5 high protein vegan foods that can help in weight loss

Gone are the days when it was a prevalent belief that losing weight translated to a 'try not to eat anything’ challenge! Today, people have accepted the importance of eating healthy while attempting to shed those extra kgs. Moreover, unhealthy dietary choices can contribute to diseases such as hypertension and diabetes (1).

And so, eating healthy is a choice to make for a healthier tomorrow. One of the most important nutrients to consume is protein. 

However, if you are a vegetarian or a vegan, it is extremely essential to plan your diet and include high protein vegan foods in your diet to avoid protein insufficiency or deficiency. Moreover, consuming more protein can contribute to weight loss (2).

How protein helps with weight loss

Consuming protein-rich foods is one of the simplest ways to lose weight. Whenever your body needs food, it sends signals to your brain in the form of hormones (3). So, sending information such as when to eat or how much to eat is processed by your brain through some of the hormones.

Increasing your protein intake can increase the number of hormones that signal satiety (4). Moreover, consuming more protein-rich food is also linked with reducing the levels of the hunger-inducing hormone, ghrelin (5).

So when you introduce high protein vegan food to your diet and replace the foods consisting of excessive fats and carbohydrates, you may be able to bring down your weight levels and get the healthy body you have been looking for.

Meanwhile also read about the plant based foods that are pro in protein.

Which leads us to the question, ‘What plant based food should you include in your high protein vegan diet to lose weight?’ We have put together a list of delicious and nutritious foods that can add protein to your vegetarian diet plan to reduce belly fat and aid you on your weight loss journey:

Nuts

Nuts are one of the nutritious foods rich in protein and they also serve as delicious snacks. Nuts such as almonds and pistachios may be seeds but they are considered nuts by people. A half-cup of salted almonds consists of close to 14g of protein whereas half a cup of pistachios may consist of up to 6g of protein (6,7).

Studies have indicated that an increase in the consumption of nuts can help with weight loss (8). So, grab a bowl and munch on the goodness of these high-protein foods!

Beans

Commonly used in a majority of Indian households, beans are a great source of protein as well as dietary fibre. Beans serve as an excellent source of plant based protein. 

A cup of this high protein Indian food i.e. kidney beans can serve up to 15g of protein and 13g of dietary fibre whereas a cup of black beans can provide you with close to 15g of protein and 15g of dietary fibre making them high protein foods to help you shed those extra kilograms (9,10).

A fibre rich food, beans also have several health benefits that make them a perfect addition to your high protein vegetarian diet for weight loss. Consuming beans is also attributed to helping individuals reduce blood sugar levels (11). And more importantly, beans are an economic source of plant based protein foods!

Tempeh

One of the richest plant based sources of protein, Tempeh is an Indonesian food that is gradually becoming a new favourite among vegans and vegetarians. Prepared by fermenting soybeans with rhizopus culture, Tempeh is not only rich in protein but also serves as a great source of dietary fibre.

A 100g serving of Hello Tempayy can get you 19g of protein or 35 percent of your Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA). Its high protein content makes it a perfect plant based food to add to your diet for weight loss. 

Alongside, a study has indicated that soy-based snacks improve appetite and promote satiety (fullness) as compared to other snacks (12). But that’s not all! At Hello Tempayy, we serve Tempeh which is not only rich in protein and dietary fibre but also has been fortified with iron and vitamin B12 to help you meet your daily nutrient intake requirements.

If you need another reason to consume this superfood, take a look at the benefits of plant based protein that is Tempeh.

• Reduces cholesterol levels (13)
• Helps with hypertension (14)
• Improving insulin resistance (15)
• Good for gut health (16)

Along with the several health benefits of Tempeh, this plant-based food is also proven to be beneficial for individuals with diabetes (17).

Quinoa

Another good source of plant based protein is quinoa. A pseudocereal, quinoa is filled with the goodness of dietary fibre, vitamin B and potassium along with protein. A cup of cooked quinoa can get you up to 8g of protein (18).

Quinoa also is a complete protein, which means it has all the nine essential amino acids that your body needs, making it a must-add to your high protein food list for weight loss. Moreover, quinoa being an insoluble fibre, helps you stay fuller for longer periods and helps you reduce your hunger (19).

Leafy greens

‘Eat your greens’ is something that we’ve all heard since our childhood. However, did you know that eating leafy greens can help you lose weight? Vegetables such as kale and spinach can be extremely beneficial when you are looking to lose some weight.

Kale and spinach are extremely nutritious and they provide you with 4.1g and 2.9g of protein respectively during each serving. While this may sound low as compared to other protein food sources, including them in various meals of the day can help you get all the nutrition you need!

Alongside, studies have shown that increasing your vegetable intake can help you lose weight (20)

Looking for a reliable source of protein? Try Tempeh

If you are on a mission to lose weight, chances are you are looking for foods to include in your daily high protein vegetarian diet plan that can help you do so without fail. Tempeh can help! It is a high-protein and high-fibre food that also satisfies your taste buds.

So, if you are looking forward to trying Tempeh, visit our store and get your hands on this high protein vegetarian food in India. You can also check out Tempeh recipes on the way and try them for yourself!

Read how to cook tempeh like a masterchef and tips & tricks to cook delicious tempeh recipes.