11 Ways to Add Vegan Protein Powder to your Diet

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man in red gym wear flexin' his muscles

Protein. The all-important macronutrient. Each of us have our own protein requirement, we've written about how you can calculate your protein requirement in this article.

Contrary to popular belief vegans aren't succumbing to protein deficiency any time soon but, if you work out regularly, you may wish to increase your protein intake by adding protein powders to your diet. Not sure which protein powder works for you? Check out this collection of the best vegan protein powders reviewed on abillion.

While adding protein powder to your post-workout smoothie is an excellent option (since it helps repair and refuels your body), one can get bored after a while. These are some other ways you can include more protein powder in your diet:

1. Oatmeal

oatmeal bowl loaded with fruits @david-'s review of Hanfsamen from enerBio

A healthy way to start your day is with a nice hearty bowl of oatmeal. You can add about 1 scoop of protein powder per 1 cup of oats, that way your oatmeal won't become grainy.

2. Coffee

woman sitting on the bed with laptop and coffee

Too swamped with work to take time out for breakfast? Try adding a touch of protein powder to your coffee. If you opt for vanilla flavored protein powder, like this one from Weider, your morning coffee will taste like it's made at a fancy café!

2. Pancakes & waffles

pancakes

Your Sunday brunch can now have more protein, just add unflavored protein powder to your dry pancake or waffle mix. Myprotein has an excellent vegan protein powder that you can try, check it out here. Depending on the protein powder you're using, you may need to adjust the amount of mylk you add since the addition of protein powder would make your pancakes and waffles a bit denser. The healthiest way to eat pancakes and waffles is to make them from scratch, but if you're strapped for time and need a store-bought option, here's the abillion collection for ready-made protein powdered pancake mixes that you can consider adding to your pantry.

Pro tip: Look for the pumpkin-flavored protein powder to give your pancakes a fall-like taste.

3. Protein balls & bars

protein energy balls

Add protein powder to your energy balls or bar recipe, so you can have them handy and enjoy them in lieu of snacks. Since these bars are high in protein but lack other essential macro and micronutrients, do not skip meals and eat them instead. They may be filling, but won't help you stay healthy in the long run.

4. Baked goods

brownies

Feel a little better about your cheat desserts, just substitute 1 cup of flour with about 1/3rd cup of protein powder when making baked goodies. To make the goodies even healthier, you can look at substituting any refined white flours with unrefined flours like whole wheat or buckwheat.

5. Burgers

veggie burger

Add protein to your protein. When making your veggie burger patty at home, add some protein powder to the mix. You can also increase the protein content by adding beans, legumes, or oats to your patty.

6. Sprinkle over your food

bowl of strawberries

Consider sprinkling savory protein powder (like pea proteins) over your pasta or soup. You can even add a dash of protein powder over your salads and fruit bowls, just ensure you don't add too much as it would ruin the taste.

7. Add to your dips

hummus with bread

Get yourself some unflavored protein powder and add it to your servings of dips like hummus, guacamole, or any other sauce of your choosing. If you're thinking of making hummus add about 1 scoop of protein powder per 1 can of chickpeas. Be creative with this and make your own recipes, like mix 1 tbsp of your favorite nut or seed butter with 1 scoop of MRM's Chocolate Mocha Smooth Veggie Elite Performance Protein Powder, like and some water and viola…you have a protein-rich sauce for slices of apples.

9. Pizzas

vegan pizza

Power up your pizza by either sprinkling unflavored protein powder over it, or add it to the base. Use the same proportions as mentioned earlier, i.e. substitute 1 cup of flour with about 1/3rd cup of protein powder.

10. Add to your mashed potatoes

potatoes for mashed potatoes

Mashed potatoes are carb-heavy, but you can mix in some flavorless protein powder to increase its nutritional content.

11. Ice creams

ice candies

When making ice creams or candies at home, you can add a dash or protein powder. When you use fruits as natural flavorings, you can really enjoy a nice healthy dessert without any guilt!

Some tips to keep in mind when cooking with protein powder:

1. If you spot a recipe that asks for whey, do not substitute it for pea protein. Their textures and taste are so different, your dish may not taste as good as you'd expect.

2. Ensure you add foods that add moisture. Protein powders tend to be dense and need moisturizers to balance them out. Some foods that you can add are bananas, sweet potatoes, pumpkin purées, apple sauce, cooked beets, etc.

3. When you know you're going to add protein powder to your food, make sure you look at ingredients. You want to buy ones with the least amount of ingredients. Many companies feel that people will usually add powders to their drinks, so they add various gums and emulsifiers to ensure that the drink will be smooth. But, when you use the same powders for cooking, your recipes will taste slimy or gummy, you definitely don't want that!

Do you have a favorite protein-rich recipe? Please share with us in the comments section below.

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Responses

@lilbeans profile image
Awesome list, definitely gonna try the oatmeal idea.
REPLY
@hereforareason profile image
I’ve done the pancake option! So good with vanilla. Def trying the coffee and oatmeal next!
REPLY
@pointsofellie profile image
Just tried a spoonful of protein powder in my coffee and can safely say I won't be trying that again 🤣 Love baking it into brownies, though 💪
REPLY
@jetsky profile image
Excellent ideas!
REPLY
@vikas profile image
Nice! I’ll try it in my pizza dough!
REPLY
@smartassvegan profile image
I've always wondered how to do this, now I know!
REPLY
@psychicpetwishes profile image
I like Feel Good Dough for pizza crust or bread... it has enough protein for me. I think it's 56 grams per pound. And it's just good wheat!
REPLY
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