A lot has been said about plant-based proteins. It won’t help you get bigger. It’s just not potent enough. It’s inferior to animal protein and what not. Now, this is what science has to say- there’s no such thing as complete or incomplete protein. Proteins are made up of amino acids (9 essential, 8 conditionally essential and 5 non-essential amino acids). Thus, some sources of vegetarian protein might be deficient in some of these amino acids but combining different sources of vegetarian protein together can easily fuel your body with a complete spectrum of amino acids. So, now shut up about demeaning plant protein and get your hands on these excellent sources of vegetarian protein.

1)   Low Fat Paneer and Tofu

Paneer and Tofu are often recommended as a staple to vegetarians trying to pack on muscle.  Paneer and Tofu are also high in fat (Macronutrients: Protein~20g, Fats~ 20-25g/100g), therefore if you intend to get ~60g of protein from them, you will end up consuming ~100g fat as well. No, fats are not bad but 100g of fat just from paneer/tofu, plus the additional fat you will be consuming from other food sources will surely shoot up your caloric intake. This is the reason I recommend vegetarians consume low-fat variants of paneer/tofu.

2) Nuts 

Nuts are a treasure of calories and are superb for weight gaining. Even if weight gain isn’t your goal, you should be consuming them because they’re rich in unsaturated fats and come with bonus quality protein content.  (Macronutrients: Protein~20g, Fats~ 50g, Carbs~20/100g). If you’re consuming 70g fats in a day and choose to add 40g of it from nuts, you add up 16g of quality protein in your diet.

3) Milk

Milk is a gift for vegetarians. It has high-grade casein protein that has all the essential amino acids. Some idiotic gurus proclaim milk to be bad due to the presence of lactose, but lactose isn’t harmful unless you’re lactose intolerant. One full of glass of milk will provide your body with 12 g of wholesome protein. But, make sure you opt for double toned milk to keep your calories in check. If you’re a skinny dude, full cream milk is a good idea as the high-fat content will only be a bonus for you.

4) Lentils and Pulses

Pulses have 20% protein content per 100g which is similar to chicken or fish (Macronutrients: Protein~20g, Fats~ 1-2  Carbs~60g, /100g). I’d suggest boiling them in a pressure cooker, separating the water, add some chopped onions & tomatoes, squeeze a lemon and sprinkle some chat masala on top of it. And you’ll have a complete meal, high in protein and carbohydrates, you can also add a spoon of ghee or butter.

5) Protein Powders

It is 2017 so please stop thinking that protein powders are steroids. They are made from natural whole foods like milk, pea, hemp or rice. Non-vegetarians have the advantage of ready to eat protein foods like chicken ham slices or sausages. Vegetarian foods on the other hand,  always need to be cooked, which takes time. Therefore, a protein powder supplement becomes even more important if you’re a vegetarian, in order to meet your protein goals.