Dear Meat Eaters: If One More Person Asks Me How Vegans Get Their Protein I’m Gonna Lose My Mind.

If you’re a fellow vegan, you feel my pain. A far cry from the ‘obnoxious vegan’ memes that circulate the internet, most of us actually loathe telling people that we abstain from eating animal products. As soon as we do, we’re met with a barrage of incredibly ignorant and obtuse questions like: “Wow, not even bacon?” “But chicken isn’t meat, it’s poultry, right?” “So all you eat is kale and tofu?” and the ever so infamous “But where do you get your protein from?”

That question is like nails on a chalkboard to vegans everywhere. Since meat eaters seem to vehemently believe that meat is the one and only source of protein in the entire world, I’ve created a handy list of various healthy, plant-based protein sources. Depending on your dietary specifics, with a healthy and balanced diet you can meet your daily protein needs (and then some) with the foods on this list alone.

Feel free to send this list to anyone who asks you that godforsaken question ever again.

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Lentils, 1 cup: 18 grams of protein.

(Photo by James Sutton on Unsplash)

Quinoa, 1 cup: 8 grams of protein.

(Photo by Pierre Bamin on Unsplash)

Seitan, 1 ounce: 21 grams of protein.

(Photo by Marek Studzinski on Unsplash)

Tofu, 1 block: 36 grams of protein.

Tempeh, 1 cup: 31 grams of protein.

Edamame, 1 cup: 17 grams of protein.

Soy Milk, 1 cup: 8 grams of protein.

(Photo by Kien Cuong Bui on Unsplash)

Chickpeas, 1 cup: 39 grams of protein.

(Photo by dimitri.photography on Unsplash)

Black beans, 1 cup: 15 grams of protein.

Kidney beans, 1 cup: 15 grams of protein.

White beans, 1 cup: 6 grams of protein.

(Photo by Shelley Pauls on Unsplash)

Split peas, 1 cup: 48 grams of protein

Green peas, 1 cup: 8 grams of protein.

(Photo by Mikołaj Idziak on Unsplash)

Broccoli, 1 head: 17 grams of protein.

)Photo by Louis Hansel @shotsoflouis on Unsplash)

Asparagus, 1 cup: 2.9 grams of protein.

(Photo by Christine Siracusa on Unsplash)

Spinach, 1 cup: 1 gram of protein.

(Photo by Louis Hansel @shotsoflouis on Unsplash)

Wild Rice, 1 cup: 7 grams of protein.

(Photo by Joanna Kosinska on Unsplash)

Oats, 1 cup steel-cut: 6 grams of protein.

(Photo by Daria Nepriakhina on Unsplash)

Peanut Butter, 2 tablespoons: 8 grams of protein.

(Photo by Olia Nayda on Unsplash)

Hempseed, 1 cup: 55 grams of protein.

Chia seeds, 1 ounce: 5 grams of protein.

(Photo by Joanna Kosinska on Unsplash)

Nutritional Yeast, 2 tablespoons: 9 grams of protein.

(Photo by Lea Interthal on Unsplash)

Spirulina, 2 tablespoons: 8 grams of protein.

(Photo by Vita Marija Murenaite on Unsplash)

Protein Powder, Bars, and Supplements: varies by brand.

(Photo by Indivar Kaushik on Unsplash)

The amount of protein in powders, bars, and supplements depends completely on the brand. But just like omnivores, if we feel we aren’t getting enough protein in our diet, there are countless healthy, plant-based protein-packed products on the market.

Long story short — we get plenty of protein, so stop f*cking asking.