(Photo: Sarah Couture)
By: Katie Wismer
It’s the question every vegan has heard at least a dozen times: Where do you get your protein? Look no further than this list of delicious breakfast choices that are extremely easy to make and packed full of protein (and they all pretty much have the same ingredients, so if you can make one, you can make them all!)
(Photo: Contentedness Cooking)
- Protein Pancakes
Pancakes are a breakfast classic, but they often get a bad rap. If you’re making them from scratch, they can actually be quite healthy – and it’s super easy to add lots of protein!
What you’ll need:
- A blender
- Oats
- 1 banana
- Almond milk (or plant-based milk of choice)
- Protein powder of choice (I love the Vega Protein and Greens vanilla favor)
- Optional toppings:
- Fruit
- Nut butter or nut butter powder
- Syrup
Experiment and play around with the ingredients! My favorite way to make them is to throw a banana, about half a cup of oats, ½ – 1 cup of almond milk, and ½ – 1 scoop of protein powder into a blender. The product can then be used the same as any pancake batter. To add a little extra protein I like to use PB2 Peanut Butter powder. I mix 2 tsp of the powder with 2-3 tsp of water until the mixture is the right consistency to drizzle on top of the pancakes. You can also add some fruit or maple syrup on top to finish it off! (If you prefer waffles and have a waffle maker, you could make waffles instead!)
*A lot of people are wary of using protein powder because they think it tastes chalky, and if you use too much, it definitely can! I’ve found that cooking it into foods – like pancakes – greatly reduces this effect, and aside from a hint of vanilla, you can’t even taste it.
(Photo: simple veganista)
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Smoothie Bowls
Who doesn’t love a good smoothie on hot summer days? Similar to the pancake “recipe,” this recipe is super flexible.
What You’ll Need:
- A blender
- Fresh or frozen fruit
- A liquid base (juice, plant milk, or water)
- Protein powder of choice
- Optional additional ingredients:
- Maca powder
- Chia seeds
- Granola
- Nut butter or nut butter powder
- Greens
The first thing I do when making a smoothie bowl is to create the base. You’ll want to make this a bit thicker than your average smoothie, so just use a little less of your liquid base than you normally would. I like to use a handful of frozen berries, 1 fresh banana, and ½ – 1 cup of almond milk. Then I add in ½ – 1 scoop of protein powder and a tsp of maca powder and blend it all together. If you’re using a peanut butter powder like PB2, I recommend blending it with the base. If you’re using a nut butter, I recommend waiting to add it on top. You can also blend in some greens if you’d like.
Once it’s all blended together, pour it into a bowl and add toppings. I usually add a tbsp of chia seeds, a tsp of vanilla almond butter, some banana or strawberry slices, and about ½ cup of granola.
(Photo: littlebroken)
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Protein Oatmeal
When I don’t have a lot of time in the morning and need something fast, my go-to has always been oatmeal.
What You’ll Need:
- Oats (and hot water or a microwave)
- Protein powder of choice
- Fruit
- Nut butter of choice
- Chia seeds (or seeds of choice)
- Cinnamon (optional)
- Maca Powder (optional)
I usually pour about ½ cup of oats into a bowl and add hot water first so I can let it sit while I prepare the rest of the ingredients. You can add any fruit you want, but my favorite is diced apple chunks because they add a bit of a crunch. While I let the oats soak, I chop up the apples. Once the oats have begun to absorb some of the water, but not completely, I mix in ½ – 1 scoop of protein powder, a tsp of maca powder, a tbsp of chia seeds, and some cinnamon. Lastly, once the mixture is the consistency you want, you can mix in your fruit and a spoonful of nut butter. And you’re done! This usually takes about 5 minutes.
