When you tell somebody you are a vegan, it is almost sure the first thing he will ask you is “But how you supply yourself with protein?”. Seems like people think that the lack of proteins is such a big problem in vegan diet. But, really, have you ever met someone who suffers from vitamin deficiency? I believe not, because there will always be enough proteins in your organism if you eat variety of food every day and get enough of calories. For example, these are 10 ingredients that are the great sources of vegan protein and I’m sure you eat them ordinarily:

1. Veggies

Yes your everyday meals are full of protein. Of course not all veggies are full of protein but many of them are great sources of protein that you need. For example one cup of French beans has about 13 grams of protein, one cup of cooked spinach has about 7 grams of protein. Also broccoli, boiled peas, sweet tomato and many others are great sources of vegan protein.

2. Chickpeas

Chickpeas are a food that is full of protein. They can be tossed into salads, fried and salted as a crispy snack, or pureed into a hummus. They contain 7.3 grams of protein in just half a cup, and are also high in fiber and low in calories. Here is one interesting we recommend you: cinnamon soup you can prepare with chickpeas and pumpkin.

3. Hemp

Hemp is one of very few plant proteins that supply you with all the essential amino acids that your body can’t produce on its own to build muscle and create more protein. You can add hemp seeds to smoothies, pesto, or baked goods or cookies.

4. Non-Dairy Milk

One more great vegan protein source is non-dairy milk. They great thing about this protein source is that you don’t need to prepare it or anything. Just drink one cup of milk and you’ll get some proteins. The soy milk have the most of the protein, about 7-9 grams per cup but almond, hemp and rice milk also contain about 1 gram per cup.

5. Spirulina

In addition to being protein-rich, spirulina is an excellent source of vital amino acids and minerals easily assimilated by your body. This great dietary supplement available in tablet, flake and powder form. If you like that powerful smoothie on the picture above, you can get full recipe here.

6. Edamame

Edamame is a Japanese soybean and it is known as a complete protein because it contains all nine essential amino acids. Green soybeans are the only plant-based source of complete protein, according to the Centers for Disease Control. As a complete protein source, edamame is similar in its protein content to animal-based protein sources, such as meat, dairy and eggs. Eating half a cup of green soybeans adds more than 11 grams protein.

7. Lentils

Lentils are cheapest source of protein for vegans. With lentils, you can make rice dishes, veggie burgers, casseroles and more interesting meals. One cup cooked delivers a whopping 18 grams of protein.

8. Tempeh

You probably don’t know but one cup of tempeh packs about 30 grams of protein! That’s more than 5 eggs. Just find the good recipe that includes tempeh and that is it. If you liked these vegan tempeh meatballs on the photo, you can try to prepare them fallowing this recipe.

9. Almonds

Nuts in general, contain decent amounts of protein, almonds contain the most protein and least carbs of the nut family. They’re wonderful as a snack or tossed in salads.

10. Quinoa

While not technically a grain, quinoa sure acts like one. With twice the protein content of rice, it weighs in with considerably higher protein than its grain siblings. Quinoa is a great cholesterol-free and low-fat source of protein. One cup of quinoa contains 9 grams of protein.