12 Vegetarian Protein Sources (and How Much Protein They Actually Have)

A practical, no-nonsense list of where vegetarian protein comes from — with real gram counts, not vague reassurance.

The question everyone asks eventually: 'but where do you get your protein?' Here's the honest, specific answer — approximate protein per 100 g or standard serving, cooked/prepared unless noted.

Legumes

• Lentils (cooked): about 9 g per 100 g
• Chickpeas (cooked): about 9 g per 100 g
• Black beans (cooked): about 8.9 g per 100 g
• Edamame: about 11 g per 100 g

Soy & tofu

• Firm tofu: about 12–15 g per 100 g
• Tempeh: about 19 g per 100 g — noticeably higher than tofu because it's a whole fermented soybean product

Dairy & eggs

• Greek yoghurt: about 10 g per 100 g
• Cottage cheese: about 11 g per 100 g
• Eggs: about 6 g per egg
• Paneer/halloumi: about 18–25 g per 100 g

Grains, nuts & seeds

• Quinoa (cooked): about 4.4 g per 100 g — and it's a 'complete' protein with all nine essential amino acids
• Peanut butter: about 25 g per 100 g
• Chia seeds: about 17 g per 100 g, plus a big hit of fibre and omega-3

What a full day can look like

Breakfast: Greek yoghurt with chia and nuts (~25 g). Lunch: a chickpea and quinoa salad (~20 g). Dinner: crispy tofu stir-fry (~22 g). Snack: a handful of peanuts. That's well over 70 g without any special effort or supplements.

The real trick: combine, don't stress

You don't need to 'complete' proteins at every single meal — your body pools amino acids across the day. Eating a variety of legumes, grains, nuts and dairy/eggs across a normal week covers everything almost everyone needs.

Frequently asked questions

Recipes to try next