What are the best vegan protein sources? How to meet your protein needs as a vegan

Created on: September 15, 2026
Last edited on: September 15, 2026

The best vegan protein sources are soy granules, tofu, tempeh, seitan, and high-protein meat alternatives. With a varied diet, protein requirements can be easily met with a plant-based diet.

How much protein do vegans need?

As a practical guide in our protein guide, we recommend approximately 1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day for vegans who do not engage in much sports. Those who regularly engage in intensive strength training can aim for 1.6 to 2.0 grams.

We deliberately set the amount above the minimum requirement because plant-based protein sources can have lower digestibility or availability of individual essential amino acids depending on the food and processing. This does not mean that vegan protein is fundamentally inferior: The decisive factor is not primarily the origin of the proteins, but rather consuming enough protein overall and utilizing various plant-based protein sources.

→ Do you want to calculate your personal protein requirement? You'll find instructions in the free Protein Guide!

Which vegan foods are high in protein?

Soy products such as soy granules, tofu, or tempeh are particularly practical, as soy provides all essential amino acids. Dry soy granules can provide over 60 grams of protein per 100 grams, tofu about 14 grams, and tempeh around 19 grams.

Other straightforward vegan protein sources include seitan and plant-based meat alternatives (Our rule of thumb: more protein than fat and ideally less than 13g of fat per 100g).

Also, vegan protein shakes can be a simple way to supplement daily protein intake. We use shakes from our trusted partner Nutri-Plus (-10% with code VEGANIST).

Is plant-based protein inferior to animal protein?

Generally: no. Individual plant-based foods may have a less favorable amino acid profile. Seitan, for example, provides a lot of protein but does not, on its own, have a complete amino acid profile. However, this does not mean that seitan is therefore a poor protein source.

The entire diet is crucial. Various plant-based protein sources can complement each other effectively in their amino acid profiles - for example, seitan and rice. You don't have to perfectly cover all essential amino acids with every single meal - a varied protein intake throughout the day is more important.

Can you build muscle on a plant-based diet?

As with any other diet, of course you need sufficient protein for vegan muscle building. However, meat, dairy, and eggs are not a prerequisite for this. 

In addition to sensible training, regeneration and sufficient energy and protein intake play a crucial role. Those who do a lot of strength training should therefore include high-protein vegan foods in every meal.

Conclusion: What are the best vegan protein sources?

Soy granules and other textured plant proteins, tofu, tempeh, seitan, high-protein meat alternatives, and, if necessary, vegan protein shakes are particularly easy options.
And if you want to know how much protein you personally need, which foods are best suited for this, and what you can choose when cooking, shopping, on the go, or even in a restaurant, then check out our detailed free PROTEIN GUIDE!

Example page on tofu:

➡️ Share our answer: