Protein is crucial to the human diet and probably recognized most for its ability to repair tissues and build muscle. The standard approach to fulfilling the body's protein requirements is to eat meat, but eating meat is morally offensive to some, and meat typically contains large amounts of saturated fat. Because of an increasing awareness that saturated fat contributes to heart disease and obesity, many people are seeking alternative sources of protein.
Dairy Products
Because dairy products come from animals, they are not suitable for a vegan diet. But lacto-ovo vegetarians can find high-quality protein such as milk, eggs, yogurt and cheese in dairy products. Some are high in fat, which makes them a poor choice if you are avoiding meat because of its high fat content. However, all of these products have low-fat or fat-free alternatives, and many are high in protein. The Fat Free Kitchen reports that one cup of yogurt made with skim milk contains 13 g of protein, and part-skim ricotta cheese has a whopping 28 g per cup. While egg yolks are high in fat, egg whites contain little and more protein than yolks, and egg whites are conveniently packed in cartons in the egg sections of most grocery stores.
Tofu
Tofu is a soybean-curd product that contains all nine amino acids your own body can't manufacture, making it a "complete protein." It also has multiple culinary purposes. The "silken" variety is normally used for smoothies and desserts, while "extra firm" tofu is typically used in stir fries and soups, according to the International Vegetarian Union. Soyfoods reports that tofu contains less than a gram of saturated fat per 4 oz. serving and nearly 10 g of protein. Frozen tofu can replace hamburger in many dishes.
Tempeh
Tempeh is fermented soybeans pressed into "cakes" for meatless cooking. It is high in protein and used as a meat substitute by all varieties of vegetarians. It contains no animal products and has a "nutty flavor." According to World's Healthiest Foods, a 4-oz. serving of cooked tempeh contains more than 20 g of complete protein, or more than double what tofu offers. Although tempeh is higher in saturated fat than tofu (but still low compared to meat), having 3.7 g for the same size serving, eating soy products such as tempeh actually seems to lower serum cholesterol. Tempeh has become popular because of its high protein content and overall health benefits and can be found in freezer sections of many supermarkets, as well as health food stores.
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