8 Easy Ways to Add More Protein to Your Meals Without Meat

My daughter loves Asian food, so edamame beans keep showing up at our table. I’ll be honest, I’m not a big fan. But even though I don’t love the texture, I can’t argue with how easy they are to add to meals. They pack a serious protein punch, which makes them worth keeping around.

An 80g serving of edamame beans gives you about 8.7g of protein, which is a lot for such a small amount. You can toss them into stir-fries, add them to salads, or just eat them as a side, but I’d recommend adding a little sea salt for flavor. If you’re looking for a simple way to get more protein in your meals without meat, these are hard to beat.

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Nuts can be pricey, but they’re worth it. A small handful is packed with nutrients, especially protein, and the best part? You can sprinkle them on just about anything with zero effort. Add a few almonds to your oatmeal, and suddenly, it’s more filling and nutritious. Toss some pistachios into a salad, and you’ve got extra crunch plus a protein boost. It’s as easy as opening a bag and tossing them in.

Peanuts are a great option too, a small handful gives you about 8g of protein, and peanut butter is perfect for sandwiches, the ultimate quick meal. Almonds provide about 6g of protein per 30g serving, while pistachios and cashews offer 5.4g and 5.3g per 30g serving, respectively. Simply put, nuts are a super quick and easy way to get more protein.

Like nuts, pumpkin and sunflower seeds are an easy way to sneak more protein into your meals. They’re not quite as versatile unless you want to get creative, but that kind of defeats the purpose of this list. The easiest way to add these to a meal is just to toss them into salads or add them to breakfast foods like oatmeal, granola, or even pancakes.

I’ve tried using pumpkin seeds in soups, thinking I could blend them down for a hidden protein boost, but no matter how much I blitzed them, the texture was just off. So, for now, I stick to the simple ways that actually work. A 30g serving of pumpkin seeds gives you 7.3g of protein, while sunflower seeds offer 5.9g per 30g serving. No extra effort, no fancy recipes, just an easy way to get more protein without relying on meat or supplements.

Kidney beans in chili are fantastic, they add texture, flavor, and, most importantly, protein. If you want to boost it even more, throw in some black beans for a five-bean chili. But beans aren’t just for chili. Kidney and black beans are super easy to add to salads, just warm them up, drain them, and toss them in. That’s it.

Broad beans are another great option for stews and salads, but I’d skip adding them to chili. Instead, they work well as a side dish. One of my favorites is steaming broad beans and then hitting them with loads of black pepper and spice. The texture is great, and they pack a real kick. That one takes a little more effort, but for a quick protein boost, beans are hard to beat.

An 80g serving of kidney beans provides 5.5g of protein, black beans offer 4.8g, and broad beans come in at 4.1g. Whether in a main dish, salad, or side, beans are an easy, budget-friendly way to up your protein without meat.

A can of garden peas costs less than a dollar and is one of the easiest ways to sneak more protein into a meal. They work in creamy pasta dishes, rich curries, and even classics like Shepherd’s Pie. All it takes is opening a can and warming them up, no prep, no fuss. If you’re making something like a pasta bake, you don’t even need to cook them first. Just drain and toss them in.

Another bonus is that garden peas barely have a taste. So if you’ve got picky eaters at the table who turn their noses up at veggies, they probably won’t even notice. With 5.4g of protein per 80g serving, garden peas are an easy, affordable way to add extra protein to almost any dish.

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Wheatgerm has its limits, it’s not something you can just toss into any meal. But if you’re having cereal or yogurt, it’s an easy way to sneak in more protein. You can even sprinkle it on ice cream if you want to balance out the treat with a little nutrition.

One thing I wouldn’t recommend is adding it to scrambled eggs. I tried that once, and it was a mistake. It made the eggs grainy, almost like biting into tiny bits of eggshell. Not great.

That said, for breakfast or snacks, wheatgerm is a no-fuss option. A 15g serving provides 4.1g of protein, and all it takes is a quick sprinkle, no cooking, no prep, just an easy way to up your intake.

Quinoa is one of the best plant-based protein sources available. It’s known as a complete protein, meaning it contains all nine essential amino acids. But let’s be honest, no one wants to stand around boiling quinoa for ages. That’s why I recommend the microwaveable packs. They cook in 60-90 seconds, depending on the brand, making it effortless to add to meals.

I’ve even started using quinoa instead of rice with my chili, and it works surprisingly well. It’s also great in salads or as a side for curries. With 4.4g of protein per 100g serving, it’s an easy swap that gives you more nutrition without any extra effort.

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Like quinoa, wild rice is another great way to add protein to meals. especially if quinoa isn’t your thing. You can get microwavable packs that cook in 60-90 seconds, making it just as easy to prepare. It works well as a side for chili, curries, or even as part of a salad.

I don’t buy wild rice as often because it’s more expensive than quinoa where I live, but when I do, I enjoy it. And honestly. I can’t tell the difference between properly cooked wild rice and the microwaveable version. With 5.3g of protein per 100g serving, it’s a solid option for adding extra protein with minimal effort.