Vegetarian proteins

Eating well on a vegetarian diet isn't rocket science. However, it does help if you know what to aim for in your daily diet. Here's a quick guide to what you should eat and a round-up of vegetarian proteins.

As is the case with meat-eaters, eating a wide variety of foods is the key to having a healthy, balanced diet. This approach is particularly true for vegetarians because, apart from a few foods such as tofu, hempseed and 'grains' such as quinoa, most plant food proteins have a low content of one or more of the essential amino acids needed by the body (you can think of these as the building blocks of proteins). By eating a variety of plant proteins, you can optimise your protein intake. The body is very clever at balancing complementary amino acid levels from various vegetables, cereals, pulses, nuts and seeds.

What to eat every day

If all of this sounds like we're blinding you with science, here's a quick summary of what you need to eat every day if you're a vegetarian, from the Vegetarian Society:

4 or 5 servings of fruit and vegetables
3 or 4 servings of cereals/grains or potatoes
2 or 3 servings of pulses, nuts and seeds
2 servings of milk, cheese, eggs or soya products
a small amount of vegetable oil, margarine or butter
some yeast extract that has been fortified with vitamin B12

Find out more about nutrition.

Find out how to make sure you get enough protein.

Guide to vegetarian proteins

Here's a quick run-down of foods that are high in protein, as well as a few suggestions on how to make the most of them.

Dairy products

Dairy: milk, buttermilk, condensed milk, evaporated milk, goats' milk, cream (single, double, whipping), crème fraîche, smetana, soured cream, yoghurt (plain, flavoured, Greek-style), butter, ghee, cheese

Dairy products are an important source of calcium as well as protein, but be careful not to overdo it on cheese by making sure you eat plenty of pulses too. Vegetarian cheese - cheese made using a non-animal rennet - is now widely available, so look out for the words 'suitable for vegetarians' on the packet, the Vegetarian Society's logo - or ask if you're buying from a cheesemonger.

Eggs

As well as hen eggs, look out for quail eggs, duck eggs, goose eggs, turkey eggs and gull eggs. Many vegetarians who eat eggs will insist on free-range eggs.

Grains, rice and cereals

Grains: Wheat (whole, cracked, bulgar, flakes, bran, germ, semolina, couscous), amaranth, buckwheat, barley, farro, corn (or maize - sweetcorn, popcorn, polenta), millet, sorghum, oats, rye, quinoa, wild rice

Rice: white and brown rice, white and black sticky rice, white and brown long-grain rice, basmati rice, white short-grain rice (also known as pudding rice), Thai fragrant (or jasmine) rice, red rice (eg. Camargue), Italian risotto rice (arborio, carnaroli, vialone nano), calasparra, Valencia (paella) rice

Grains and cereals go well beyond bread. Find out more about grains and cereals and get creative in the kitchen.

Nuts and seeds

Nuts: almonds, brazil nuts, cashew nuts, coconuts, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, peanuts, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios, sweet chestnuts, walnuts

Seeds: poppy, pumpkin, sesame, sunflower, linseeds (flax seeds)

Linseeds (flax seeds) are a particularly good source of an essential fatty acid (called a-linolenic acid) that is important to proper nerve function and can help reduce the symptoms of arthritis and heart disease.

Find out more about nuts and seeds.

Pulses

Peas, beans, lentils

Use super-nutritious pulses - fresh, dried or canned - as the basis for a huge range of satisfying dishes. Find out more about pulses.

Soya products and mycoproteins

Miso, soya, tempeh, textured vegetable protein (TVP), tofu (beancurd) and mycoproteins

Products made from soya are incredibly versatile - as well as high in protein. Find out more about soya and mycoproteins.

Wheat protein

A useful ingredient for vegetarians and vegans is wheat protein, sometimes called seitan, which is derived from wheat gluten (the protein part of flour). The gluten is extracted from wheat and then processed to resemble meat. It is more similar to meat in texture than either textured vegetable protein or mycoprotein and is used as a meat substitute in a range of foods. It tastes like meat, too. It is naturally low in fat and can be roasted, baked stir-fried, stewed or in sandwiches. Look out for it in health food stores.

To find recipes based on these ingredients and others, search the thousands of recipes in our recipe database, after ticking the 'vegetarian' box.