Plant Protein
Cooked legumes, tofu, tempeh, seitan and soy foods with protein, carbs and fiber per 100 g. Useful for vegan and vegetarian lifters, or anyone after cheaper protein.
Most protein per calorie in this group: Vital wheat gluten (dry flour) (20.3 g per 100 kcal).
| # | Food | kcal | Protein | Carbs | Fat | Fiber | P / 100 kcal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vital wheat gluten (dry flour) | 370 | 75.2 | 13.8 | 1.9 | 0.6 | 20.3 |
| 2 | Textured vegetable protein (TVP), dry | 330 | 52 | 33 | 1.2 | 17 | 15.8 |
| 3 | Seitan (prepared wheat gluten) | 141 | 25 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 17.7 |
| 4 | Tempeh | 192 | 20.3 | 7.6 | 10.8 | 4.8 | 10.6 |
| 5 | Soybeans, mature (boiled, cooked) | 172 | 18.2 | 8.4 | 9 | 6 | 10.6 |
| 6 | Tofu, firm (calcium-set, raw) | 144 | 17.3 | 2.8 | 8.7 | 2.3 | 12.0 |
| 7 | Edamame, shelled (cooked from frozen) | 121 | 11.9 | 8.9 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 9.8 |
| 8 | Lentils (boiled, cooked) | 116 | 9 | 20.1 | 0.4 | 7.9 | 7.8 |
| 9 | Pinto beans (boiled, cooked) | 143 | 9 | 26.2 | 0.7 | 9 | 6.3 |
| 10 | Chickpeas / garbanzo beans (boiled, cooked) | 164 | 8.9 | 27.4 | 2.6 | 7.6 | 5.4 |
| 11 | Black beans (boiled, cooked) | 132 | 8.9 | 23.7 | 0.5 | 8.7 | 6.7 |
| 12 | Kidney beans, red (boiled, cooked) | 127 | 8.7 | 22.8 | 0.5 | 6.4 | 6.9 |
| 13 | Split peas (boiled, cooked) | 118 | 8.3 | 21.1 | 0.4 | 8.3 | 7.0 |
| 14 | Navy beans (boiled, cooked) | 140 | 8.2 | 26.1 | 0.6 | 10.5 | 5.9 |
| 15 | Tofu, silken, firm | 62 | 6.9 | 2.4 | 2.7 | 0.1 | 11.1 |
| 16 | Soy milk, unsweetened (fortified) | 33 | 2.9 | 1.7 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 8.8 |
Quick picks
Vital wheat gluten (dry flour)
Mix with broth and spices, then simmer, and you have very cheap homemade seitan.
→Textured vegetable protein (TVP), dry
Defatted soy that rehydrates to about 3x its weight, making a cheap mince substitute (typical label values).
→Seitan (prepared wheat gluten)
Among the highest-protein vegan foods (typical label values), but it's pure gluten, so avoid it if you have celiac disease.
→Tempeh
Fermented whole soybeans with a nutty taste. Steam it for 10 minutes first to cut the bitterness.
→Soybeans, mature (boiled, cooked)
The highest-protein legume, with about double the protein of other cooked beans.
→Tofu, firm (calcium-set, raw)
Press it for 15 minutes before cooking so it crisps up. Calcium-set tofu is a top vegan calcium source.
→Edamame, shelled (cooked from frozen)
Young soybeans with complete protein. Microwave a frozen bag for a 3-minute snack.
→Lentils (boiled, cooked)
Dry lentils grow roughly 2.5x in weight when cooked, and they need no soaking.
→Pinto beans (boiled, cooked)
Creamy texture that works well in chili and refried beans.