Best Vegetarian Protein Source

 One of the mistakes I see many vegetarian athletes make is forgetting that plant based protein may also contain substantial amounts of carbohydrate or fat.  Here is an example: 2 tablespoons of peanut butter provides 8 grams of protein – but it also has 16 grams of fat and is 190 calories.  A half cup serving of black beans has fewer calories – just 114 – but adds 20 grams of carbohydrate and only 8 grams of protein to the diet.  When an athlete needs 100 grams of protein per day, it is sometimes difficult to balance the additional carbohydrate and fat calories with total energy needs.

 A great vegetarian choice that provides a high proportion of all nine essential amino acids is the whole soybean.  In one half cup of mature yellow soybeans, there is 14 grams of protein, only 8.5 grams of carbohydrate and 9 grams of fat, and 194 calories.   Foods that contain whole soy in the diet are tofu, soy milk, canned soybeans, and edamame.

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