Building muscle is all about efficiency. From food choices, to reps, to post workout fixes – the rule of thumb is if it’ll make you grow, it’s a go. But when we matched up plants and meat to see which had the strongest nutritional profile, the results were staggering. Shockingly, plants are just as tough contenders for protein as meat, but plants have a further range of health benefits from phyto- and micro-nutrients that you might not be considering.
Click through to see which plant staples you should consider adding to your diet or use as a meat replacement for your next Meatless Monday.
1 of 7
Istetiana / Mongkol Nitirojsakul / EyeEm / Getty
Ground Beef Vs. Black Beans
GROUND BEEF: 3 oz = 22g protein
BLACK BEANS: 1.5 cups = 22.5g protein
Beef and beans are worthy opponents for the “which has the most protein” face-off. But when comparing the environmental and nutritional impact of the two, black beans takes the crown hands down for easiest on the Earth, easiest on the body, easiest to prepare and eat, and provide more nutritional benefit than a hamburger patty.
It seems almost impossible that a cup of cashew nuts could have the same amount of protein as a 4oz steak. But it’s true. Not only that, cashews give you an added element of nutritional value with a whopping 83 milligrams of magnesium, 168 milligrams of phosphorus and 187 milligrams of potassium per ounce.
When we compared pumpkin seeds to turkey meat we found that a mere handful contains more glutamate, zinc, and phytosterols than turkey. When considering just protein both are on par, but why not load up on the copper, manganese, phosphorous, vitamin K, E, and B while you’re at it. Pumpkin seeds are extremely more efficient to grow than turkey and much less harmful to the planet.
A mere 1.5 cups of lentils contains just as much protein as a 3 oz chicken breast, but lentils contain the dietary fiber, copper, phosphorus, and manganese that you can’t get from meat. Look for veggie patties made from lentils at your local health food store to effortlessly swap out the chicken on Meatless Monday.
Salmon and peanuts are both high in Omega-6 fatty acid and potassium and are both excellent sources of protein. One tablespoon of peanut butter has a whopping 8g of protein, making it a popular pick-me-up snack for athletes. It’s common to mistake the peanut for a nut, but it’s technically considered a legume, and as a legume it’s replete with dietary fiber, bone-building magnesium, and skin smoothing Vitamin E.
Both foods come from the ocean and both are high in protein, yet the ancient blue-green algae may actually help remove toxins like arsenic with every spoonful. Spirulina is high in potassium, calcium and zinc, and contains 8 essential amino acids. It requires no preparation and is a natural detoxifier and anti-inflammatory. Use it as a great addition to salad dressings and smoothies.
Istetiana / Silvia Elena Castañeda Puchetta / EyeEm / Getty
Pork Vs. Split Peas
PORK: 4oz = 30g protein
SPLIT PEAS: 2 cups cooked = 30g protein
Pork and peas match up pretty well. Peas offer 16g of dietary fiber per cup and they are a significant source of potassium, magnesium, and iron. They have recently become more popular as a base protein for plant-based protein powders.
