
What's the Difference Between Plant and Animal Protein?
Protein is an essential part of a healthy diet. It helps to build, repair, and maintain our body’s structures.
Proteins are made up of amino acids. Although our body requires a balance of all 22 types of amino acids, we cannot naturally produce 9 of these - called essential amino acids. It is therefore important that a complete protein source refers to foods that contains all 9 of these essential amino acids.
There are so many different sources of plant protein, and it is important to mix them up by eating different types, to ensure that you're getting all of your essential amino acids. Plant foods such as quinoa and buckwheat are complete sources of protein - meaning, they contain all 9 essential amino acids.
In our free vegan muscle building guide, we show how much protein is in each food, plus a meal plan worth over 60g of daily protein.
It is well known that animal proteins typically tend to contain higher amounts of iron and vitamin B-12, often due to the supplements added to the animal feed. On the other hand, plant proteins tend to be higher in plant-specific nutrients, called phytonutrients, as well as some antioxidants, which are absent from sources of animal protein. Plant proteins are also higher in fibre and therefore more easily digestable and therefore provide the body with greater and more sustained energy levels [1]
Explore the Different Types of Plant Based Protein
Whole Foods
- Lentils
- Chickpeas
- Kidney Beans
- Black Beans
- Edamame
- Quinoa
- Oats
Nuts and Seeds
- Walnuts
- Almonds
- Chia seeds (just 2 tablespoons contain 6g protein!)
- Cashews
- Peanuts
- Pistachios
- Flaxseeds
- Pumpkin seeds
Meat Substitutes
- Soya proteins
- Tempeh
- Seitan
- Tofu
Meal Examples
Breakfast
- Chia pudding
- Oatmeal with chia seeds, peanut butter and berries
- Overnight oats
- Hummus and tomatoes on toast
- Scrambled tofu
- Smoothie bowl
- Breakfast smoothies
Lunch
- Falafel and hummus wrap
- Smoky chickpeas on toast
- Quinoa salad
- Black bean burrito
- Buddha bowls
Dinner
- Lentil dahl
- Lentil bolognese
- Chana massala
- Chilli sin carne
- Thai green curry with tofu
Snacks
- Protein bars
- Nuts and seeds