Become a lean, mean protein machine with a plant-based diet

The trend towards meat reduction is gathering pace in the UK. Meat sales are dropping, and many are switching to a vegetarian or plant-based diet.

This is because of the health and environmental problems associated with the consumption of meat.

Flexitarianism is officially a thing and this month, Veganuary is another ‘must do’ alongside Dry January - following the unhealthy festive period.

I hear you. How, just how, though, will you get enough protein in your diet to make those gains, tone up those stomachs and recover from a long, hard work out without any meat?

Protein shakes provide you with some of the necessary intake, but it’s not enough. Well, there are ways. You can consume enough protein without digesting half a chicken every night and no, it doesn’t mean increasing your amount of supplements.

For a high protein, easy to add addition to your diet, take a leaf out of some of our furry friends’ books with some nutty snacks. A slice of toast with some peanut butter before an early morning work-out and an elevenses bag of cashews will have you feeling stronger in no time.

If you’re missing steaks and burgers, give the East-Asian delicacy of tofu a try to suppress your cravings. Tofu offers eight grams of protein per 100 grams and if seasoned well enough, can also turn into a tasty meat alternative. Throw some tofu into easy to cook noodle dishes and you’ll be recovering quicker in no time.

Lastly, incorporate some beans into your evening dishes to really boost your protein count.

Adding beans to any rice based dish is simple and much like nuts, the possibilities seem endless. For that extra boost, though, regularly throw in some black beans to your diet, which consist of a whopping 21g of protein per 100g.