"how do vegans get their protein?"

Hey guys, so the question people ask me over and over and over again is "are you getting enough protein?"... "Make sure you are getting enough protein!"... "I'm worried you're not getting enough protein"... "You're looking really frail, are you eating enough...PROTEIN?"...

So, one, to clear things up, I'm SO NOT frail! I'm going to have big muscles one day soon... I plan on it! And two, I'm taking that protein DOWN! I do all sorts of stuff: kale in the smoothie, nuts and seeds in salads, soups, and other dishes, and hemp protein galore! Make sure your protein intake is 10% of your diet, and you will be good to go!

Okay, now that everybody knows that yes, I am getting enough protein, let's move on to YOU! This is a special shout out to my very good friend Brandon, over on the east coast, who has, so intelligently, decided to try out the vegan diet for an entire month! Whoo! You go Brandon! Ideas for high vegan protein sources include hemp, kale, nuts, beans, QUINOA!, soy products like tofu and soy milk, spinach, and assortments of lentils! For an entire list with the grams per serving, click here.

I also have an awesome recipe in store for you guys. I will share it with you (But BRANDON- you have to eat it in a kitty bowl if you want to know my secret recipes! aha!)

Protein-Packed Quinoa Split Pea Soup:

Ingredients:

• 2 cups dry lentils (split pea)
• 3 chopped carrots 
• 3 chopped stalks of celery
• 3 minced garlic cloves
• 3 chopped potatoes
• salt (to taste)
• .5 cup parsley (chopped up)
• 1 tsp dried basil
• .5 tsp dried thyme
• 1tbsp olive oil
• .5cup barley
• 7 cups of water
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 chopped up onion
• .5 cup cooked quinoa
• garlic powder (to taste)
• handful of raw pumpkin seeds
• some sprinkles of nutritional yeast

Directions:

1.  in a big pot, sautee the veggies along with the bay leaf (gives the whole soup more flavor!)
2. add the other ingredients to the big pot with everything (excluding the quinoa, garlic powder, pumpkin seeds, and nutritional yeast-- these ingredients go on top when the soup is done cooking!)
3. cook on a low heat-- can take up to 4 hours sometimes to cook! Just make sure the soup doesn't boil over the large pot or else it can get pretty messy! You'll know the soup is done by test-tasting it and making sure the veggies are tender and the lentils are cooked through, giving the soup a thick, green, delicious texture!
4. pour the soup in your cutest kitty bowl, top with a scoop of quinoa, garlic powder, a handful of raw pumpkin seeds, and nutritional yeast, and eat up that protein!

(recipe inspired by website: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/vegan-split-pea-soup-i/)

This soup is everything great! It's full of fiber, protein, good vitamins, iron (especially in pumpkin seeds!), and B-12 (in the nutritional yeast). Protein isn't difficult to get a hold of but make sure all you vegans out there get B-12- only found in nutrient-rich soil and specific foods such as nutritional yeast (besides from animals)! Well, enjoy this delicious, filling, SOUPer meal (get it? Soup-er?  ahhahaah, I'm terrible with the puns... I'll try to work on that :))