A high-protein vegetarian menu

Gines Tello

Graduado en Nutrición Humana y Dietética, certificación ISAK nivel 2. Curso de Nutrición Deportiva en deportes específicos, F. Holway. Curso de Entrenamiento del Sistema Digestivo, Aitor Viribay. Curso en requerimientos de proteína, G. Quesada.

You might sometimes think it is difficult to get enough protein from a vegetarian diet. We are here to challenge that myth!

Before sharing our high-protein vegetarian menu, let us look at some protein-rich plant foods:

Protein-rich plant foods (amount per 100 g)

Why should we include protein in our diet?

Protein is a key macronutrient involved in building muscle, an important tissue worth looking after.

Think of muscles as a house and protein as the bricks needed to build it. Bricks alone are not enough: you also need builders, represented here by strength training. We will leave that for another post.

The main point is that maintaining and repairing muscle requires sufficient protein.

Protein recommendations for athletes

This article uses a range of 1.4–2.2 g per kg of body weight per day for vegetarian athletes; the right target depends on training and individual circumstances.

For a 70 kg athlete, this is 98–154 g per day.

High-protein vegetarian menu

The example menu below provides approximately 116 g of protein.

Breakfast
Egg and chocolate chip mug cake

• Oat flour – 25g (two tablespoons)
• Banana – 50g (half banana/banana small)
• Baking powder – 5g (dessertspoon)
• Egg – 60 g (one egg)
• Ground cinnamon – 5g (to taste)
• 80% dark chocolate – 10 g (one chopped square)

1. Mash the banana with a fork.
2. Mix thoroughly with the oat flour, beaten egg, baking powder and cinnamon.
3. Pour into a microwave-safe mug.
4. Microwave on full power for 1 minute. Depending on the appliance, another minute may be needed; check it is cooked through.
5. Top the hot mug cake with chopped chocolate so it melts. Enjoy!

Kcal: 324kcal (with these quantities)
Protein: 20% of calories 
Carbohydrates: 49% of calories
Fat: 31% of calories

Eggs provide complete protein with all essential amino acids. Including protein at breakfast contributes to your daily total. This sweet, filling recipe uses banana for sweetness; whether it contains added sugars depends on the chocolate chosen.

Mid-morning meal
Soya yoghurt with berries and hemp seeds

• Soya yoghurt – 125g (piece)
• Blueberries – 10 g (one tablespoon)
• Raspberries – 10 g (one tablespoon)
• Hemp seeds – 10 g (one dessertspoon)

1. Spoon the yoghurt into a bowl.
2. Grind the hemp seeds in a bullet blender and sprinkle over the top.
3. Add fresh raspberries and blueberries. Frozen berries can also be used according to their preparation instructions.

Kcal: 144kcal (with these quantities)
Protein: 25% of calories 
Carbohydrates: 25% of calories
Fat: 50% of calories

Hemp seeds can contain over 30% protein and also provide essential fatty acids. Their fibre content depends on whether they are hulled. Grinding whole seeds can make their contents more accessible.

Berries contribute to a varied diet and normal immune function, but eating them daily does not guarantee protection from illness.

Lunch
Bean stew with vegetables and seitan

• Dried beans – 60g (one cup)
• Onion – 40g (half piece)
• Tomato – 40g (half piece)
• Garlic – 1g (half a clove)
• Seitan – 70g (one medium piece)
• Paprika – 5g (one dessertspoon)
• Bay leaf – 2g (one dried leaf)
• Olive oil – 5g (one spoonful)
• Pepper – 1 g (to taste)
• Salt – 1g (to taste)

1. Soak the dried beans in plenty of water for at least 12 hours. Alternatively, use cooked tinned beans, allowing for the roughly threefold increase in weight when dried pulses absorb water during cooking.
2. Heat a little olive oil in a pan and sauté half the onion with the chopped garlic.
3. Add the tomato and half the carrot in small pieces. Sauté, remove from the heat, blend and return to the pan.
4. Add the remaining vegetables and drained soaked beans, using fresh cooking water.
5. Cover generously with water, season and add the bay leaf. For dried beans, follow the packet’s boiling instructions before simmering for around an hour or until thoroughly cooked; do not cook raw kidney beans only at a gentle simmer.
6. Meanwhile, sauté the seitan until golden.
7. Adjust the seasoning and serve the beans with the seitan.

Kcal: 400kcal (with these quantities)
Protein: 32% of calories
Carbohydrates: 50% of calories
Fat: 18% of calories

Pulses provide fibre and plant-based protein. They can feature regularly in meals, including hummus and salads.

Afternoon snack
Sweet egg-white omelette with peanut butter and strawberries

• Egg whites – 100 g (approximately 4 whites)
• Peanut butter 15 g (a tablespoon)
• 0% whipped fresh cheese – 20 g (two tablespoons)
• Strawberries – 60 g (3 or 4 strawberries)
• Desiccated coconut – 10 g (one dessertspoon)
• Liquid sweetener – 2g (one dessertspoon)

1. Whisk the egg whites until slightly foamy, add sweetener and continue whisking.
2. Stir in the 0% fat whipped fresh cheese with a spoon.
3. Pour into a frying pan. Add cinnamon if you like.
4. Cook like an omelette, turning carefully with a spatula when almost set, until cooked through.
5. Slice the strawberries and serve with peanut butter and desiccated coconut.

Kcal: 233kcal (with these quantities)
Protein: 32% of calories
Carbohydrates: 20% of calories
Fat: 49% of calories

Peanut butter is a convenient way to include peanuts, which are legumes often grouped with nuts in everyday eating. It provides unsaturated fats and is energy-dense, so choose portions that suit your activity and needs.

Dinner
Courgettes stuffed with textured soya protein

• Courgette – 200 g (one large piece)
• Crushed tomatoes – 80 g (the source also lists 1½ cups; use the stated weight)
• Fine textured soya protein – 50g (one cup)
• Parmesan-style vegetarian cheese or vegan cheese – 15 g (one spoonful)
• Olive oil – 10g (one spoonful)
• Salt – 1g (one pinch)
• Pepper – 1 g (a pinch)
• Parsley – 5g (to taste)

1. Soak the textured soya protein for at least 15 minutes to hydrate it.
2. Preheat the oven to 180°C. You can also use an air fryer at the same temperature, adjusting the time to the appliance.
3. Cut the tops off the courgettes and carefully scoop out the flesh, using a melon baller or spoon.
4. Put the courgettes on baking paper and bake for around 15 minutes.
5. Finely chop the onion and soften in a frying pan with a little oil. Add the chopped courgette flesh.
6. Add the drained soya protein and sauté, stirring occasionally.
7. Season with salt and pepper and add the crushed tomatoes.
8. Cook until much of the water has evaporated, then add chopped parsley.
9. Fill the baked courgettes with the mixture and top with vegetarian or vegan cheese if you like. Traditional Parmesan uses animal rennet, so check the label for a vegetarian option.
10. Brown at 200°C for 10–15 minutes.

Kcal: 412kcal (with these quantities)
Protein: 37% of calories
Carbohydrates: 37% of calories
Fat: 26% of calories

Stuffed courgettes are a versatile way to enjoy vegetables in any season. Textured soya protein resembles mince and takes on the flavours of the ingredients around it.

Does this high-protein vegetarian menu suit every athlete?

Calling this a vegetarian menu does not mean it suits everyone who follows a vegetarian diet.

These recipes are intended to be vegetarian-friendly, using vegetarian cheese where needed. We also need to consider medical conditions, allergies and intolerances.

For example, someone with coeliac disease cannot eat the stew as written because seitan is made from wheat gluten.

Someone with a peanut allergy cannot have the afternoon omelette with peanut butter.

As always, individualisation is essential: what suits one person may not suit another.

If you want more than this high-protein vegetarian menu and would like options tailored completely to you, explore our online sports nutritionist service.