Protein Sources for a Plant-Based Diet

When my husband and I began our journey on a plant-based diet, we weren't sure what protein sources there were besides beans. We knew about tofu, but not tempeh or seitan. Here is a brief explanation with simple recipes:

Tofu, a staple in vegetarian cooking, is also called bean curd. To make a simple lunch of mock egg salad from this high protein, soy product, mash tofu, add lo-fat or vegan mayonnaise and season salt—or season tofu with salt and pepper, chopped celery, sweet pickle relish, celery seed and/or turmeric. Serve on whole grain bread.

Tempeh, also made from soybeans, is a fermented product made from soybeans alone or a combination of soybeans and other beans and grains. Tempeh has a crunchy texture and nutty flavor. Tempeh can be fried, sauteed, or baked. A flavorful sandwich is barbequed tempeh. Crumble 8 oz. tempeh and marinate in 1 cup barbeque sauce. Chop and saute 1 onion, 1 red pepper and 1 green pepper. Add barbeque mixture and heat through.

Seitan, also called wheat meat or wheat gluten, is the base for many mock meat products. A 2 ½ ounce serving has 70 calories and 12 grams of protein. Because of its high protein content and meaty texture, seitan is used as a meat substitute. While tofu and tempeh are sold in most grocery stores, seitan can be purchased in health food stores or made at home. http://vegetarian.about.com/od/cookingtipstools/ss/HowToSeitan.htm. Seitan freezes well.