Plant proteins differ mainly in two things: how much protein they deliver per serving, and how complete their amino acid profile is. Get those two right and a vegetarian diet meets protein needs comfortably. Get them wrong and you end up eating a lot of carbohydrate labelled as protein.
The Best Plant Proteins
| Food | Portion | Protein |
|---|---|---|
| Soy chunks, dry | 50 g | 26 g |
| Tempeh | 100 g | 19 g |
| Tofu, firm | 150 g | 17 g |
| Lentils, cooked | 1 cup | 18 g |
| Rajma or chana, cooked | 1 cup | 15 g |
| Seitan | 100 g | 25 g |
| Peanuts | 50 g | 13 g |
Soy, quinoa, buckwheat and amaranth are complete proteins in their own right. Everything else pairs well — dal with rice, rajma with roti, hummus with pita. You do not need to combine them in the same meal, only across the day.
The Worst Offenders
- Protein bars and cookies — usually 8–10 g of protein wrapped in sugar and syrup
- Plant milks — most almond and oat milks carry under 1 g per 100 ml. Soy milk is the exception at around 3 g
- Peanut butter as a protein source — a tablespoon gives about 4 g and 95 calories. Fine as a food, weak as a strategy
- Vegetables marketed as high protein — broccoli and spinach are excellent, but you would need enormous quantities
- Most vegan ready meals — check the label rather than the front of the pack
How Much Do You Need?
Around 0.8 g per kilogram of body weight is the minimum to avoid deficiency, but 1.0 to 1.2 g is what supports muscle in midlife, and vegetarians are generally advised toward the upper end because plant protein is slightly less well absorbed. For a 65 kg woman, that is roughly 65 to 80 g a day, or 25 to 30 g per meal — and that per-meal figure matters more than the daily total.
Practical Ways to Hit It
- Add soy chunks or paneer to one meal a day
- Make dal thicker rather than watery
- Swap regular curd for Greek-style yoghurt
- Keep roasted chana or peanuts as the default snack
- Use soy milk rather than almond milk
- Add besan or sattu to breakfast
If you are eating little or no animal protein, keep an eye on vitamin B12 and iron as well — both are easy to fall short on.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is plant protein as good as whey?
Per gram it is slightly less effective at stimulating muscle synthesis. A modestly larger serving closes the gap, and soy performs best of the plant options.
Do I need to combine proteins at every meal?
No. That advice was abandoned decades ago. Eating varied plant proteins across the day is sufficient.
Is soy safe for women?
Yes. Moderate soy intake is not associated with increased breast cancer risk, and observational data suggest a neutral to protective effect.
About the Author
Nidhi Kakar is a nutritionist and the founder of Art of Wellness. She specialises in women’s health through the midlife years, from the mid-30s to the mid-60s, and has guided hundreds of women through perimenopause, menopause, and post-menopause with personalised nutrition and lifestyle plans.
This article is for educational purposes and does not replace personalised nutrition advice.
