Top five vegetarian protein sources to add to your salads
Salads are nothing short of a boon for your health. Filled with fresh veggies and fruits, they are naturally high in fiber, protein, antioxidants and other essential vitamins and minerals. Therefore, they can boost your strength, endurance, brain function, and immunity. Moreover, they are delightfully easy and quick to prepare. Here are five best vegetarian sources of protein you should add to your salads.
Nuts
Nuts (almonds, cashews, peanuts) are great protein-rich options you can add to your salad meals. With just a handful of nuts (25-30 grams), you get 5-7 grams of protein, depending on the type of nut variety. Further, they are also rich in fiber, healthy fats, iron, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus. But don't toss too many of them, if you wish to lose weight.
#2: Soy foods
All soy-based food items are great sources of protein, so much so that their protein content is high enough to compete with their non-vegetarian counterparts. From soybean to tofu and soy nuts, there are plenty of high-protein soy foods you can add to your salads.
Pulses, lentils and beans
A desi way to get more protein for vegetarians is by including more lentils, pulses, and beans in diet. According to Harvard School of Public Health, one cup of cooked lentils contains nearly 18 grams of protein and 15 grams of fiber, with virtually no saturated fats or sodium. So add more of boiled kidney beans, chickpeas etc. to your salads.
Dairy products
Apart from being a great source of calcium, dairy products also contain decent amount of protein in them. Paneer (cottage cheese) is a great option- an ounce of it provides nearly 7 grams protein. So, cut small cubes of fresh cottage cheese and toss into your salads. Eat regularly to get more protein into your system.
Oats
Although not complete protein, but as compared to other grains (read wheat and rice), oats are a good source of high-quality protein for vegetarians. A half-cup of dry oats (150 calories) will supply you with nearly 6 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber. Furthermore, they also have decent amount of magnesium, zinc, phosphorus and folate. Stay healthy!
