Muscle for Life with Mike Matthews - 30 of the Best Sources of Vegan Protein for Building Muscle

Episode Date: April 12, 2021

Many people think building muscle as a vegan is an uphill battle, if not an unwinnable one. Once you understand how much protein you need to build muscle, and how much is in animal foods and how little in plant foods, it’s natural to wonder if you can build any muscle to speak of following a vegan diet. Well, you can, though it’s more difficult than it is for omnivores. The truth is you absolutely can build muscle eating nothing but vegan protein sources—you just have to be more careful about what foods you eat. Let’s kick off this discussion by looking at why it’s usually more difficult for vegans to build muscle than omnivores (and what to do about it!). 2:45 - What are the disadvantages of a plant-based diet when trying to build muscle and strength? 7:44 - What are the 10 best vegan protein sources? 16:38 - What are some on-the-go vegan protein sources? 25:51 - What are some unique sources of plant-based protein? Mentioned on The Show: Shop Legion Supplements Here: https://buylegion.com/mike Plant+: https://legionathletics.com/products/supplements/plant-protein-powder/ Genesis: https://legionathletics.com/products/supplements/genesis/ --- Want free workout and meal plans? Download my science-based diet and training templates for men and women: https://legionathletics.com/text-sign-up/

Hello, hello, and welcome to another episode of Muscle for Life. I'm Mike Matthews. Thank you for joining me today to learn about building muscle with plant protein. And despite what you may have heard, that is not an unwinnable battle. It is a little bit trickier. It can be a little bit more difficult than if you eat animal products, and I'll explain why in this podcast. But if you're willing to micromanage your diet to some degree, if you're willing to make sure that you're eating plenty of the types of foods that I'm going to share with you in this podcast, foods that contain a fair amount of protein, but also a fair amount of high quality protein, you can do just as well as an omnivore in the gym. Also, if you like what I am doing here on the podcast and elsewhere, definitely check out my

sports nutrition company, Legion, which thanks to the support of many people like you is the leading brand of all natural sports supplements in the world. And we're on top because every ingredient and dose in every product is backed by peer-reviewed scientific research. Every formulation is 100% transparent. There are no proprietary blends, for example. And everything is naturally sweetened and flavored. So that means no artificial sweeteners, no artificial food dyes, which may not be as dangerous as some people would have you believe. But there is good evidence to suggest that having many servings of artificial sweeteners in particular every day for long periods of time may not be the best for your health. So while you don't need pills, powders, and potions to get into great shape, and frankly,

most of them are virtually useless, there are natural ingredients that can help you lose fat, build muscle, and get healthy faster, and you will find the best of them in Legion's products. To check out everything we have to offer, including protein powders and protein bars, pre-workout, post-workout supplements, fat burners, multivitamins, joint support, and more, head over to www.buylegion.com, B-U-Y Legion.com. And just to show how much I appreciate my podcast peeps, use the coupon code MFL at checkout and you will save 20% on your entire first order. So again, if you appreciate my work and if you want to see more of it, and if you also want all natural evidence-based supplements that work, please do

consider supporting Legion so I can keep doing what I love, like producing more podcasts like this. Now, before we get to all of the foods that you can choose from, let's quickly talk about the disadvantages, the primary disadvantages of a plant-based diet if we're talking about getting more jacked. So as you probably know, if you want to build muscle and if you want to gain strength as effectively as possible, you need to eat a high protein diet. And that means eating quite a bit of protein, quite a bit more than the average person eats. A number of studies have shown that the sweet spot appears to be somewhere in the range of 0.8 to 1.2 grams of protein per pound of body weight per day. And 0.8 to 1 gram per pound per day is good if you are maintaining or lean bulking. And if you are lean, wanting to get really lean and you're cutting, then going above one gram per day,

upward of 1.2 to maybe even one and a half grams of protein per pound of body weight per day is probably going to help with muscle retention, at least a little bit more than one gram per pound of body weight per day would. But if you just generally hover around one gram per pound of body weight per day, you're doing it right. Now, a slight exception that's worth mentioning is if you are very overweight. So if you're a guy over, let's say, 25% body fat, or if you're a woman over 35% body fat, then I would recommend getting about 40 percent of your calories from protein because one gram per pound of body weight per day may be unnecessarily high. If you're a guy at 280 pounds, you don't have to eat 300-ish grams of protein per day to do well. You can eat somewhere

around 200 grams per day, for example, and gain plenty of muscle and strength. And you're almost certainly not going to gain more if you were to go from 200 grams a day to 300 grams a day. So if you are into fitness, you need to eat a lot of protein to get the most out of your workouts. And despite what many vegans claim, vegetables are not a great source of protein. First, they don't contain much protein. For example, broccoli contains only 13 grams of protein or so per pound. Brussels sprouts, about the same, 15 grams or so per pound. A cup of boiled spinach is just 5 grams of protein. And to put those numbers in perspective, sirloin steak contains about 90 grams of protein per pound. Chicken breast contains more, about 96 grams of protein per pound. And wild-caught

salmon contains also about 90 grams of protein per pound. So in other words, most animal products contain about six to seven times as much protein as plant products. And not only that, the protein found in plants is not as effective for building muscle as the protein found in animal products. And if you want to learn more about that specifically, head over to legionathletics.com and search for vegan bodybuilding. And you'll find an article that I wrote on that topic as well as a podcast. But the long story short is animal protein is generally superior to plant protein for building muscle because studies show that it is better absorbed by the body. So more of the protein that you're eating is actually usable. And animal protein generally contains much larger amounts of essential amino acids, and particularly an amino acid called leucine, which directly stimulates muscle growth. So as far as muscle

building goes, animal products achieve the trifecta. They are rich in protein, and the protein they contain is well absorbed by the body, and it has a great amino acid profile. And many sources of plant protein fall short in each of those criteria. But that doesn't mean that you can't make it work. Many people just try to eat more total protein. So many vegans, for example, who are into weightlifting will try to eat upward of even two grams of protein per pound of body weight per day. but that is impractical and it's unpleasant. You can only eat so many peas, for example, until your bowels start to rebel. A better approach, I think, is to try to work high protein plant foods into most of your meals and especially foods that are

well absorbed by the body and that contain a fair amount of leucine. And although no plant food contains as much protein by weight as the popular animal foods that bodybuilders eat, you can meet your daily protein targets on a plant-based diet if you're willing to prioritize certain foods and deprioritize others. So with that in mind, let's start with the 10 best vegan protein sources. These foods are cheap, they're easy to prepare, they're versatile, and that makes them very easy to incorporate into any meal plan and almost any meal actually. These foods are also higher in protein and leucine than most other plant protein sources, making them particularly suitable for building muscle.

So the first is beans, black beans, pinto beans, and kidney beans in particular, which contain about 42 grams of protein per cup. And what's great about not just these beans, but legumes in general, they are cheap and they're easy to add to just about any dish. And you can buy them canned as well, which reduces prep time and it ensures that you can always have some high quality protein to throw into a meal. And beans are also packed full of nutrients. They have vitamins, they have minerals. They're just a great food that everybody should consider eating, omnivores as well, who don't need them for the protein, but who can use them as a relatively

unprocessed nutritious food. One of the foods that should comprise about 80% of their daily calories. Okay, let's move on to the second food on my list, which is spelt. And this contains about 25 grams of protein per cup. And in case you're not familiar with spelt, it is a species of wheat and it's also known as hold wheat or dinkle wheat. And it's a great source of fiber as well as protein. And it's also rich in magnesium and healthy fats. And it goes well in breads. You can put it in salads, And it goes well in breads. You can put it in salads, nut roasts, and it also can be used as an alternative to rice in risotto.

Moving on, we have chickpeas, which contain about 20 grams of protein per cup. And these are also known as garbanzo beans, and they are a mainstay of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine. And if you want to learn more about the benefits of the Mediterranean style of eating in particular, head over to legionathletics.com and search for Mediterranean, M-E-D-I-T-E-R-R-A-E-N-E-A-N, in case you're wondering how to spell it. And you'll find an article that I wrote on the Mediterranean diet, as well as a podcast, many health benefits associated with that style of eating. And chickpeas are normally found in salads or stews, or they are roasted as a side dish or mashed into dips like hummus. I personally love hummus. I eat it every day, a couple of tablespoons.

And in addition to being high in protein, chickpeas are also a great source of nutrients like potassium and B vitamins and minerals like iron, magnesium, and selenium. All right, moving on to food number four, which is lentils. And they contain about 18 grams of protein per cup. And there are several different types you can choose from. You have brown, green, red, yellow, black, and they all have slightly different tastes and textures. So you can see which ones you like more than others, or maybe you like them all more or less equally, and you can mix them together. And regardless of which you prefer, they're very easy to prepare. Dried lentils are easy to prepare, but if you don't want to go through the trouble, you can also buy them pre-cooked and they're very versatile. You can use them in a range of different dishes. You can put them in soups and stews,

for example. You can cook them and put them on salads or you can just eat them as a side dish. Okay, let's move on to food number five, which is seitan. Not Satan, but seitan, S-E-I-T-A-N, which contains about 16 grams of protein per three ounce serving. So that's pretty good. And what is seitan? Well, it is a meal replacement made from wheat gluten that is quickly becoming a vegan favorite because of how protein rich it is. It's high in protein and low in carbs, which also means that it's generally just low in calories because it is primarily protein. And it also has a meat-like texture, so it works well for making meat-free burgers. You can also coat seitan in breadcrumbs to make meat-free kind of quote-unquote chicken nuggets or maybe even chicken milanese. And number six, whole wheat or bean and lentil pasta, which contains 10 to 30 grams of protein

per serving. Now, regular pasta isn't exactly known as a quote unquote superfood, right? There isn't much nutrition in your standard white pasta, but variations made from whole wheat, beans, or lentils can be surprisingly nutritious and high in protein. So if you like pasta and if you have some favorite pasta sauces, maybe a ragu and it can be a plant-based ragu or maybe just a simple tomato sauce or something creamier, which again you can use plant alternatives to cream, try your next dish with a high protein pasta. try a bean pasta or a lentil pasta or whole wheat pasta okay let's move on to number seven which is oats and they contain about 10 grams

of protein per cup and they are the perfect plant-based breakfast no matter the season they can be soaked overnight in the fridge during the summer months overnight oats can be delicious you can find recipes over at legion athletics.com or of course you can just boil them and eat them hot. And that's a great winter breakfast or late night snack. Like I, for example, eat anywhere from a half of a cup dry to a cup of oatmeal every night to get in some whole grains. And I like it just boiled. I use a little bit less water than most people. Like I don't like it to be soupy. I like to be kind of thicker, almost like a pudding. And I just put some maple syrup in it and some whole milk or almond milk, and then mix in some cinnamon

and probably too much salt by most people's standards, but that's the way I like it. And one other thing to know about oatmeal is they're not only a great source of nutrients and whole grains, but studies show they also can lower cholesterol levels, which is why they are often promoted as heart healthy. Okay, moving on to quinoa, which contains eight grams or so of protein per cup. And despite what you may have heard, quinoa is a complete protein source, as are all of the other foods I'm going to be sharing with you on this podcast. Research shows actually that all plant proteins are quote-unquote complete. None of them are missing amino acids, but the amino acid profile, how much of the individual amino acids they

contain, and the essential amino acids in particular, which of the individual amino acids they contain and the essential amino acids in particular, which are the ones that we have to get from food that our body can't create from other substances. That's what can vary quite a bit in plant protein. And unfortunately, animal protein contains a lot more, generally speaking, amino acids, which are key to muscle building, of course. And as I mentioned, there's that one leucine, which is the most important of the essential amino acids. And so plant proteins contain all nine essential amino acids, but usually contain a lot less of them than animal protein. Anyway, coming back to quinoa, which is a South American seed that has

been eaten for a very long time. And in case you haven't had it before, it is similar to rice, I guess. It has a similar mouthfeel and a similar taste to rice. And it's not only a great source of protein, but also of nutrition. It has a lot of manganese and phosphorus, for example. It also has a lot of fiber and folate and iron and zinc and magnesium. It's just a great food to include in your diet. And that goes for omnivores listening as well. You could look at it primarily as a source of carbs and nutrients. All right, moving on to food number nine, which is peas. Yep, peas, just peas, because they contain about eight grams of protein per cup.

And it's a humble little vegetable, but it is becoming one of the go-to protein foods for many vegans, many plant-based eaters. And for good reason. Peas are cheap, tasty. They can be added to a ton of dishes. They can be fresh. They can be frozen. They can be from a can.

And although peas don't have quite as much protein as some of the other plant foods that I've been sharing with you, they are particularly high in amino acid leucine. And that means actually pea protein is one of the best sources of protein you can eat for, well, one of the best plant-based sources of protein you can eat for building muscle. And you can also buy pea protein as a protein supplement. And if you want to check out mine, my plant-based protein powder, which contains pea protein and rice protein, which when combined have an amino acid profile, a lot like whey's. And that's why that combination is often referred to as the vegan's whey. you can check it out at buylegion.com, B-U-I-L-E-G-I-O-N.com slash plant.

Okay, moving on to the 10th food on my list of the top 10 vegan sources of protein, and it's wild rice, which contains about seven grams of protein per cup. And while rice doesn't have as much protein as other grains like quinoa, for example, it is higher in protein than most people think. And it's very easy to integrate into almost any dish and especially wild rice. If you like what I'm doing here on the podcast and elsewhere, definitely check out my sports nutrition company, Legion, which thanks to the support of many people like you is the leading brand of all natural sports supplements in the

world. Okay. So that's it for my top 10 list of the best plant-based sources of protein for building muscle. Let's now talk about some more specific use cases like on the go vegan protein sources, stuff that is very easy to eat, that makes good snacks, you know, in between your bigger meals, you don't have to sit down, you don't have to get out the utensils. You can just grab a handful, throw it in your mouth and move on with your day. So the first one is what you'd expect. And it's just a protein powder, right? A good plant-based protein powder is going to give you about 25 grams of protein per serving. And it's going to taste good, hopefully in just water. So you don't have to use a milk substitute if you don't want to, if you don't want to add the calories.

And it allows you to eat 25 to, let's say, 50 to 60 grams of protein very quickly and very easily. I wouldn't recommend eating more than that in one sitting because it's probably going to upset your stomach. And that's not a problem that is unique to plant-based protein powders, by the way. That's just protein powders in general because of how quickly they're processed. Our body is not used to getting 80 plus grams of protein in a powder form that can be processed, that can be digested and broken down very quickly. It's used to food. And of course, there's a big difference between 80 grams of protein from any food. It can be some of the foods that we've already discussed or animal foods in terms of how long it takes to break that down and use it versus almost what is

like a quote-unquote pre-digested food like a powder. Anyway, coming back to plant-based protein powders, you have a lot of options. If you've shopped around for them, you know that you have soy, you have hemp, pea, rice, quinoa. And instead of going into a detailed discussion of the pros and cons of each, I'm just going to cut to the chase and say, my recommendation for muscle building is a blend of rice and pea protein. Soy protein can work well as well, but in some men, it can have feminizing effects. It can raise estrogen levels and it can lower testosterone levels. That is not as much of a problem as some people would

have you believe, but research shows that in some people who produce certain types of intestinal bacteria, that can be the case. In women, there seems to be no downside to soy protein. So if you are female and you like soy protein and you prefer it over rice and pea protein, that's fine. If you're a guy though, you may be one of the people who produces this intestinal bacteria and who is going to experience negative hormonal effects from having too much soy protein. Having a couple of scoops per day, for example, can be enough. And so that's why I am not a soy protein alarmist, but I just tell guys, look, there's a chance that it may not work well

for you. And there's no chance that rice and pea protein won't work well for you unless for whatever reason you get indigestion from either of those sources of protein, which can happen. There are some people out there, for example, who don't respond well to peas, but that's very rare. So Mr. Mayo listener, why not just go with the rice and pea, which studies show is about as effective as whey protein for building muscle. And again, if you want to check out my rice and pea blend, it's called Plant Plus, and you can find it over at legionathletics.com. All right, let's move on to food number two for on-the-go plant protein. And it is hemp seeds, which contain about nine grams

of protein per one ounce serving. And that's a lot of protein, nine grams per ounce. Of course, it comes with additional calories, carbs, and fat because it's a seed and seeds are never pure protein, but it's a great on-the-go snack. And it's also something you can add to cereal or you can add to oats or other dishes to boost the protein content and the nutritional value of the meal. All right, moving on to number three, walnuts, which contain about seven grams of protein per one ounce serving. And yep, this is another nut that's high in protein. It also has plenty of healthy fat, monounsaturated fat in particular, and it has a lot of nutrients. It's rich in nutrients, and you can eat walnuts on their own.

I like them just as a standalone snack, but of course, you can also add them to many things. They go well in salads. They go well in different breakfast dishes, oatmeal, for example, or you can throw them into baked goods to give them a little protein spike. Okay, the next food is peanuts, which contain about seven grams of protein per one ounce serving. And fun fact, peanuts are actually not nuts, they're legumes, but as they contain a lot more fat than chickpeas and lentils and peas, they're considered more like nuts. And of course, you can eat them on their own

or you can turn them into a butter. Either way, peanuts are a fantastic snack. They have a good amount of protein. They also have a good amount of healthy fat. They have fiber. They have vitamins. They have minerals. Just a great food. Okay, next we have almonds, which are about six grams of protein per one ounce serving. Almonds are also a great source of nutrients. They're very nutrient dense. They have a lot of riboflavin, they have niacin, they have vitamin E, they have minerals like calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, and others. And studies also show that regular consumption of almonds may reduce the risk of heart disease by lowering blood levels of LDL cholesterol, which is the quote-unquote

bad cholesterol. It's not that simple, but you don't want high levels of LDL cholesterol because that raises your risk of heart disease. Okay, moving on to the next food here, number six, which is pistachios, which contain about six grams of protein per one ounce serving. And as you probably expect by now, pistachios are also a great source of nutrients. They're a good source of fiber, B vitamins, vitamin E, vitamin K, and others. Okay, next we have cashews, which contain about five grams of protein per one ounce serving. And of course, you can just eat them on their own, or you can incorporate them into other dishes. Cashews go well in stir fries, for example,

in curries and desserts. You can blend them up and then you can incorporate them into sauces or vegetable purees, or you can even use them as a cream replacement. It's a little plant-based cooking hack. You can put them in stews, for example, to boost the protein content and add a creamy mouthfeel to it. Okay, moving on to number eight, which is sunflower seeds, which contain about five grams of protein per one ounce serving. And like most other seeds, sunflower seeds are also rich in healthy fats, in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. And studies show that sunflower seeds contain molecules known as phytosterols that may contribute to lower levels

of blood cholesterol, which of course is good for heart health. Okay, let's move on to the next, which is pumpkin seeds, which also contain about five grams of protein per one ounce serving. And pumpkin seeds truly are a nutritional powerhouse. They are full of many different nutrients. And when you roast them and you put salt on them, they can be delicious. The downside, though, is they are very calorie dense. They contain about 570 calories per 100 grams. So they can be tough to work into a meal plan, particularly if you're cutting and particularly if you are a relatively light woman who doesn't get many calories to work with.

But if you really like pumpkin seeds and you can make it fit in your meal plan, then enjoy. Okay, let's move on to the 10th food on my go-to plant-based protein list. And that is chia seeds, which contain also about five grams of protein per one ounce serving. And chia seeds are also a good source of fiber and omega-3 fatty acids, which can be hard to get on a plant-based diet if you're not eating deliberately. And as far as how to eat chia seeds, they're normally made into a pudding because they can absorb large amounts of water and get mushy, but they're also great in smoothies and juices. You can mix them into breakfast cereals. You can mix them into yogurt, oatmeal.

You can sprinkle them on top of salads. They're pretty versatile. Okay, so that's it for that list. Let's wrap up now with some more unique sources of plant-based protein because eating the same relatively small rotation of high-protein plant foods probably will get a little bit boring. So let's learn about some less obvious options that you have. The first one is textured vegetable protein, which contains about 61 grams of protein per cup, very protein rich. And this is a vegan alternative to ground meat that works well in dishes like tacos, meatloaf, meatballs, and chili, or vegan versions of pasta sauces like a bolognese, for example, works well with TVP. Let's move on to the next, which is peanut flour. And this contains about 20 grams of protein per

cup. And how they make it is they crush peanuts and then they remove a lot of the fat. So the calories come down. In some cases, basically all of the fat is removed. And then you can use the peanut flour baking, or you can put it on top of cereal or oatmeal, or you can put it in smoothies, almost like a protein powder goes well in sauces, dips. And although it is very low in fat and therefore relatively low in calories, peanut flour is still a rich source of fiber and various nutrients, vitamins, and minerals, making it a pretty cool food. Okay, so the third food on my list is amaranth, which contains about nine grams of protein per cup. And amaranth is a gluten-free and protein-rich grain that comes from Peru. And like many other grains, it has a nutty flavor that works well in breakfast cereals,

oatmeal in particular. People like to mix it into oatmeal. It can go well in puddings, and it can also be used as an alternative to rice. One of the few foods I'm recommending that I don't personally enjoy, it kind of tastes like dirt to me, but that's just me. I don't like raw tomatoes, for example, unless they are exceptionally good. So my palate. Okay, moving on to number four, Sasha Inchi seeds, which contain about six grams of protein per 20 grams serving. And these are also known as Sasha peanuts, jungle peanuts, or Inca peanuts. And they're actually the seeds of a plant.

And they have a fair amount of protein. And they also have a fair amount of omega-3 fatty acids, which again is important to pay attention to as a plant-based eater. You want to make sure that you are getting enough omega-3 fatty acids in your diet because insufficient intake of omega-3 fatty acids raises the risk of various types of disease and dysfunction. And it also impairs cognitive performance. It impairs physical performance. It can even impair muscle building and fat burning. So anyway, these Sasha Inchi seeds can be eaten roasted. That's how they're normally eaten, but you can also add them to cereals

or baked goods like cookies, as well as homemade vegan protein bars. Okay, food number five is nutritional yeast, which contains about five grams of protein per quarter cup serving. And I know it doesn't sound very appetizing. It sounds like a waste product from beer or bread making. Nutritional yeast is tasty. It's packed full of B vitamins and it's a great vegan alternative to Parmesan cheese, which makes it a perfect addition to pastas and risottos and salads. I'm weird in that I really like nutritional yeast and so I add it into all kinds of things. Stir fries, for example. I make a salad dressing from olive oil and balsamic vinegar and another vinegar, either red wine vinegar or maybe a champagne vinegar. Then I put some mustard in it

and some nutritional yeast and I stir it all up. That's what I have for lunch every day. Throw it on a salad with some chicken or turkey and it's delicious. Okay, moving on to the next food, which is Frica. I bet you haven't heard of that one before, which yes, is a food, not Cardi B's latest degenerate cacophony. And it's spelled F-R-E-E-K-E-H and it contains about five grams of protein per quarter cup serving. And what is it? Well, it is a grain that's made from green durum wheat, and it has twice as much protein and about three times as much fiber as white rice. It's also interesting. It has an interesting taste, a nutty kind of smoky flavor and a chewy texture that I think is best enjoyed as a part of salads, stews, and soups. Okay, next up we have Ezekiel bread, which has

about five grams of protein per slice. And unlike white bread, which is made from refined wheat flour, Ezekiel bread is made from a variety of sprouted whole grains like wheat, millet, barley, and spelt. And that gives it a pretty unique flavor and also boosts the nutritional value of the food. And because it is made with sprouted grains, which are low in phytates, which can block the absorption of certain vitamins and minerals to some degree, it's not nearly as bad as some people would have you believe, but it is true that phytates do have that effect in the body. The sprouted grains then can help the body absorb certain nutrients like folate and iron, zinc, magnesium, and vitamin C. Okay, let's get to the next unique plant food

that is relatively high in protein. That is spirulina, which contains about four grams of protein per tablespoon. And spirulina is a very green type of algae that if you spill on things turns them green too. So be careful with it. That is so rich in vitamins that it's actually used by NASA as a dietary supplement for astronauts who are out on space missions. Now, unfortunately, spirulina is fairly expensive and it also doesn't taste very good and it doesn't smell very good. So people usually add it to something else like a smoothie or they will just supplement with it by itself if they can take the taste or they will buy a supplement. Usually it'd be like a greens superfood supplement that has a good amount of spirulina in each serving. Like my greens superfood supplement called Genesis contains five grams of spirulina per serving,

for example. And you can learn about that over at legionathletics.com. Okay, let's move on to number nine on this list, which is tahini, which contains about four grams of protein per one ounce serving. And in case you don't know what it is, it's a Middle Eastern condiment that's made from whole toasted and ground sesame seeds. And it's probably best known as an ingredient in hummus and baba ghanoush. And I think it's delicious because you can serve it by itself. You can put it in salad dressings. You can put it just directly on salads. You can use it in glazes. I'm a big fan of tahini. Okay, let's move on to the final food on this list and the final food of this episode, which is sun-dried tomatoes, which contain about four grams of protein per

one ounce serving. And this is another great little tasty food that you can eat on its own, or you can add it to other meals. I like sun-dried tomatoes in salads, in soups, in stews. And although some people say sun-dried tomatoes don't have much in the way of nutrition, that they have lost a lot of their nutritional value in the processing, they're wrong. Originally, salting and drying tomatoes in the sun was a way to preserve the nutrition in the ripe fruit

so it could be had during the winter months when food wasn't as plentiful. And that is it. That is the last food on the last list of the best vegan protein sources that I have for you today. Thanks again for joining me. I hope you found this episode helpful. And if you liked this episode, you definitely are going to like what I have coming. On Wednesday, I have an interview with Jordan Syatt on the good, bad, and ugly of body positivity. And then on Friday, I have another Q&A episode coming where I'm going to be talking about lean bulking when fat,

is it a good idea or not? Beating tendinitis and tendinosis and increasing urgency and necessity. All right, well, that's it for today's episode. I hope you found it interesting and helpful. And if you did, and you don't mind doing me a favor, could you please leave a quick review for the podcast on iTunes or wherever you are listening from? Because those reviews not only convince people that they should check out the show, they also increase the search visibility and help more people find their way to me and to the podcast and learn how to build their best body ever as well. And of course, if you want to be notified when the next episode goes live, then simply subscribe to the podcast and whatever app you're using to listen and you will not miss out on any of the new stuff that I have coming.

And last, if you didn't like something about the show, then definitely shoot me an email at mike at muscleforlife.com and share your thoughts. Let me know how you think I could do this better. I read every email myself and I'm always looking for constructive feedback. All right. Thanks again for listening to this episode and I hope to looking for constructive feedback. All right, thanks again for listening to this episode and I hope to hear from you soon.