High Protein Vegan Meals: Your Ultimate Guide

The question I always get, without fail, is “how do you get enough protein?” So I’m here to break down some guiding principles about protein and nutrition, and share some of my favorite high protein vegan meals to demystify and simplify things a bit.

Here’s the thing: if you’re prioritizing protein, you’ll have to practice intentionality regardless of whether you’re eating plant-based or not. So for me, I started eating more protein, overall, when I went vegan because I knew I wanted to be intentional about it.

It’s also important to note that people have different health goals, and those varying goals will alter how much protein you should be eating. If you’re at a healthy weight and ar just looking to eat balanced meals that incorporate enough protein, and are generally looking to maintain where you’re at, you should absolutely be eating protein but you likely don’t need to be eating *as* much. If you’re aiming to build muscle and/or achieve body recomposition (gaining muscle while losing fat), you will need to hit a certain amount of protein depending on your respective height, weight, and fitness goals, and put yourself into a slight calorie deficit.

But for the purposes of this article, I’m going to break down some high protein vegan meals that are somewhere in the middle, with a focus on recipes that are balanced with protein, carbs, and fiber, most of which are in the ballpark of ~30g of protein. I’ll be breaking down a formula for what an ideal plant-based meal looks like, and also how easy it is to get balanced, high protein vegan recipes delivered straight to your door through services like Purple Carrot.

I highly recommend outsourcing meal prep and grocery shopping for the busy folks out there, and Purple Carrot offers a specific menu with high protein vegan meal options that are designed by dieticians. I’ve tried dozens of their meal kits at this point, and they’re super delicious, balanced, and offer great variety. Particularly for people that are aiming to be more intentional with their protein intake, it’s an excellent way to stack on track with your goals and remove the overwhelm of meal planning and prep from the equation – it really is a huge life hack.

Right now, you can get $200 off your first 8 orders of Purple Carrot with code GROW200 ($25 off each box, valid on orders of $78 or more), so it’s an excellent time to give them a try.

Read on for a glimpse into what delicious, high protein meals are on Purple Carrot’s constantly revolving menu, and be sure to read the FAQs at the end of this article that dive deep into all your burning questions on protein, nutrition, and fitness.

Ok, let’s get to the fun stuff: my favorite high-protein vegan meals.

A balanced plate should have protein, a healthy starch/grain, and small amounts of healthy fats. All of the Purple Carrot meals below check those boxes, and offer a ton of flavor and variety (no sad salads here, people).

General Tso’s Tofu

This was a pretty perfect dish with 32g protein, a healthy starch, and one of my favorite nutritional powerhouses: broccoli. I loved the flavor of the General Tso’s sauce, and switching up the usual rice to quinoa. It was simple but satisfying, and left me with perfect leftovers for lunch the next day.

One-Pan Mushroom Stroganoff

I honestly don’t think I’d ever eaten a stroganoff prior to this (another benefit of Purple Carrot is that you’ll likely be introduced to some dishes you’ve never had before)! But this one was super tasty with a high-protein penne, delicious sauteed mushrooms and spinach, plus a delicious cashew-based crema on top. This one came in at 20g protein.

Sheet Pan Bibimbap

I *love* a sheet pan meal: less clean up, more efficient, more time to relax and enjoy your meal. I also am obsessed with Japanese sweet potato, so I was thrilled to see it included in this Purple Carrot recipe that offered 31g protein.

Hearty Tomato Soup

We’re right in the middle of soup season and Purple Carrot is delivering! I’ve had a couple of their soups and stews now and they’ve been really tasty and filling. This hearty tomato soup was not only super comforting, but also packed a whopping 36g of protein thanks to the tofu “cheese” curds (brilliant, right)?

Don’t forget breakfast!

Purple Carrot also has some fantastic high-protein vegan breakfast options so you can start your day off strong.

Cacao Bean Protein Shake

I’ve long been a fan of Koia’s protein shakes, so I was thrilled to see that Purple Carrot has then on offer. They have clean ingredients and every flavor I’ve tried has been delicious – and the cacao bean was no exception. This is a very tasty, easy way to get in 18g of protein (with very little sugar).

High Protein Oats

I am a huge oatmeal girl, but I hadn’t tried Seven Sunday’s protein oats previously – and was super impressed by the wholesome, clean ingredients and the nice amount of protein they provide. You can also have them warm or overnight oat style, which is how I enjoyed them (topped with berries, coconut flakes and almond butter – yum).

Some FAQs on High Protein Vegan Meals, Nutrition and Fitness

Can I build muscle on a vegan diet?

1000%, yes. In fact, because keeping inflammation low and incorporating adequate recovery are crucial components to building and sustaining muscle, vegan diets can actually improve athletic performance and muscle growth. Because plant-based diets are inherently less inflammatory, and muscle growth requires muscle breakdown and repair, eating this way can promote faster recovery and improved muscular rejuvenation. I am a living, breathing example of this: I’ve increased my muscle mass and decreased my body fat eating plant-based, and it’s been super cool to see and feel those results. And the formula is simple: train each muscle group to failure 2x/week, eat a balanced diet of healthy fats, carbs, and enough protein (1.2 – 1.7 g per pound if you’re trying to build muscle), and get around ~150 minutes of cardio.

Is protein the most important macronutrient for overall health and fitness?

ALL of the macronutrients (protein, carbs, and fats) play an important role in our overall health – protein is just one element. So I encourage people to seek out balance instead of overly indexing on protein: we know that carbs and fiber are absolutely essential for gut and heart health (among many other benefits) and low-moderate amount of healthy fats from things like extra virgin olive oil, avocados, and nuts are also important for things like brain health – so it’s all about looking at things from a holistic lens.

What about whole versus processed plant-based protein sources?

This one is quite nuanced. My take, and what I tend to follow for myself (based upon my nutrition education) is this: I subscribe to the 80/20 rule on processed plant-based foods. Overall, I tend to get a lot of my protein from tofu, tempeh, and legumes, which are probably some of the highest-quality plant-based proteins available, and super versatile. And here’s a super important thing to note: while there is technically some processing involved in tofu and tempeh, there is some processing involved in almost all proteins (meats included)! And because of the purity of organic tofu and tempeh and the bioavailability nutrients in them (they’re essentially just soybeans in different forms), they’re generally considered to be in the whole food category as opposed to processed. Another one that I consume almost daily that is technically processed is a high-quality, clean ingredient, third party tested plant-based protein powder. It has immense nutritional benefits and is a fantastic way to start your day off with a ton of protein.

And even with your more processed plant-based “meats,” here’s what I like to tell people: they’re still going to be better for you than processed animal meats and red meat – period, end of story. There have been countless studies on how processed animal meats and red meat increase your risk of many cancers and heart disease – the top 2 killers of Americans. So if you like to eat Beyond, Impossible or other plant-based meat options sometimes, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. And there are some less-processed, super clean plant-based meat products out there now like Abbots that I really love and often recommend to folks.

Did I answer all of your questions on high protein vegan meals?

I know that the topic of protein can be a confusing one, but so if you have any outstanding questions or are looking for additional nutrition support, drop me a line below or reach out here!

And don’t forget that Purple Carrot is there to lend a helping hand and deliver high-protein vegan meals right to your door. Right now you can get $200 off your first 8 orders of Purple Carrot with code GROW200 ($25 off each box, valid on orders of $78 or more).

Note that there are affiliate links and sponsored content elements in this article that will enable you to get a discount while I’ll earn compensation or a commission. I only accept content sponsorships from brands I’ve personally tried and vetted. These collaborations allow me to run this blog and keep my in-depth content free of charge for readers like you who want to learn more about vegan living.