asian markets, health food stores, and cooperatives. This would not be a good protein source for those who are sensitive to gluten and wheat.

Bulgur: A whole grain which has a light, nutty flavor and high in fiber. It contains 6 grams of protein per cup. Usually found in health food stores. Bulgur is used in Kurdish, Turkish, Middle Eastern, Indian, and Mediterranean dishes. It is a great substitute for rice because it contains more fiber and nutrients. It does not raise blood sugar either which gives it a few points.

Quinoa: Food source in South America for over 6000 years. It is not a grass like most grains. This protein source contains no gluten but is high in vitamins, minerals and essential amino acids. You can sprout the seeds which make them the only sprouted seed to contain all the essential amino acids for our diet. You can toast them, and use them as a hot cereal. You can also grind the seeds into powder for great tasting, high protein bread. Quinoa contains 9 grams of protein per cup.

Sunflower Seeds: They contain 6 grams of protein per ¼ cup. They contain vitamins and minerals including Vitamin E, Magnesium, selenium, and high in phytosterols that are believed to help lower cholesterol. Sunflower seeds can be eaten by themselves, sprinkled in salads, or sprinkled on yogurt or other dishes.

Beans: Beans are not new protein sources but people get tired of using them as the traditional side dish. You can take beans and create new and different dishes. Varieties of beans offer inexpensive and high quality protein sources. Try them sprinkled into your salad or try dishes out of your culture experience. There are wonderful Asian dishes to try. There are European dishes that will delight your taste experience. Here is the breakdown on some of the bean choices: Soy beans contain almost 30 grams per cup; Lentils contain 18 grams of protein per cup; black beans contain 15 grams per cup; Kidney beans contain 13 grams of protein per cup; Chick peas and Pinto beans about 12 grams per cup; black-eyed peas about 11 grams; Quinoa, peas, and a bagel about 9 grams; peanut butter (2 Tbsp), Almonds (1/4 cup), about 8 grams; sunflower seeds (1/2 cup) about 6 grams.

Reference:

http://www.innvista.com/health/foods/hemp/seedprot.htm

http://vegetarian.about.com/od/maindishentreerecipes/qt/tofurecipes.htm

http://vegetarian.about.com/od/glossary/g/Seitan.htm

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/12/the-benefits-of-bulgur/

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=57

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