Depending on your body, lifestyle, fitness levels and goals, you may be interested in following a high protein diet. I, myself, find that my body functions best with a good balance of healthy carbs, protein and small amounts of fat. (I find that some people, especially women, function better with more of a higher healthy fat content in their diet, but for me, I find that I’m okay with slightly lower fat but not okay with low protein)

Anyway, I think it’s always helpful to show you guys different high protein options and show you how EASY it is to get lots of protein on a vegan diet.

Scrambled Tofu Vegan Breakfast

Ingredients:

• 1/2 bell pepper
• 225g extra firm tofu
• 5 slices of tempeh
• 1 tsp vegetable oil for cooking
• 50g baby spinach

Scrambled Tofu seasoning (adjust amounts accordingly):

• cumin
• turmeric
• garlic powder
• onion powder
• paprika
• nutritional yeast
• salt

Instructions:

1. Dice the bell pepper and fry in a pan with some oil.
2. Use your hands to crumble the tofu into the pan and cook it up for a few minutes to let some of the moisture out.
3. Meanwhile, cook some tempeh in a different pan with a little oil. Few minutes on both sides until nicely browned.
4. Add the seasoning to the tofu and mix it in (watch the video above to see my lazy seasoning hack!)
5. Afterwards, add the spinach and cook for several minutes. I ate mine with a side of baked sweet potatoes – see nutrition values of the breakfast below.

Teriyaki Lentils

Ingredients:

• 75g red split lentils, dry
• 1/4 onion, diced
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• generous pinch of coconut or brown sugar
• pinch of ground ginger or grated fresh ginger

Instructions:

1. Soak the lentils in water for about 10 minutes.
2. Heat some oil in a pan and cook the onions for a few minutes.
3. Drain the lentils and add to the pan. Add a little water to cook the lentils and to prevent them from sticking to the pan.
4. Add the soy sauce, garlic powder, sugar, ground ginger. You may have to add some more water as you cook as the lentils will absorb it.
5. Cover, bring it to a boil, and simmer until all the water is absorbed. Takes about 15 minutes total to cook the soaked lentils
6. I served this with brown rice, cooked broccoli and baked sweet potatoes – see below for the nutrition values of this lunch.

Spaghetti with Chickpea Balls

Ingredients:

• 85g dry spaghetti
• 50g onion, diced
• 1/2 cup dry oats
• 2 tbsp hemp seeds
• 1 medium carrot
• 1/2 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• seasonings:
  • 1 tsp dry basil
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp thyme
  • generous pinch of salt
• 1 cup marinara/pasta sauce
• 85g baby spinach

Instructions:

1. Cook spaghetti according to instructions.
2. In the meantime, heat some oil in a pan and cook the onions for a few minutes until they’ve softened.
3. Meanwhile, blend the oats and hemp hearts in a food processor until it is a flour consistency. Place it aside in a bowl.
4. Next, blend the carrot in the food processor and add into the same bowl as the oats and hemp hearts. Do the same with the chickpeas to mash them up and add into the same bowl.
5. Add in all the seasonings and mix well. Also add a tiny splash of water if the mixture looks to dry.
6. With your hands, form the mixture into little balls, about 1.5 inches in diameter.
7. Cook it in a pan on medium-high heat on different sides until golden brown. Cover to allow the balls to cook thoroughly.
8. In a wok or pan, throw in the cooked spaghetti and pasta sauce.
9. Add the chickpea balls into the pasta, as well as the spinach. Mix.
10. I topped it off with some nutritional yeast and served it with a side of cooked broccoli – see the nutrition values below.