50 Vegetarian and Plant Based Protein Sources

One of the most frequent questions I get when I tell people I'm vegetarian is: "But then where do you get your protein?"

It's common knowledge that meat is a great source of protein, but you don't actually need to eat meat to get enough protein! Somehow, being vegetarian has become synonymous with just eating leaves (which do have protein btw

) - but it's a myth that vegetarians don't get enough protein. Additionally, vegetarian sources of protein can be healthier for you in that they're lower in bad fats and cholesterol.

Protein is super important to our diet:

• It helps promote cell growth and repair. Hair and nails are mostly made of protein.
• You need it to make enzymes, hormones and other body chemicals.
• It is an important building block of bones, muscles, cartilage, skin, and blood.
• It takes longer to digest than carbohydrates, helping you feel fuller longer and on fewer calories (a plus for anyone trying to lose weight).

Can you believe there are 50 sources of plant-based protein, and that's not even counting vegetarian-friendly protein sources like dairy and eggs! You'd be surprised how much protein some of these vegan and veggie friendly sources have: 5g of protein for 1 cup of spinach anyone? I've teamed up with one of the bloggers at Healthy Indonesia to create this infographic which is a helpful reminder of all of the plant based protein sources out there. Now go eat some greens!