How to easily eat 100g of protein a day as a vegetarian – no protein powder required

When you think of protein, what's the first thing that comes to mind? Chicken? Steak? Eggs? But what if you don’t eat meat? How do you hit that magic 100g of protein a day as a vegetarian? Is a few beans on your plate enough?

While it can take a little more planning to hit a high protein intake on a plant-based diet, it's certainly possible. You just need to be a little more intentional about including protein-rich foods throughout the day.

And, just to be clear, 100g isn’t a magic number everyone needs to hit. Your requirements depend on factors including your body size, activity levels and health goals. But it’s a useful example of what a high-protein vegetarian day can look like.

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Tia, who runs the Full On Plants YouTube channel, has filmed an entire 30-day series on eating 100g of protein every day on a plant-based diet – without using protein powder. Here's what one of her days looked like.

Breakfast: Bean smoothie (30g protein)

For breakfast, Tia blends banana, mango, spinach, hemp seeds, chia seeds, soya milk and white beans to make a green smoothie containing 30g of protein and around 492 calories.

White beans might sound like an unusual smoothie ingredient, but they add creaminess without affecting the flavour, while the soya milk, hemp and chia seeds help boost the protein content.

‘This is so good,’ she says, describing it as ‘tropical’ in flavour. ‘You do not even taste the beans at all. I’m blown away by this one. I love that I have greens in this.’

Lunch: Tofu and hummus sandwich (29g protein)

For lunch, Tia makes a tofu and hummus sandwich using Ezekiel bread, nutritional yeast and soy sauce. She serves it with lettuce, tomatoes and hemp seeds.

The sandwich delivers 29g of protein and around 387 calories.

‘This is definitely one of my favourites right now,’ she says. ‘So good, so hearty. Full of protein, full of fibre, healthy carbs, healthy fats. I think I've been eating it every day for lunch. I can’t get enough of it.’

Dinner: Sushi bowl (37g protein)

Dinner is a sushi-inspired rice bowl made with fava bean tofu, edamame, white rice, shredded carrots, cucumber, hemp seeds, soy sauce, maple syrup and Everything But The Bagel seasoning.

The bowl provides 37g of protein and around 470 calories, with the tofu, edamame and hemp seeds doing most of the heavy lifting.

‘This is going to keep me full and satisfied until bedtime – guaranteed,’ she says. ‘Not only does it have a great amount of protein in there, it’s got fibre, healthy carbs – I'm just going to feel amazing.’

Evening snack: Peanut butter balls (5g protein)

Tia’s breakfast, lunch and dinner add up to 95g of protein, so she finishes the day with peanut butter balls.

They’re made with powdered peanut butter, maple syrup, oats, chocolate chips and a little water. The recipe makes nine balls, and two balls provide around 5g of protein and 118 calories, bringing her daily total to 100g.

If you’re vegetarian or following a largely plant-based diet, some of the best protein sources include soya foods, beans, lentils, nuts and seeds. They also provide fibre, healthy fats and key micronutrients such as magnesium and zinc.

Protein content varies between brands and serving sizes, but here are some rough guides:

• Almonds – around 6g per 30g handful
• Peanuts – around 8g per 30g handful
• Edamame – around 11-13g per 100g
• Lentils – around 8-11g per 100g cooked
• Cottage cheese – around 11-13g per 100g
• Beans (butter beans, pinto beans) – around 6-9g per 100g cooked
• Tofu – around 10-20g per 100g
• Greek yoghurt – around 10g per 100g (varies by brand)

• Prioritise a high-protein breakfast rather than leaving it all until dinner.
• Top meals with nuts and seeds to boost protein.
• Add beans or lentils wherever you can.
• Lean on tofu, tempeh and other soya foods for easy protein wins.
• Keep edamame, roasted chickpeas or skyr in the fridge for convenient, protein-rich snacks.

You don’t need to live on protein shakes – or eat tofu at every meal – to hit 100g of protein as a vegetarian. But it does help to plan ahead and include a quality protein source at most meals, rather than expecting dinner to do all the heavy lifting.