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Dietary sources of protein include meats, eggs, grains, legumes, and dairy products such as milk and cheese. Of the 20 amino acids used by humans, the 10-12 nonessential amino acids can be synthesized by the body, and are not required in the diet. The 8-10 essential amino acids, however, cannot be created by the body and must come from dietary sources.

Most animal sources and certain vegetable sources have the complete complement of all 8-10 essential amino acids. However, it is not necessary to consume a single food source that contains all the essential amino acids, as long as all the essential amino acids are eventually present in the diet.

While just about every vegetarian food contains some protein, the soybean deserves special mention, for it contains all the essential amino acids and surpasses all other food plants in the amount of protein that it can deliver to the human system. In this regard, it is nearly equal to meat. The human body is able to digest 92 percent of the protein found in meat and 91 percent of that found in soybeans.7

The many different and delicious soy products (such as tempeh, soy "hot dogs" and "burgers," Tofutti brand "ice cream," soy milk, and tofu) available in health and grocery stores suggest that the soybean, in its many forms, can accommodate a wide range of tastes.

Other rich sources of non-animal protein include legumes, nuts, seeds, yeast, and freshwater algae. Although food yeasts ("nutritional yeast" and "brewer’s yeast") do not lend themselves to forming the center of one's diet, they are extremely nutritious additions to most menus (in soups, gravies, breads, casseroles, and dips). Most yeasts get about 50 percent of their calories from protein.

Here are some examples of vegetarian foods with high sources of plant protein:

Legumes, more commonly known as beans, are good sources of protein and fiber. Legumes can be eaten fresh, canned, frozen, or dried. Lentils are lens-shaped seeds found in the fruit pods of an annual herb grown in southwestern Asia. There are two common types of lentils - one is small and brown and the other is larger and yellow. Lentils taste great in side dishes, soups, and stews. 1/2 cup serving of lentils contains 9 g of protein, 19 mg of calsium and 3 mg of iron.

Soybeans are considered a "complete protein" source in that they provide all the essential amino acids for human nutrition.[2] However, some scientific sources disagree on this as the best measure of "complete protein."[citation needed] Soybean protein is essentially identical to that of other legume pulses (that is to say, legume proteins in general consist of 7S and 11S storage proteins), and is one of the least expensive sources of dietary protein[citation needed]. For this reason, soy is important to many vegetarians and vegans.

Grains: Barley, Brown rice, Buckwheat, Millet, Oatmeal, Rye, Wheat germ, Wheat, hard red, Wild rice.

Plants (besides soy) are considered "incomplete" protein sources, because they don't contain all of the essential amino acids. However, why is it that the nutrition facts of many grains and vegetables say they have protein?

The answer is - "Complete" protein refers to a food containing all of the essential amino acids in specific proportions. Animal–based foods contain complete proteins. Plant foods (except for soy) are missing one amino acid in sufficient quantity to qualify for a complete protein. Complementary foods are two foods that together contain all of the essential amino acids, thus forming a complete protein. For example, the amino acid missing in grains is found in legumes, and vice–versa. So rice and beans together would make up a complete protein. These foods don't need to be eaten at the same time in order to be used by the body to build protein, as once was thought. We just need to eat these complementary proteins within 24 hours.

Vegetables: Artichokes, Beets, Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Cucumbers, Eggplant, Green peas, Green pepper, Kale, Lettuce, Mushrooms, Mustard green, Onions, Potatoes, Spinach, Tomatoes, Turnip greens, Watercress, Yams, Zucchini.

Fruits: Apple, Banana, Cantaloupe, Grape, Grapefruit, Honeydew melon, Orange, Papaya, Peach, Pear, Pineapple, Strawberry, Tangerine, Watermelon.

Nuts and seeds: Almonds, Cashews, Filberts, Hemp Seeds, Peanuts, Pumpkin seeds, Sesame seeds, Sunflower seeds, Walnuts (black)

Hemp seeds. Hemp seed is an nutritious dietary source of easily digestible gluten-free protein. It provides a well-balanced array of all the amino acids, including 34.6 grams of protein for each 100 grams. The fatty acid profile of the hemp seed is extremely beneficial, containing omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids in a virtually ideal ratio. Other beneficial aspects of hemp seed include a strongly favorable unsaturated-to-saturated fat ratio; a high content of antioxidants; and a wide variety of vitamins and minerals.

Although protein is a vital nutrient, our bodies don't require quite as much as you may think. The Dietary Reference Intakes for protein were updated in September 2002. The U.S. Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) remained the same, at 0.8 grams/kg per day for adults. This recommendation has been shown to meet the needs of 97.5 percent of the population. For a woman weighing 125 lbs (57 kg), her needs would be met with an intake of 46 grams of protein per day. For a man weighing 154 lbs. (70 kg), his needs would be met with 56 grams of protein a day. A person must be taking in sufficient calories to maintain their weight for these values. Dieters need larger amounts of protein, because some is burned for energy. Athletes require slightly more protein as well.

For non–meat eaters, vegetarian eating plans were addressed in the new RDAs, and the needs remain the same. It's believed that people usually eat a variety of foods, thereby getting the amino acids needed to manufacture complete proteins. Granted, if a person only ate bread, s/he would be missing an essential amino acid. The same would be true if a person only ate vegetables. However, if these vegetarians added legumes to their diet, they would be able to obtain all of the essential amino acids needed to remain healthy. The Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academy of Sciences (which sets the RDAs) spell out the amount of each essential amino acid needed to form complete proteins. However, it isn't necessary to go that far, as long as you are covering your protein needs with a varied eating plan.

To determine your protein needs according to the RDA, divide your body weight in pounds by 2.2, which gives you your weight in kilograms, and then multiply that number by 0.8.

Learn more about protein and soy protein.

Sample Menus Showing How Easy It Is To Meet Protein Needs
		Protein (grams)
Breakfast:	1 cup Oatmeal	6
	1 cup Soymilk	7
	1 Bagel	9
Lunch:	2 slices Whole Wheat Bread	5
	1 cup Vegetarian Baked Beans	12
Dinner:	5 oz firm Tofu	11
	1 cup cooked Broccoli	4
	1 cup cooked Brown Rice	5
	2 Tbsp Almonds	4
Snack:	2 Tbsp Peanut Butter	8
	6 Crackers	2
TOTAL		73 grams
Protein Recommendation for Male Vegan [based on 0.8-1 gram of protein per kilogram body weight for 70 kilogram (154 pound) male]		56-70 grams
Breakfast:	2 slices Whole Wheat Toast	5
	2 Tbsp Peanut Butter	8
Lunch:	6 oz. Soy Yogurt	6
	2 Tbsp Almonds	4
	1 Baked Potato	4
Dinner:	1 cup cooked Lentils	18
	1 cup cooked Bulgur	6
Snack:	1 cup Soymilk	7
TOTAL		58 grams
Protein Recommendation for Female Vegan [based on 0.8-1 gram of protein per kilogram body weight for 57.5 kilogram (126 pound) female]		46-58 grams
Additional food should be added to these menus to provide adequate calories and to meet requirements for nutrients besides protein.

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Table below shows the amount of protein in various vegan foods and also the number of grams of protein per 100 calories. To meet protein recommendations, the typical adult male vegan needs only 2.5 to 2.9 grams of protein per 100 calories and the typical adult female vegan needs only 2.1 to 2.4 grams of protein per 100 calories. These recommendations can be easily met from vegan sources.

Protein Content of Selected Vegan Foods
FOOD	AMOUNT	PROTEIN(gm)	PROTEIN(gm/100 cal)
Tempeh	1 cup	41	9.3
Seitan	3 ounces	31	22.1
Soybeans, cooked	1 cup	29	9.6
Lentils, cooked	1 cup	18	7.8
Black beans, cooked	1 cup	15	6.7
Kidney beans, cooked	1 cup	13	6.4
Veggie burger	1 patty	13	13.0
Chickpeas, cooked	1 cup	12	4.2
Veggie baked beans	1 cup	12	5.0
Pinto beans, cooked	1 cup	12	5.7
Black-eyed peas, cooked	1 cup	11	6.2
Tofu, firm	4 ounces	11	11.7
Lima beans, cooked	1 cup	10	5.7
Quinoa, cooked	1 cup	9	3.5
Tofu, regular	4 ounces	9	10.6
Bagel	1 med. (3 oz)	9	3.9
Peas, cooked	1 cup	9	6.4
Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP), cooked	1/2 cup	8	8.4
Peanut butter	2 Tbsp	8	4.3
Veggie dog	1 link	8	13.3
Spaghetti, cooked	1 cup	8	3.7
Almonds	1/4 cup	8	3.7
Soy milk, commercial, plain	1 cup	7	7.0
Soy yogurt, plain	6 ounces	6	4.0
Bulgur, cooked	1 cup	6	3.7
Sunflower seeds	1/4 cup	6	3.3
Whole wheat bread	2 slices	5	3.9
Cashews	1/4 cup	5	2.7
Almond butter	2 Tbsp	5	2.4
Brown rice, cooked	1 cup	5	2.1
Spinach, cooked	1 cup	5	13.0
Broccoli, cooked	1 cup	4	6.8
Potato	1 med. (6 oz)	4	2.7
Sources: USDA Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 18, 2005 and manufacturers' information. The recommendation for protein for adult males vegans is around 56-70 grams per day; for adult female vegans it is around 46-58 grams per day (see text).

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Some of above text source : The Vegetarian Resource Group (VRG)

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End of health article: Protein sources in foods