An online space for the vegans of Lemmy.
Rules and miscellaneous:
What about BBQ tofu (which you can just as easily fry or bake)? You basically just slice up a brick or two of tofu, slather it in BBQ sauce, and cook. You can make big batches and freeze it until you're ready to use it.
Granted, this obviously depends on what you consider highly processed, but I don't think (?) tofu generally has much going on in that department, and you could make your own BBQ sauce if you'd prefer.
You could also do the same thing with seitan or maybe even tempeh.
Chickpea tuna. Mash a tin of chickpeas with nori flakes and a little olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste, optionally (but highly recommended) add corn and vegan mayo.
Since all my suggestions were already mentioned here, I will ask a kind of off-topic question: Why are looking into "protein" ingredients specifically? So what are you looking for / trying to achieve with protein intake?
Like Greger says, if you are eating plants and you are getting enough calories you are automatically getting enough protein!
Yes this is true, but only if you almost exclusively eat WHOLEFOOD plant based with only little added fats.
I generally agree with the underlying sentiment that it is not too complicated to get your needed protein on a plant diet, but it is totally possible to not reach the recommended amount if you are just eating random stuff.
Which recommendation? The official ones are heavily influenced by the US farming lobby.
It's 0.8 - 1 g protein per kg body weight (for a normal BMI) if you are not doing excessive workouts or being pregnant for example.
You know that other dietary associations than the USDA exist in other countries, right? They pretty much are consistent with this guideline.
So if you weigh 73kg and hypothetically ate nothing but Spaghetti, you'd get the recommended amount of protein (1g/kg) by eating 2000 calories.
I know you'd need other sources for a full protein profile, but the amount doesn't seem like an issue at all.
Sorry for the late reply...
Grains are pretty high in protein content. However, oils (e.g. fried foods), sweets and fruits and often pretty low in protein. If you are eating a "what ever I crave" vegan diet with processed foods mixed in, you will easily land below that threshold.
For example, my wife tracks her food sometimes (for a couple weeks each) and she often lands below her recommended target. She is not eating badly but also not suuuper clean and still, she often does not reach her recommended protein amount.
Bottom line is: You can easily be eating "not enough" protein. However, most of the time it will not lead to big problems. But in the long run, this might get problematic. Every person - vegan or not - has to plan their diets well and think about what they eat at least a little. "Being vegan" is not a magic wand of nutrition. We still need to consider what we eat every day.