Top 10 Vegan Sources of Protein

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Written by Daisy Whitbread, BSc (Hons) MSc DipIONPowered by USDA Nutrition Data
Top 10 Vegan Sources of Protein

Veganism is a diet that avoids all foods from animals. This includes meats, seafood, cheese, milk, and eggs. Some vegans are concerned about getting enough protein and all the essential amino acids.

Several companies have gone into business creating artificial meat products using soy and seitan (wheat gluten). This list avoids such foods, sticking instead to natural, whole and healthy foods.

Whole and healthy vegan sources of protein include tofu, beans, lentils, soymilk, green peas, nuts, seeds, whole grains, peanut butter, spinach, sweet corn, and mushrooms. The daily value (DV) for protein is set at 50 grams per day. This is a general target meant for most people.

For more vegan sources of protein see our lists of beans, grains, nuts, vegetables, and fruits high in protein.

Top 10 Vegan Sources of Protein

A block of tofu

#1: Firm Tofu

Protein
per Cup		Protein
per 100g		Protein
per 200 Calories
43.5g
(87% DV)		17.3g
(35% DV)		24g
(48% DV)
Nutrition Facts for Firm Tofu. (Source)

More Tofu High in Protein

  • 20g (40% DV) per cup of medium soft tofu
  • 18g (36% DV) per cup of soft tofu
  • 34g (67% DV) per cup of tempeh (fermented tofu)

Note: The amount of protein in tofu can range between 4.8g (10% DV) to 17.3g (35% DV) per 100 gram serving (or a little less than 1/2 cup).

See the nutrition comparison of 10 common tofu brands. To find more, use the detailed nutrient ranking of all vegan foods high in protein.

Looking for a brand with this much protein? Try House Foods Tofu.

Lentils

#2: Lentils

Protein
per Cup		Protein
per 100g		Protein
per 200 Calories
17.9g
(36% DV)		9g
(18% DV)		15.6g
(31% DV)
Nutrition Facts for Lentils (Cooked). (Source)

More Beans High in Protein

  • 17.4g (35% DV) per cup of large white beans
  • 16.3g (33% DV) per cup of split peas
  • 15.4g (31% DV) per cup of pinto beans
  • 15.2g (30% DV) per cup of black beans
  • 15g (30% DV) per cup of navy beans
  • 14.7g (29% DV) per cup of large lima beans
  • 14.5g (29% DV) per cup of chickpeas (garbanzo beans)

See more beans and legumes high in protein.

Soymilk

#3: Unsweetened Soymilk

Protein
per 16oz Glass		Protein
per 100g		Protein
per 200 Calories
14g
(28% DV)		2.9g
(6% DV)		17.5g
(35% DV)
Nutrition Facts for Unsweetened Soy Milk. (Source)
Green Peas

#4: Green Peas

Protein
per Cup Cooked		Protein
per 100g		Protein
per 200 Calories
8.6g
(17% DV)		5.4g
(11% DV)		12.8g
(26% DV)
Nutrition Facts for Cooked Green Peas. (Source)

See more vegetables high in protein.

Squash and Pumpkin Seeds

#5: Squash and Pumpkin Seeds

Protein
per 1oz Handful		Protein
per 100g		Protein
per 200 Calories
8.5g
(17% DV)		29.8g
(60% DV)		10.4g
(21% DV)
Nutrition Facts for Roasted Squash And Pumpkin Seeds (Unsalted). (Source)

Other Nuts and Seeds High in Protein

  • 6.9g (14% DV) per 1 oz handful of peanuts
  • 6g (12% DV) per 1 oz handful of almonds
  • 6g (12% DV) per 1 oz handful of pistachios
  • 5.5g (11% DV) per oz of sunflower seeds
  • 5.2g (10% DV) per oz of flax seeds
  • 4.7g (9% DV) per oz (~2 tbsp) of chia seeds
  • 4.3g (9% DV) per oz of cashews
See more high protein nuts.
A bowl of quinoa

#6: Quinoa

Protein
per Cup		Protein
per 100g		Protein
per 200 Calories
8.1g
(16% DV)		4.4g
(9% DV)		7.3g
(15% DV)
Nutrition Facts for Quinoa Cooked. (Source)

Other Whole Grains High in Protein

  • 9.8g (20% DV) per cup of kamut
  • 9.8g (20% DV) per cup of teff
  • 7g (14% DV) per cup of whole wheat pasta
  • 5.9g (12% DV) per cup of oatmeal
  • 4.4g (9% DV) per cup of grits

See the list of whole grains high in protein.

Peanut Butter

#7: Peanut Butter

Protein
2 Tblsp		Protein
per 100g		Protein
per 200 Calories
7.7g
(15% DV)		24.1g
(48% DV)		8.2g
(16% DV)
Nutrition Facts for Peanut Butter (Chunk Style). (Source)
A Bowl of Spinach

#8: Spinach

Protein
per Cup Cooked		Protein
per 100g		Protein
per 200 Calories
5.3g
(11% DV)		3g
(6% DV)		25.8g
(52% DV)
Nutrition Facts for Cooked Spinach. (Source)

More Dark Leafy Greens High in Protein

  • 5g (10% DV) per cup of cooked collard greens
  • 3.5g (7% DV) per cup of cooked mustard greens
  • 3.5g (7% DV) per cup of cooked Swiss chard
  • 2.5g (5% DV) per cup of cooked kale

Note: Cooking reduces the water content of the greens, allowing you to eat more greens and protein per cup.

See the curated list of vegetables high in protein.

Yellow Sweet Corn

#9: Sweet Corn

Protein
per Cup Cooked		Protein
per 100g		Protein
per 200 Calories
4.7g
(9% DV)		3.3g
(7% DV)		7.6g
(15% DV)
Nutrition Facts for Yellow Sweet Corn. (Source)
White Button Mushrooms

#10: Mushrooms

Protein
per Cup Cooked		Protein
per 100g		Protein
per 200 Calories
3.9g
(8% DV)		3.6g
(7% DV)		27.5g
(55% DV)
Nutrition Facts for White Button Mushrooms (Stir-Fried). (Source)

More Mushrooms High in Protein

  • 4g (8% DV) per cup of cooked portobello
  • 3.5g (7% DV) per cup of cooked shiitake
  • 3g (6% DV) per cup of oyster mushrooms
  • 2g (4% DV) per cup of morels
  • 2g (4% DV) per cup of cremini
  • 1.5g (3% DV) per cup of enokis

Note: Cooking reduces the water content of mushrooms, allowing you to eat more mushrooms and more protein per cup.

See the curated list of vegetables high in protein.

See All 200 Vegan Foods High in Protein

Printable One Page Sheet

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A printable one-page list of vegan foods high in protein.

More Protein Rich Foods for Vegans

FoodServingProtein
#1 Dry Roasted Soybeans
View (Source)
per cup81% DV
(40.3g)
#2 Natto (Fermented Soybeans)
View (Source)
per cup68% DV
(34g)
#3 Tempeh
View (Source)
per cup67% DV
(33.7g)
#4 Soybean Sprouts
View (Source)
1 cup18% DV
(9.2g)
#5 Asparagus
View (Source)
per cup cooked9% DV
(4.3g)
#6 Guavas
View (Source)
per Cup8% DV
(4.2g)
#7 Artichokes (Globe or French)
View (Source)
in a medium artichoke8% DV
(4.2g)
#8 Raisins
View (Source)
per oz2% DV
(0.9g)

About the Data

Data for the curated food lists comes from the USDA Food Data Central Repository.

You can check our data against the USDA by clicking the (Source) link at the bottom of each food listing.

Note: When checking data please be sure the serving sizes are the same. In the rare case you find any difference, please contact us and we will fix it right away.

About Nutrient Targets

Setting targets can provide a guide to healthy eating.

Some of the most popular targets include:
  • Daily Value (%DV) - The %DV is a general guideline for everyone and takes into account absorption factors. It is the most common target in the U.S. and found on the nutrition labels of most products. It is set by the U.S. FDA.
  • Reference Dietary Intake (%RDI) - The Reference Dietary Intake (RDI) accounts for age and gender. It is set by the U.S. Institute of Medicine. The RDI for amino acids is set by the U.N. World Health Organization. The daily value (%DV) builds on the reference dietary intake to create a number for everyone.
  • Adequate Intake (%AI) - Sets a target for Omega 3 and Omega 6 fats. The Adequate Intake is also set by the U.S. Institute of Medicine. It represents a number to ensure adequacy but lacks the same level of evidence as the Reference Dietary Intake. In short, the number is less accurate than the RDI.

    • See the Guide to Recommended Daily Intakes for more information.

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View more food groups with the nutrient ranking tool, or see ratios with the nutrient ratio tool.

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Data Sources and References

  1. U.S. Agricultural Research Service Food Data Central