How to Get 100 Grams of Protein a Day on a Vegan Diet

If you’re vegan, you’ve probably fielded your fair share of questions about where you get your protein. And while you certainly don’t need to obsess over protein, hitting 100 grams of protein a day can be a helpful goal for some people, especially if you’re active, trying to build muscle, or simply looking to prioritize protein in your diet.

Believe it or not, you don’t need to eat tofu for every meal or live on protein shakes to get there. With the right combination of foods, your daily protein intake can stack up surprisingly quickly.

As a registered dietitian and longtime vegetarian, I’m breaking down exactly how to get 100 grams of protein a day on a vegan diet, including how much protein you actually need, the best high-protein vegan foods to keep stocked in your kitchen, and some meal ideas to make reaching your goal a little easier.

How much protein do you need?

Before we dive into how to hit 100 grams of protein a day, it’s important to cover whether you actually need 100 grams in the first place. Protein needs aren’t one-size-fits-all, and your ideal intake depends on things like your body size, activity level, age, and health goals.

For healthy adults, the current Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, which works out to about 0.36 grams per pound. This is generally used as a baseline for preventing protein deficiency, but it’s not necessarily the amount that’s optimal for everyone.

If you exercise regularly, are trying to build or maintain muscle, are older, or simply want to prioritize protein in your diet, you may benefit from eating more than the RDA. Current guidelines suggest that protein intakes up to about 1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight per day might be appropriate for some people, including those with higher protein needs or specific fitness goals.

That means a 100-gram protein target can be perfectly reasonable for some people, but it’s not a magic number everyone needs to hit.

Here’s a quick cheat sheet to help you calculate your protein needs:

Body weight	Lower end (0.8 g/kg)	Higher end (1.6 g/kg)
100 lb	36 g	73 g
120 lb	44 g	87 g
140 lb	51 g	102 g
160 lb	58 g	116 g
180 lb	65 g	131 g
200 lb	73 g	145 g
220 lb	80 g	160 g
240 lb	87 g	174 g

Is it possible to get 100 grams of protein on a vegan diet?

Getting 100 grams of protein a day on a vegan diet is definitely doable, but it requires being a bit more intentional about where your protein is coming from. While foods like fruits, veggies, and grains contribute some protein, they typically aren’t concentrated enough to get you to 100 grams without eating quite a bit.

Instead, focus on building meals around protein-rich plant foods like tofu, tempeh, seitan, lentils, beans, edamame, and soy milk. You can also use higher-protein options like protein pasta, vegan meat alternatives, seeds, and plant-based protein powders to help fill in the gaps.

By including a solid source of protein at every meal and snack, your protein intake can add up surprisingly fast.

Best high-protein vegan foods

If your goal is to reach 100 grams of protein a day, it helps to know which plant-based foods pack in the most protein per serving. Some foods, like tofu, tempeh, seitan, and legumes, can make a big dent in your daily total, while nuts and seeds can add a helpful boost.

While the precise protein content of foods can vary based on the brand and preparation method, the table below highlights a few high-protein vegan foods to consider adding to your menu:

Food	Serving size	Protein content
Seitan	3 oz	20-25 g
Tempeh	3 oz	17 g
Firm tofu	½ cup	21-22 g
Edamame	1 cup	19 g
Lentils, cooked	1 cup	18 g
Black beans, cooked	1 cup	15 g
Chickpeas, cooked	1 cup	15 g
Green peas, cooked	1 cup	8 g
Soy milk	1 cup	7 g
Hemp seeds	3 tbsp	10 g
Chia seeds	2 tbsp	5 g
Nutritional yeast	2 tbsp	10 g
Peanut butter	2 tbsp	7 g
Quinoa, cooked	1 cup	8 g

Tips for getting 100 grams of protein per day

Getting to 100 grams of protein doesn’t mean you need to log every single bite into your meal tracker or eat the same tofu bowl on repeat. A few simple strategies can make it much easier to spread your protein intake throughout the day and ultimately reach your goals.

Here are some tips for getting 100 grams of protein per day on a vegan diet:

• Include protein at every meal: Instead of trying to cram 100 grams of protein into one or two meals, aim for roughly 25-30 grams at breakfast, lunch, and dinner, then use snacks to make up the difference.
• Make protein the star of your meals: Build meals around foods like tofu, tempeh, seitan, lentils, beans, or edamame rather than treating them as a side.
• Keep easy protein sources on hand: Stock your kitchen with staples like edamame, canned beans, tofu, tempeh, soy milk, and high-protein pasta.
• Choose soy foods regularly: Tofu, tempeh, edamame, and soy milk are particularly useful because they provide a good amount of protein in a small serving.
• Snack strategically: A snack with 10-20 grams of protein can make reaching 100 grams a lot easier. Stick to high-protein snacks like roasted edamame, soy yogurt, or a protein smoothie whenever possible.
• Give meals a boost: Hemp seeds, chia seeds, and nutritional yeast can add extra protein without requiring you to completely change a meal.
• Don’t be afraid of convenience foods: Vegan protein powders, protein bars, higher-protein pasta, and plant-based meat alternatives can all be useful tools, especially on busy days.

Sample vegan meal plan with 100 grams of protein

Need some inspiration? Here’s a five-day vegan meal plan with around 100 grams of protein per day.

Day 1

• Breakfast: chia pudding with soy milk and fruit (15 grams)
• Lunch: lentil and quinoa veggie bowl (25 grams)
• Dinner: High-Protein Vegan Orange Chicken with brown rice and steamed broccoli (42 grams)
• Snacks: Tropical Fruit Smoothie (13 grams) and a handful of almonds (6 grams)
• Daily Total: 101 grams

Day 2

• Breakfast: Southwest Tofu Scramble with two slices of whole-wheat toast and ½ avocado (22 grams)
• Lunch: chickpea pasta with vegan meat sauce (37 grams)
• Dinner: Roasted Tofu Veggie Bowls with Sunflower Sauce (22 grams)
• Snacks: soy yogurt with hemp seeds (20 grams)
• Daily Total: 101 grams

Day 3

• Breakfast: overnight oats made with soy milk, chia seeds, and peanut butter (25 grams)
• Lunch: Black Bean Burrito Bowls with Creamy Cashew Sauce (24 grams)
• Dinner: Vegan Tofu Gyros (29 grams)
• Snacks: roasted edamame (19 grams) and apple with peanut butter (8 grams)
• Daily Total: 105 grams

Day 4

• Breakfast: high-protein bagel with hummus (22 grams)
• Lunch: tempeh tacos with black beans (30 grams)
• Dinner: Teriyaki Tofu Quinoa Bowls (35 grams)
• Snacks: Chickpea Cookie Cups (10 grams) and Peanut Butter Protein Balls (6 grams)
• Daily Total: 103 grams

Day 5

• Breakfast: Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Smoothie (40 grams)
• Lunch: Vegan Tofu Egg Roll Burritos (26 grams)
• Dinner: seitan stir-fry with brown rice and vegetables (30 grams)
• Snacks: roasted chickpeas (10 grams)
• Daily Total: 106 grams

FAQ

Healthy vegan recipes

Conclusion

Hitting 100 grams of protein a day on a vegan diet is actually a lot easier than it might seem.

By building meals around high-protein foods like tofu, tempeh, seitan, and legumes and adding protein-packed snacks when needed, you can reach your goal without making your diet feel overly restrictive or repetitive.

It’s all about focusing on your overall intake and making a few strategic swaps to add more protein to your meals and snacks.