1. Find Vegetables High in Protein
For a complete-protein food, which means it contains all 22 essential amino acids needed, you should stick with broccoli, which has about 10 grams of protein, and other leafy vegetables. Beans and peas top out around 9 grams, while eggplant and cauliflower average about 3 grams each. You should combine vegetables with other protein-rich foods to ensure you get all the nutrients you need.
2. Prepare Vegetables to Lock in Protein
Preserve nutrients in vegetables by steaming them lightly. The more you cook food, the more you strip it of its natural value. This locks in nutrients and produces a nice color. However, raw vegetables and salads provide the most amount of protein and other nutrients. Raw food recipes provide a variety of ways to serve unheated dishes that are more exciting then munching on a piece of cauliflower. A true raw diet is usually low in protein, but it does provide all the nutrients you need.
3. Juice Your Way to Protein
To add variety to your vegetables, try juicing spinach and kale for a protein boost. You may need to get used to the taste of vegetable juice. Green juices can be the hardest to get used to, but provides the highest protein content. If you are not used to juicing, try combining cucumber and fennel for your first few drinks. Carrots are also a good choice for early juices. As you get used to fresh vegetable juices, start working with food that contains more protein. You can have these juices for breakfast or lunch, or as a healthy snack.
4. Add Protein to Your Food
Since not all vegetables contain the necessary amino acids to create protein in your body, you may want to add other protein-rich food and supplements. If not all amino acids are present, the vegetable protein turns to fat or is burned as energy instead providing muscle growth and maintenance. Long a favorite of vegans, nutritional yeast adds nutrients and flavor to food. It enhances the flavor of raw and cooked broccoli, spinach and bell peppers. To form complete proteins, you can combine vegetables with rice or bread, which contain amino acids that many vegetables are missing. Another good additive is pasta. Raw forms of pasta are usually made with zucchini or similar food and do not create the needed combination of complete amino acids, but you can use whole wheat pasta as a healthy alternative.
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