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Andrea Michelson
- Getting enough protein can be a challenging if you're eating a plant-based diet.
- Not all plant-based proteins are complete, meaning they contain all the essential amino acids.
- Tofu, seitan, beans, and veggie burgers all have their own benefits and downsides.
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Choose a plant-based protein that's right for your dietary needs.
Eating a plant-based diet offers plenty of health benefits, but one of the potential trade-offs is not getting enough protein.
Vegans, vegetarians, and flexitarians have many plant-based protein sources to choose from. But while beans, legumes, and soy are typically lower in fat and higher in fiber than their animal-based counterparts, it's hard to beat the amount of protein per serving you get from meat.
The best protein source for you may depend on your dietary needs and restrictions. Insider spoke with a registered dietitian about how to choose.
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Soy protein is one of the few complete plant proteins.
No other plant protein has been studied as extensively as soy protein, registered dietitian Kris Sollid told Insider.
"Soy protein is unique in the sense that it is one of the few plant proteins that is considered a complete protein, meaning that it contains all 9 essential amino acids," said Sollid, senior director of nutrition communications at International Food Information Council.
Plant eaters can get a full range of protein, as well as fiber and omega-3 fatty acids, from soy protein options like tofu and tempeh. Soy protein is also known to help lower cholesterol, Sollid said.
However, soy is a potential allergen. About three in every 1,000 adults are allergic to soy protein.
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Seitan contains more protein per pound than most vegetarian options.
Seitan is a somewhat new term for a very old plant-based protein, registered dietitian and author Maggie Moon told Well and Good. The wheat gluten patty has been a staple in Asian diets for years, she said.
Packaged seitan tends to be high in sodium, Sollid said, but it's a protein-packed alternative for vegetarians who are allergic to soy. It's also texturally similar to meat, which could be appealing for former meat-eaters trying to cut back.
On first look, seitan has more protein than most other plant-based options. A serving of seitan has around 21 grams of protein, while an equivalent amount of firm tofu has only 8 grams.
But seitan lacks the amino acids lysine and threonine, so it's not a complete protein. Dietitians recommend supplementing it with other foods like beans or lentils to make sure you're getting all the essential amino acids.
As it's made of wheat, seitan is not an option for those with Celiac disease or a gluten sensitivity. However, it's relatively low-carb compared to other wheat products.
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Pulses, like chickpeas and beans, are good for heart health.
Lentils, chickpeas, beans, and peas all fall into the category of pulses, or the edible seeds from the legume family.
Pulses are not only high in protein, but also rich in important vitamins and minerals such as fiber, iron, and folate. Many pulses are complete proteins or close; for example, combining rice and beans will give you the full range of amino acids.
Sollid added that eating pulses is good for heart health, since they can help to lower cholesterol and blood pressure.
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Plant-based burgers might not be much healthier than the real thing.
You might think that plant-based alternatives are healthier than meat, but the Impossible Burger may be more similar to a beef patty than you think.
Sollid shared IFIC consumer research that found more people think plant-based burgers are healthier than beef burgers (41%) than believe beef burgers are the healthier option (31%).
However, the Impossible Burger contains much more sodium (300mg more) and a little less protein than a patty made of lean ground beef.
Most veggie patties are richer in fiber and other micronutrients compared to meat, but in this case, plant-based does not necessarily mean healthier.
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