"How do you get enough protein?" Good luck finding a vegetarian who's never heard that before. If you want to answer this question without saying a word, share this post. It maps out a weekly dinner plan complete with seven delicious and satisfying high-protein dinners — all offering around 20 grams of protein that include these vegetarian sources [1].
Monday: Roasted Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burrito
It's packed with black beans, and you could increase the amount of protein by adding cheese or tempeh.
Whole Burrito:
- Calories: 471 [2]
- Protein: 13.7 grams
Salsa Cream:
- Calories: 3 ounces plain nonfat Greek yogurt (50 [3]), 1 tablespoon salsa (8 [4]) = 58
- Protein: 9 grams, 0.3 grams = 9.3 grams
Total:
- Total Calories: 529
- Total Protein: 23 grams
Tuesday: Millet, Lentil, and Pomegranate Salad
A not-so-common grain, millet has a soft consistency and nutty flavor, and when paired with high-protein lentils [5], it offers non-meat-eaters a delicious complete protein.
- Calories: 466 [6]
- Protein: 19.3 grams
Wednesday: Red, White, Bean, and Basil Frittata
Eggs offer a quick protein source, and the beans add even more!
- Calories: 378 [7] (two pieces)
- Protein: 27.4 grams
Thursday: Sautéed Tofu on Green Salad
Choose superfirm tofu over firm; because it's denser, it offers more protein per bite. Marinate, sauté [8], and top it on a fresh green salad with a variety of your favorite veggies.
- Calories: 125 [9] (half the container)
- Protein: 13.8 grams
Salad:
- Calories: 2 cups spinach (14 [10]), 1/2 cup grated carrots (23 [11]), 1/2 cup cucumber slices (8 [12]), 6 cherry tomatoes (18 [13]), 1/4 avocado (80 [14]), 1/4 cup chickpeas (53 [15]), 1 tablespoon sunflower seeds (47 [16]), 2 tablespoons Annie's Gingerly Vinaigrette (40 [17]) = 283
- Protein: 1.7 grams, 0.5 grams, 0.3 grams, 0.9 grams, 1 gram, 3 grams, 1.5 grams, 0 grams = 8.9 grams
Total:
- Total Calories: 408
- Total Protein: 22.7
Photo: Jenny Sugar
Friday: Mexican Quinoa Bites
Another satisfying complete protein, pairing high-protein quinoa with black beans offers tons of fiber to keep you feeling satisfied all night long.
- Calories: 416 [18] (for four bites)
- Protein: 23.2 grams
Saturday: Quinoa Basil Pizza
Even if you're not following a gluten-free diet, this quinoa crust is a nutritious, high-protein option for vegans or vegetarians since it's made with whole-grain quinoa.
Crust:
- Calories: 298 [19] (1/3 of the crust)
- Protein: 11.4 grams
Toppings:
- Calories: 1/4 cup tomato sauce (23 [20]), 1/2 Roma tomato (6 [21]), 3 strips yellow pepper (4 [22]), 1 ounce mozzarella cheese (72 [23]) = 105
- Protein: 1 gram, 0.3 grams, 0.2 grams, 6.9 grams = 8.4 grams
Total:
- Total Calories: 403
- Total Protein: 19.8 grams
Sunday: Split Pea and Sweet Potato Soup
Split peas are one of the best sources of protein, and because they also offer fiber, this recipe is (soup)er filling.
- Calories: 254 [24]
- Protein: 19.3 grams