10 Easy Ways to Boost Plant Protein in a Vegan Diet

Although many people seem to think otherwise, vegans who eat a variety of foods generally have no problem getting adequate levels of protein. The difficulty, though, becomes finding ways to sneak more of that plant protein into your diet in interesting and delicious ways. Of course, using a quality plant protein powder can help. Still, you're going to be faced with the challenge of using that powder creatively. To get you started, here are 10 easy ways to boost plant protein in a vegan diet.

1. Smoothies – Of course, the obvious solution is to mix up a smoothie with that protein powder. You have tons of options here, depending on what flavors you would like to include, so you can easily keep things interesting.
2. Salad Dressing – Unflavored protein powders are especially well-suited for use in salad dressings where they can not only add some protein but can give the dressing a nice, thick texture. Pea protein powder, which is naturally savory, is especially good for this.
3. Soups – Many soups traditionally use flour as a thickener; Why not use protein powder instead? Since so many soups are actually fairly low in protein, this is a great way to keep things balanced.
4. Sauces – Like soups and dressings, sauces generally rely on some sort of thickener. Protein powder can get that job done.
5. Mashed Potatoes – An unflavored plant protein can be whipped into mashed potatoes to enhance bother the texture and nutrition of the dish. Again, unflavored powder is best here.
6. Pancakes – Protein pancakes are so hot right now. The internet is bursting with different recipes, most of which replaces the flour that is traditionally featured with protein powder. Typically, though, these recipes rely on eggs to keep things fluffy. Vegans need to be a little more creative, however. Mashed bananas, canned pumpkin and applesauce can all take care of that. Plus, they're delicious.
7. Muffins – Similarly, plant protein powder can be used in the mix to create delicious, protein-packed muffins. Again, you'll likely need to use some of those egg-replacers to prevent the muffins from becoming protein bricks.
8. Truffles – Combine mashed bananas, nut butter and protein powder in a large bowl until it resembles cookie dough. Roll it into balls. That's it. For a change, the bananas can be replaced with dates and all sorts of different flavors can be tossed into the mix. You can also coat these little treats in coconut or even matcha green tea powder for a little extra something special.
9. Coffee – Protein powder can be combined with coffee (or tea) to thicken the drink and sneak some nutritional value in. Mix the powder in slowly, to prevent it from clumping up.
10. Faux Ice Cream – Very similar to the protein truffles, this recipe relies on bananas and protein powder to fake ice cream. Chop the banana up and then freeze it. Once it's solid, throw the bananas and a plant protein powder into a food processor. Combine until smooth. Of course, this is the very basic version. Once you get comfortable with this, however, you can add any sort of flavoring you want.

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