* Has more protein than a 3 ounce steak
Beans
Per 3 ounces:
Pinto Beans have 23.4 grams of protein*
Kidney Beans have 20 grams of protein
Adzuki Beans have 17 grams of protein
Black Beans have 6 grams of protein
Lima Beans have 6.5 grams of protein
Great Northern Beans have 7.2 grams of protein
Legumes
Per 3 ounces:
Lupini Beans have 31 grams of protein*
Soybeans have 31 grams of protein*
Lentils have 22 grams of protein*
Peanuts have 22.2 grams of protein*
Chickpeas have 16.3 grams of protein
Green Peas have 5 grams of protein
Lima Beans have 6.5 grams of protein
Nuts
Per 3 ounces:
Black Walnuts have 20.4 grams of protein
Almonds have 18.1 grams of protein
Pistachios 17.4 grams of protein
Walnuts have 13 grams of protein
Hazel Nuts have 12.9 grams of protein
Brazil Nuts have 12 grams of protein
Hickory Nuts have 10.8 grams of protein
Pine Nuts have 9.9 grams of protein
Pili Nuts have 9 grams of protein
Acorns have 6.9 grams of protein
Seeds
Per 3 ounces:
Hemp Hearts have 26.4 grams of protein*
Pumpkin seeds have 19.8 grams of protein
Sunflower seeds have 17.4 grams of protein
Flax seeds have 15.6 grams of protein
Sesame seeds have 15 grams of protein
Chia seeds have 14.1 grams of protein
Buckwheat has 11.4 grams of protein
Pseudocereals & Grains
Per 3 ounces:
Whole Oats have 14.4 grams of protein
Teff has 12 grams of protein
Spelt has 12 grams of protein
Amaranth has 11.4 grams of protein
Quinoa has 10.8 grams of protein
Millet has 10 grams of protein
Wheat flour has 9 grams of protein
Mushrooms & Vegetables
Per 3 ounces:
Oyster mushrooms have 2.7 grams of protein
Broccoli has 2.4 grams of protein
Spinach has 2.4 grams of protein
Shiitake has 1.8 grams of protein
Morels have 1.8 grams of protein
Bugs & Worms
Per 3 ounces:
Crickets have 48 grams of protein*
Worms have 20 grams of protein*
Beetles have 19 grams of protein
Ants have 12 grams of protein
Meal Worms have 17 grams of protein
TABBOULEH RECIPE
Add 3 ounces each of Quinoa and Amaranth, adding the juice of a half lemon. Top off with enough boiling water to just cover the grains. This will soften them. Chop a handful or so of mint. Chop 1 or 2 bunches of parsley. Slice diagonally, then deseed and finely cube a cucumber. Cube 1 large tomato. Some people deseed them, but I don’t bother. I can’t tell the difference in a salad. Chop at least 2 scallions, more if you like a little more bite to the salad. I’ll also add about a dozen chopped black olives. Returning to my Amaranth and Quinoa, it has absorbed almost all of the liquid, cooked, and softened a bit. To this, I am going to add 1 cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Then the juice of the other half of the lemon and one more. You can pass on the second lemon if you don’t like it too lemony. I find that the lemon absorbs right in and incorporates pretty well. To this, you will add all your chopped vegetables. Then mix until all ingredients are fully incorporated and mixed. You will want to refrigerate this overnight to let the flavors come together and to let the grains continue to soften. Serve chilled with crackers or pita bread and enjoy. The whole salad has about 26 grams of plant protein in it. You could throw in some lupini beans and give it an even bigger protein kick. There really aren’t too many rules with Tabouli.
CHILI RECIPE
Chop and saute one large onion, three garlic cloves, and maybe a hot pepper in a tablespoon of olive oil or the fat of your choice. To this add a few tablespoons of tomato paste and stir. Add a little water if needed to keep the contents from sticking. To this, I will add 3 ounces each of black beans, lima beans, white beans, lentils, and pinto beans. Stir those in until all ingredients are well incorporated. As that cooks, I’ll add two large pinches of sea salt. After a few minutes, I add 24 ounces of chicken stock and 16 ounces of water. Finally, I will add 2 tablespoons of taco mix chile powder and a ¼ teaspoon of cumin as my seasonings. On a stovetop or fire, you would bring this to a boil, cover, then lower it to a simmer for a few hours until the beans are soft, adding water as needed. In my pressure cooker, I just set it on high for 30 minutes, and that’s it. This makes about 2-3 quarts of chili that has about 66 grams of protein, but I wouldn’t suggest you try and eat all that chili in one sitting.
OATMEAL COOKIES
Cream together ¾ cup softened or melted butter with 1 cup brown sugar and a ½ cup white sugar. Add 4 teaspoons vanilla and continue to mix until all is incorporated. Add two eggs and stir. When that is all incorporated, add 1 teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, and 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Mix until well incorporated. To this, I am going to add an ounce and a half each of flax seeds and sesame seeds and one-ounce chia seeds, but to make the protein in those hard seeds more bioavailable I am going to pulse them in the blender. Mix until incorporated. I’m also going to add 3 ounces of shaved almonds. Finally, add 2 cups whole oats and mix until all ingredients are incorporated. Roll these into 1 ½ balls onto a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet and allow an inch or two between cookies. Cook for 12-15 minutes in a 375-degree, 190 celsius, oven. Place on a wire rack to cool. I think these cookies taste better after they have cooled. This will make roughly 2 dozen cookies. The entire batch I estimate to have about 114 grams of protein, which is 4.75 grams per cookie.
