10 High-Protein Vegetables To Incorporate Into Your Diet

Your body needs a steady supply of protein in order to perform functions like building muscles and producing hormones and neurotransmitters.

If you’re following a typically healthy diet that includes both animal and plant-based sources of protein, hitting your daily protein needs should be relatively easy.

But some people on plant-based diets have a hard time putting together protein-rich meals and snacks. This is because many plant-based foods are generally low in this important nutrient.

Fortunately, there are plenty of plant foods, including some vegetables, that are surprisingly high in protein.

There's a reason lentils are a favorite among dietitians and nutritionists. These little gems are packed with plant-based protein and are rich in vitamins and minerals like folate, iron, magnesium, and potassium. 

Spinach doesn't contain a lot of protein, but it does contain an impressive amount compared to other nonstarchy vegetables. For example, 1 cup of spinach contains 260% more protein than a cup of cooked zucchini13.

When you think of high-protein foods, veggies don't usually come to mind. However, certain vegetables, especially beans, lentils, and peas—collectively known as legumes—are packed with plant-based protein. 

FYI, according to the USDA, beans, peas, and lentils are considered both a vegetable and protein. But unlike animal sources of protein, legumes are packed with nutrients that tend to be low in many American diets, like fiber and potassium.

It's entirely possible to meet your protein needs when following a plant-based diet, but you'll need to pay a little more attention to your meal and snack choices to ensure you're maintaining optimal protein intake. 

First, it's important to note that the current recommended dietary allowance (RDA)26 for protein, which is set at 0.8 gram per kg (g/kg) of body weight [0.36 gram of protein per pound (g/lb)], isn't what you should be aiming for when it comes to protein intake.

The RDA is the minimum amount of protein your body needs to meet amino acid requirements, prevent muscle loss, and maintain nitrogen balance.

Most experts argue that the optimal protein intake for active people is closer to 1.2 to 2.0 g/kg per day26 (0.54–0.9 g/lb), which is much higher than the RDA. 

Protein researcher and professor at McMaster University Stuart Phillips, Ph.D., agrees. He believes that most people should be taking in at least 1.2 g/kg (0.54 g/lb) of protein per day.

When you eat protein, your body breaks it into amino acids—commonly known as the "building blocks" of proteins—then uses them to form new proteins. 

Complete proteins, like soy, fish, eggs, and whey products, are foods that contain all nine essential amino acids that your body needs in the correct ratios.

Many plant-based sources of protein like beans and nuts are considered "incomplete" sources of protein because they are low in one or more of the essential amino acids.

It used to be thought that people following plant-based diets needed to "pair" protein sources with complementary amino acid profiles, like rice and beans, at meals in order to make a "complete" protein.

However, protein pairing at the same meal isn't necessary27 as your body has an amino acid "pool" that contains a variety of amino acids that your body can use to build proteins, create hormones, and more. 

If you're looking for ways to bump up your protein intake on a plant-based diet, consider adding more protein-rich vegetables to your meals and snacks.

Lentils, black beans, green peas, peanuts, and spinach are just a few examples of vegetables that are high in protein.