If you are a vegetarian, there are chances that you might not be getting the required amount of protein through your regular diet. The fact that your hair and nails are mostly made of protein says a lot about why it is important. Your body even uses it to build and repair tissues. Like carbohydrates and fats, you need it in a substantial amount to stay fit. But unlike carbohydrates and fats, your body doesn’t store protein, making it more than necessary to have protein on a daily basis. Here are a few ways you can sneak protein into your vegetarian diet.

Ways to Sneak Protein Into Your Diet:

1. Seeds

Chia seeds, Hemp seeds, and Flax seeds contain a substantial amount of protein along with other nutrients. Whenever you are making yourself a glass of smoothie, add them to the mixture before blending. If you are going to bake bread or cake, add them to the batter. Trust me on this, you would not notice any difference since these seeds do not alter the flavor much.

2. Nuts

Almonds, Cashews, and Pistachios can be added to puddings, cereals. If you are having cereals for breakfast, you might as well add nuts to make your meal a little more exciting. Just like seeds, nuts are also rich in many other nutrients aside from protein.

3. Whole Grains

Just making a switch from your white bread, white rice, and white pasta to brown bread, brown rice, and whole wheat pasta respectively would do the trick. In fact, you can add quinoa to your diet. It is a complex carb rich in protein. Whole grains are always better in terms of protein. Start your days with quinoa or oatmeal, it would give plenty of protein to headstart your day.

4. Lentils and Beans

Being vegetarian, lentils and beans must have been already a part of your diet. If not, make sure you do eat a lot of lentil and beans. You can add them to soups and salads increasing their nutrition value.

5. Dairy

Unless you are vegan, dairy can be an amazing source of protein. In fact, dairy is an underestimated source of protein. If you are concerned about the calories, you can opt for skimmed milk, low-fat curd, and low-fat cottage cheese and you are good to go.

6. Protein Powder

Last but not least, if you are left with little time, add protein powder to your milk or smoothie to boost the amount of protein. However, you might want to make sure that it is without too much-added sugar.