How I Eat 100g of Vegan Protein a Day

I’ve been eating a vegan diet for 8 years. And most phone calls with my parents still include a moment where they worryingly ask, “But are you sure you’re getting enough protein?”

I know this is a common concern that prevents many meat-eaters from trying veganism and causes many vegans (and their parents) worry. But I assure you, getting enough protein on a plant-based diet is possible. It’s taken me a few years to dial it in, but I get enough protein to lift weights, play sports, feel energized, and maintain a fairly muscular build. (Here’s me doing some parkour!)

In this post, I’ll clue you into the habits that help me get over 100g of protein per day. But first, let’s cover how much protein you should aim for.

How much daily protein do you need?

Your protein goals will vary depending on your situation.Here’s a quick cheat sheet of how much protein you need per day:

Category	Grams of protein per lb body weight	Protein needed for a 180 lb person	Protein needed for a 120 lb person
Minimum (sedentary)	0.36	65 g/day	43 g/day
Over age 40	0.5	90 g/day	60 g/day
Regular exerciser	0.6	108 g/day	72 g/day
Serious exerciser	0.66	119 g/day	79 g/day

Let’s go over each category.

Minimum amount of protein

.36g per lb

The minimum amount of daily protein that sedentary adults need to avoid getting sick is .36g of protein per pound of body weight.

I weigh 180lb, so that means I need a minimum of 65g of protein per day (180 x .36 = 65).

Someone who is 120lb needs at least 43g of protein per day.

Over age 40

.5g per lb

To prevent sarcopenia (fancy word for losing muscle in old age), those 40+ should try to get .5g of protein per pound of body weight.

So if you weigh 180lb, that’s 90g of protein per day.

If you weigh 120lb, that’s 60g of protein per day.

For exercisers

.6g per lb

If you regularly exercise, dance, or do sports, then the suggested range is .5-.68g protein per pound.

If you weigh 180lb, that’s 90-122g protein per day.

If you weigh 120lb, that’s 60-82g protein per day.

For serious exercisers

.66g per lb

If you do serious weight lifting or train for endurance competitions, then it’s suggested you consume 0.55–0.77 g of protein per lb.

If you weigh 180lb, that’s 99-139g protein per day.

If you weigh 120lb, that’s 66-92g protein per day.

Now that you know how much protein, let’s go over how to get there.

Vegan protein tip #1: Include a protein source with every meal

The easiest way to up your protein count is to make sure that each meal has a protein star.

It’s not enough to just eat stir-fried veggies and rice or curry with potatoes. You need a protein stalwart to replace meat.

Fortunately, there are tons of tasty protein-dense options. Here are some of my favorites.

Less processed options:

Tofu: 16g protein per half a block
Fava bean tofu: 32g protein per half a block
Pumfu: 17g protein per half a block

More processed options:

Meati mushroom steak: 15g protein per steak (I’m in love with these!)
Beyond Burger: 21g protein per patty
Field Roast sausage: 24g per sausage

If you can slip a protein source into each meal, you’ll be well on your way to fulfilling your protein needs.

Vegan protein tip #2: Take advantage of sneaky protein

I’ve always been a believer in the “little things add up” philosophy.

I walk the stairs instead of taking the elevator to my 3rd-story apartment each day. Which means I burn an extra 14,000 calories per year!

We can use that same principle with food.

A dollop of sunflower butter here, a few navy beans there, and next thing you know, you’re stacking up the grams of protein.

I call these secondary protein sources “sneaky proteins” because I hardly notice them in my food, and yet they notably increase my protein count.

For example, today I ate some mashed potatoes. I slipped a few tablespoons of hemp seeds and nutritional yeast in there. And without noticing, I upped my meal’s protein count by 15g!

Here are some great sneaky protein staples:

Hemp seeds: 10g protein per 3 tbsp
Pumpkin seeds: 8g protein per 3 tbsp
Nutritional yeast: 5g protein per 2 tbsp
Ground flax: 4g protein per 2 tbsp
Garbonzo beans: 4g protein per 4 tbsps

Whether you’re eating pasta, curry, or stir-fry, you can easily get an extra 5-15g of protein per meal with sneaky protein.

Vegan protein tip #3: Never underestimate the power of the smoothie

The smoothie is the great sovereign of the plant-based protein world.

With meat and dairy off the table, a large share of vegan protein comes from nuts and seeds. And smoothies are a place where you can dump as many nuts and seeds as you’d like!

Here’s how to build a mega-protein smoothie:

2 cups of soymilk (14g protein)
3 tbsps peanut butter (12g)
2 scoops pea protein powder (27g)
2 tbsps ground flax (4g)
3 tbsps hemp seeds (10g)
3 tbsps chia seeds (6g)
Buncha fruit (3g)

That adds up to a whopping 76g of protein!

Obviously, you don’t have to go that balls-to-the-wall for every smoothie you make.

But it’s pretty easy to hit 40g of protein in a smoothie. And that’s a huge boost to your daily count.

Vegan protein tip #4: Snack on protein, not carbs

If you’re a snacky person, you can be strategic with your munchies by eating high-protein snacks instead of high-carb snacks.

I’m not saying you should never eat chips, fruit, or crackers for snacks. Eat whatever you fancy! But if you want to get a high protein daily dose, consider some of my favorite vegan protein snacks:

Protein bars: 15g protein. Have you tried Misfits? They taste like a damn candy bar! If you’re not too keen on processed food, you can also make your own bars by freezing a tray of nutter butter, seeds, and dark chocolate.
Vegan jerky: 6g per serving. The delicious power of textured soy protein! I like the brand Louisville.
Lupini “snacking” beans: 4g per 15 beans. Try Brami. These are yummy pickled beans that you can eat by the handful.
Gut nuts: 4g per serving. These nuts from Philosopher Foods are fermented almonds that taste kinda like sourdough bread. Weird, but quite good.
Cereal: 17g per bowl. Kashi has a bunch of protein-heavy cereals. Make sure to eat them with soy milk, though, because most other milks don’t have much protein.

Vegan protein tip #5: Trust your hunger

“Intuitive eating” has become a pillar in my own diet philosophy.

And a lot of it boils down to learning how to listen to your body.

Practically speaking, you can start to notice when your body wants protein, fat, or carbs. And which type of protein, fat, or carbs it wants.

This was tricky for me at first, but it got easier with practice. Any time you are hungry, slow down, close your eyes if you’d like, and ask your body what it wants to eat.

If that’s too vague, think of a few options (Lasagna? Curry? Sandwich?), and notice which ones your belly feels like a “yes” to.

I find this practice useful because I don’t have to meticulously calculate my protein intake each day. Instead, I shoot for feeling satisfied at the end of each meal, and that leads me to getting all the protein I need.

There’s research that supports this philosophy, too.

One study found that when people’s diet contains a smaller proportion of protein, they’ll tend to eat more total food in an unconscious attempt to get the amount of protein they need.

In other words, your body needs a certain amount of protein each day, and you’ll be hungry until you hit that mark.