What am I going to eat if I don’t want to eat meat, poultry or milk products? Which foods provide my body the necessary protein? Which are the best plant-based proteins that taste good? What about eggs?

Let’s check in with Megan who has been a vegetarian and vegan dessert chef for 35 years. Megan is also an endurance athlete with a sweet tooth. She eats healthy sweets every day that are chock full of proteins that provide fuel for her body.

Megan’s favorite vegan proteins for baking are:

1)         Almonds, almond flour and almond butter,

2)         Peanuts and peanut butter,

3)         Eggs (if you venture to be veggan)

4)         Garbanzo beans, and

5)         Tofu.

Let’s dive deeper:

1) Almonds, almond flour and almond butter – Almonds are wonderful tree nuts to bake with. Almond flour gives bakes a fluffy texture and the nuts have their own unique flavor. Almonds have so many health benefits that we have a hard time to keep this short: they are high in antioxidants, help improve blood sugars, lower cholesterol and blood pressure and even aid in losing weight. Indulge in healthy treats by baking one (or all!) of these recipes: The Best Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies, Lemon Lavender Shortie Cookies, Maca Mocha Almond Cakes and Lemon Olive Oil Fig Cakes.

2) Peanuts and peanut butter – Peanuts and peanut butter are a staple in many American kitchens. Peanuts are a legume and provide 25 grams of protein per 100 grams.  If you are battling type-2 diabetes, then peanuts and peanut butter are your friend – they are low-carb and have been shown to improve blood sugars. The fats in peanuts fall also in the healthy category. For baking, we only use unsalted raw peanut butter without any additives. Make sure you check all the ingredients before you buy a jar. Many well-known brands have add-ins like sugars, oils (mostly hydrogenated vegetable oils like rapeseed or soybean) and emulsifiers like Mono- and Diglycerides. Check out our favorite recipes full of peanut goodness: Flourless Peanut Butter Brownies, The Best Vegan Peanut Butter and Jelly Cookies, and the Best Vegan Peanut Butter Banana Cookies.

3) Eggs – True, eggs are not vegan. However, eggs are an amazing source of healthy nutrients and more and more vegans are starting to be “veggan” – meaning vegans who eat eggs. Eggs can fill the nutrient gap in terms of minerals (like calcium, zinc and iron), vitamins and amino acids that vegans are missing from their diet.

We only advocate to eat eggs from ethically raised chickens. Megan is fortunate enough to have her own happy chickens who lay organic eggs. If you must buy eggs, make sure to look carefully at the labels. Labels like “cage-free” and “organic” mean only that the chickens are on the ground and are being fed organic feed – they are still crammed in large indoor facilities with not enough space to move.

4) Garbanzo Beans (also called chickpeas) are legumes with a high protein content of about 15 grams per cooked cup. Research has shown that legumes – other than soy – have a positive effect on blood lipids and can help reduce belly fat. They not only provide protein, but also complex carbohydrates, fiber and essential vitamins and minerals. Megan loves to create recipes with garbanzo beans, because they don’t have a strong taste and a pleasant, smooth mouthfeel. You must try Megan’s chunky banana chickpea drop cookies – they don’t taste like beans at all and are so satisfying.

5) Tofu – It’s no secret that tofu is made from soybeans.  Tofu is full of complete protein (45% of the calorie value) and so versatile in desserts. It gives brownies or fudges a smooth, silky texture. We can’t get enough of Megan’s Peanut Butter Brownies made with tofu.

Have fun baking healthy treats with plant-based proteins and eggs! Which are your favorite proteins to bake with? We would love to hear from you.

Megan & Patricia

Check out Megan’s recipes with plant-based proteins and eggs: https://www.sweetsyoucaneat.com/recipes

More information on nutrition data - check out: https://nutritiondata.self.com/