Powered by Plants
If you love eating plants – but also want to eat a high-protein diet, you’re in luck. You can do both. Yup, it’s possible to get plenty of protein while eating a plant-based diet.
We define high-protein recipes as those with at least 15 grams of protein per serving. And you’ll find dishes here for breakfast, lunch and dinner. That’s because it’s important to eat higher protein meals throughout the day and avoid “protein-loading” in a single meal. Especially when eating vegetarian, it’s necessary to consume all of the nine essential amino acids (EAAs) that are the building blocks of protein in our bodies. We need all of these EAAs to build muscle, support our immune system and even for brain health. But our bodies can’t save EAAs from one meal to the next, so it’s vital to eat a variety of protein-rich foods at each meal.
Fortunately, our recipes contain a whole assortment of the high-protein plant-based foods you’ll love – nuts, seeds, beans, lentils, tofu, whole grains and more. Some of our meat-free recipes also include powerhouse complete-protein foods like eggs and dairy foods, which contain all nine EAAs.
Start with Pasta e Ceci, a simple, hearty dish that’s pure Italian comfort food, somewhere between a soup and a pasta. Made with double carbs (chickpeas – the “ceci” – and ditalini!), it also has a good amount of plant protein. While it’s optional, the Parmesan rind adds a depth of flavor here as well as to other soups and stews, especially vegetarian ones. The lemon zest and juice add a bright note to the broth that’s thickened by mashing some of the chickpeas.
