I'll quickly share my meatless testimony: I've been going meatless lately and have honestly never felt better. A nutritionist once told me to make vegetables the star of my meals. I began basing my meals around vegetables—some I'd never even tried before—and it’s been amazing falling in love with new plant-based proteins that make me feel like I have my life together. I talked more about the best plant-based proteins with Evolve's in-house nutritionist, Trish Griffin, who's also a registered dietitian, and Jonathan Valdez, registered dietitian and owner of Genki Nutrition.
"The myth that plant proteins are incomplete, necessitating protein combining, has been well refuted," explains Griffin. "For example, pea protein alone contains all the essential amino acids necessary for human health, and by eating a variety of foods and meeting your calorie requirements, for vegan or vegetarian diets, complementary proteins are not necessary in a single meal or beverage. By eating an adequate amount of a variety of plant-based sources of protein, your body will attain all nine essential amino acids, supporting all vital functions that protein provides."
It's also important to call out that the 2006 and 2015 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics explains that eating a variety of plant foods over the course of the day provides all our body's required amino acids.
Read on for their favorite plant-based proteins and some fun ways to incorporate these into your diet.