High Protein Vegetarian/Vegan Foods

To the non-vegetarian Indians who have been training hard, or simply trying to stick to a healthier diet.. I can just feel that dread of turning meat/fish-free for the up-coming week of Navratri! For those who are unfamiliar with Hindu culture, there are times throughout the year which are considered to be important junctions of climatic and solar influences. These two periods are taken as sacred opportunities for the worship of one of our goddesses - the Divine Mother Durga. We call it 'Navratri'. It usually lasts 9 nights/10 days, and out of respect we give up all non-vegetarian food sources. For regular meat, fish, egg-eaters like me, sticking to a high-protein diet during this period can prove rather difficult! Which is what inspired me to write this post.

Below I have listed a variety of healthy, natural, unprocessed/unrefined, high-protein vegetarian foods that I like to enjoy to ensure all my nutritional needs and physique goals are kept on track during my competition prep. You'll find my favourite lean sources of protein- so those with minimal fats and carbs added, a list of sources that tend to also be slightly higher in healthy-fats, and a list that tend to also be higher in carbohydrates.

Lean Protein:

Whey Protein - Reflex Nutrition is my favourite brand, it contains essential probiotics to keep your gut health in order!
Greek Yoghurt

Cottage Cheese
Quark
Quorn pieces/Quorn fillets
Low fat dairy

Higher in healthy fats:

Hemp seeds
Cheeses: greek/feta cheese, mozzarella, goats cheese, ricotta, paneer
Full fat dairy
Almonds/almond butter
Natural peanut butter
Pumpkin seeds
Sunflower seeds
Sesame seeds














Higher in carbohydrates:

Quinoa
Edamame beans
Chick peas/hummus
Lentils
Kidney beans
Pinto beans
Black beans
Cannelloni beans
Chia seeds
Vegetables
Cacao powder- My favourite is Creative Nature Superfoods brand! It's great quality, natural, organic, and jam-packed with healthy nutrients!
Quest bars (as a little high-protein treat!)

Other sources- Believe it or not, certain vegetables (leafy greens in particular) are a great source of protein and are high in fiber too- an essential nutrient vegetarians/vegans tend to lack when going low-carb! Here are some great fiber-rich, nutrient dense options:

Spinach
Kale
Asparagus
Peas
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Courgette
Sugarsnap Peas/Mangetout
Green beans
Brussel sprouts
Pak Choi
Leeks
Mushrooms
Aubergine
BASICALLY ALL LEAFY GREENS & CRUCIFEROUS VEGGIES! - So go nuts with them! ;)
Chia seeds
Cacao powder

Hopefully this will have given you enough variety to play around with over the next week or so.. Be creative!
I thought I'd leave you with a few images of some tasty vegetarian food to help give you a little inspiration on a few yummy meal ideas! Happy Navratri/Veggie Week!

And just some almond butter.. Because I mean, just look- how dreamy does that look!!! <3