If you're switching to a vegetarian lifestyle, you might worry that you won't get enough protein in your diet. However, many plant-based foods are sources of protein that you can use as part of a balanced diet, so even if you're eschewing dairy and eggs and going entirely vegan, you easily can eat a protein-rich diet without meat.
Dairy Products
Milk is an excellent source of protein, as are cheeses---and the harder the cheese, the higher amount of protein per ounce. Yogurt and cottage cheese are also good protein sources. Once cup of cow's milk has about 8 g of protein. Cream and butter are mostly made of fat and thus not good protein sources.
Eggs
Eggs are another good source of protein, with about 6 g per large egg. If you're limiting your dietary intake of cholesterol, however, keep in mind that a single large egg yolk contains 213 mg of cholesterol. The egg white, on the other hand, is cholesterol-free.
Beans
Ounce for ounce, some beans are actually even better sources of protein than milk or eggs. One cup of cooked lentils or chickpeas, for example, has about 9 g of protein. Pinto beans, black-eyed peas, black beans and kidney beans are also protein-rich.
Soy Products
Soybeans are usually eaten in a more processed form such as tofu, miso or soy milk. Edamame, which are soybeans boiled in the pod, have a notably high 10 g of protein per ounce. All of these foods are high in protein and worth incorporating into a vegetarian diet.
Nuts and Seeds
Nuts and seeds are also high in protein per gram. Peanuts, pistachios, walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts and cashews are all rich in protein. Flaxseeds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds are as well. One good way to incorporate these into your diet in quantity is to consume nut and seed butters such as peanut butter, sunflower butter and tahini.
Whole Grains
Whole grains are a moderate source of protein, with the best choices being brown rice and whole wheat. Buckwheat, bulghur and millet are also strong, with oats and barley lagging behind. Whole-wheat bread and whole-grain noodles---including Japanese-style soba buckwheat noodles---are also strong high-protein choices.
Vegetables
Some vegetables are relatively high in protein as well. Most notable are broccoli and unpeeled potatoes, both with about 3 g of protein per ounce. Snap peas, shelled peas, corn and spinach are also comparable.
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