Protein, protein, protein. Where do you get your protein?
This is always a popular question asked to people who eat a predominately low waste plant-based diet.
We absolutely need protein to help our bodies function properly, plant-eaters or not. In fact, our bodies require a balance of three very important macronutrients for optimal health: protein, fats, and carbohydrates. Fortunately, there are many sources of plant-based protein available that we can easily incorporate into our diets to be sure we reach our recommended daily protein needs.
This blog post is sponsored by the awesome woman-owned brand, Resist Nutrition.
[Do you want to skip to the good stuff?] You can use coupon code TINYYELLOW15 for 15% OFF your first purchase of Resist Nutrition bars.
Protein Packed Breakfast
Start your day out with a protein rich breakfast. Rather than starting your day with a wimpy bowl of cereal, choose a high protein meal instead. You can add protein powder to a fruit smoothie. Make a tofu scramble. Add soy milk to your latte. Eat some overnight oats. Whip up a tasty chocolate chia pudding. Enjoy a bowl of plant-based yogurt and granola. Slather some nut butter on sprouted grain toast. Seriously, there are so many breakfast foods that naturally have a higher amount of protein.
Resist Protein Bars for Protein On the Go
While breakfast is a cinch, it’s pretty easy to forget about incorporating protein throughout the day when you are busy and on the go. A piece of fruit is a delicious snack, but you might be feeling hungry shortly after. High protein snacks are the way to go. For example, choosing a high protein snack, like a Resist Protein Bar will help you stay fuller for longer.
NO, not all protein bars are created equal. Resist Protein Bars stand out as the best of the best for several reasons. Here’s why:
- They’re vegan.
- They contain high quality ingredients free of artificial fillers, GMOs, sugar alcohols, gluten, or soy. Read about the science behind their ingredients here.
- They’re free of endocrine disrupting chemicals. Many foods wrappers contain chemicals like BPA and phthalates but NOT Resist. They are one of the first companies to focus on removing these hormone-disrupting chemicals from their products and packaging.
- They are low glycemic protein bars that have only 4g net carbs and 2g of sugars. You won’t have to worry about a crazy blood sugar spike or energy crash after eating it.
- They are EcoCart Certified 100% carbon neutral. With each order, they automatically purchase verified emission reductions to offset the CO2 they create to get the bars to your door.
- My most favorite part about these bars is their HOME COMPOSTABLE packaging! That’s right, you can compost the wrapper. I don’t know of any other protein bar on the market, vegan or otherwise, that has this kind of sustainable packaging. *Currently their Balance bars have home compostable packaging while you can purchase their Glow and Recovery bars with recyclable packaging. *
They currently offer three varieties of protein bars:
- Balance: cinnamon dark chocolate chip + maca
- Recovery: peanut butter crisp + turmeric
- Glow: goji cherry chip + chia.
You can purchase a variety pack on their website to try all flavors.
The Balance bar is my absolutely favorite! It has a smooth chocolatey flavor. All the sweet without the
sugar crash. They even had a small clinical trial completed to prove a slow blood sugar response from
their nutrition bars. You can learn about it here.
Seriously, Resist Nutrition checks all the boxes. Please head over to the Resist Nutrition website to learn more about this awesome woman owned small business that not only cares about providing great healthy products but also cares deeply for the planet!
Sprinkle Hemp Seeds on It
Another really simple way to incorporate more protein into your plant-based diet is to sprinkle hemp seeds on your meals. Hemp seeds are a complete source of amino acid. Two tablespoons of hemp seeds contain more protein than a single ounce of chicken. They contain an abundance of nutrients, including more iron and fiber than grains or legumes and are high in vitamin E, manganese, magnesium, B vitamins, and zinc. They also contain high levels of omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids.
I like to blend hemp seeds in my morning smoothie. You can throw them in your homemade soups, add to stir fry, or sprinkle them on your favorite fresh salad. They have a really simple nutty flavor that complements many different dishes.
Add Beans to Your Meals
Lastly, beans are an excellent source of protein and there are so many different kinds of beans that you can easily add to your daily meals. You can use soybeans, lentils, white beans, split peas, pinto beans, kidney beans, black beans, navy beans, lima beans, etc. You could incorporate any one of these beans into soups, pasta dishes, chilis or salads.
If you have a busy week ahead, consider making a big batch of crockpot soup/chili and throw in your favorite beans. This way you can easily reheat a high protein meal to enjoy throughout the week. Even making a simple bean dip, like hummus, that you can snack on with crackers or carrot sticks during the week is a good option for incorporating more protein in your diet. Not only that, hummus includes heart-healthy unsaturated fatty acids that help you feel fuller for longer.
What’s nice about beans as well is that they’re usually pretty budget-friendly. You can find canned or dried beans for cheap at the grocery store! High protein, low cost.
As you can see, incorporating protein into a plant-based diet doesn’t have to be complicated. There are so many simple ways you can quickly add a protein punch to your meals. What are your favorite high protein foods? How do you make sure you reach your daily recommended protein needs?
Don’t forget!! You can use coupon code TINYYELLOW15 for 15% OFF your first purchase of Resist Nutrition bars.
