Canada’s Food Guide recommends choosing protein foods that come from plants more often. Plant-based protein foods can be beneficial for your health and the environment and are often less expensive than animal-based proteins.
The challenge
For at least one meal per week, aim to make ¼ of your plate a plant-based protein like nuts and seeds, beans, peas and lentils, and soy products like tofu and soybeans.Tips
Try replacing some or all meat or poultry in your meal with plant-based protein foods. Choose:
- dried beans, peas and lentils to soak and cook at home
- low sodium canned beans, peas and lentils, or rinse and drain them to reduce the amount of sodium
- dry roasted nuts and seeds without added sugars, fat (oils), sodium (salt)
- peanut butter or other nut butters that list peanuts or nuts as the only ingredient, with little to no added sodium, sugars, saturated fat
- unsweetened fortified soy beverages
- lower sodium soy products (e.g., tofu and edamame)
As your main course, try using:
Chickpeas and beans
in tacos or burritos
Tofu
in a stir-fry or curry
Lentils
in a soup, stew, or casserole
Try out a new recipe using plant-based protein from Health Canada’s Food Guide Kitchen.
Try these quick and tasty snack options:
Nuts and seeds
Oven roasted chickpeas
Hummus with fresh veggies
Peanut butter on celery sticks
Glass of unsweetened, fortified soy milk and fresh fruit
Steamed edamame
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