Vegan Protein Sources Chart — Free Printable With Amounts

Plant-Based Protein Sources Chart

Beans, tofu, nuts, and soy foods measured the way MyPlate counts them, so a daily target turns into a grocery-aisle answer. One page, free, no signup.

1. Beans, peas, and lentils — ¼ cup cooked

A quarter cup of cooked black beans, pinto beans, chickpeas, lentils, or split peas is one ounce-equivalent. They also qualify as vegetables, so pick the group your day is short on rather than counting them twice. Canned is fine — rinse to cut the sodium.

2. Tofu — 1 ounce

One ounce of tofu, about a quarter-inch slice off a block, is one ounce-equivalent. Firm and extra-firm hold their shape in a hot pan; silken blends into sauces, soups, and desserts. Tofu set with calcium sulfate carries calcium as well.

3. Nuts — ½ ounce · nut butter — 1 tablespoon

Half an ounce of nuts, roughly 12 almonds, is one ounce-equivalent, and nut butter counts by the tablespoon. Nuts are calorie-dense, so the equivalent arrives fast — a small handful, not a bowl. Seeds and tahini sit in the same corner of the group.

4. Tempeh, edamame, and the rest of the soy aisle

Tempeh is fermented whole soybeans, firmer and nuttier than tofu; edamame is the same bean picked young. Both belong to the protein group alongside tofu, and both bring more texture to a plate than beans do — useful when a meal needs something to bite into.

5. Fortified soy milk counts, but not in this group

A cup of calcium-fortified soy beverage brings real protein, yet the Dietary Guidelines count it in the dairy group — one cup of soy beverage is one cup-equivalent there. Soy yogurt goes with it. It's the one plant protein that lands somewhere other than where you'd expect.

6. Grains contribute too

Whole grains aren't in the protein group, but they add protein steadily across a day. One slice of bread, half a cup of cooked rice or pasta, or half a cup of cooked oatmeal is one grain ounce-equivalent — and a day's worth of those is not a rounding error.

7. Your own number

How many ounce-equivalents you need depends on age, size, and how active you are, not on whether you eat animal foods. The free MyPlate Plan calculator on this site sets your daily target in the same ounce-equivalents this chart uses.

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