Vegans eschew all animal products – a main source of protein. But it's still possible to get the USDA recommended amount with these tasty alternatives.

You Will Need

Beans and lentils

Veggie burgers, hotdogs, and sausages

Bulgar wheat

Seitan

Tempeh

Quinoa

Tofu

Soy milk, soy cheese, and soy yogurt

Nuts and nut butters

High-protein vegetables

Hummus (optional)

Steps

Never change your diet without first consulting your physician.

STEP 1 Add beans

Add cooked beans -- such as kidney, lima, or navy -- or lentils in place of meat in soups, stews, casseroles, and chili. You can also make bean burgers and lentil burgers for a hearty meal.

Hummus, made with chickpeas and tahini, is a delicious high-protein spread.

STEP 2 Try soy

Try soy and grain-based protein products like veggie burgers, veggie hotdogs, and veggie sausages.

STEP 3 Incorporate meat substitutes

Incorporate other meat substitutes into your diet, including bulgar wheat, seitan -- a wheat gluten -- tempeh, which is cultured soybeans, quinoa, and tofu.

STEP 4 Substitute dairy

Substitute dairy in recipes with soy milk, soy cheese, and soy yogurt.

You can make delicious dishes like vegetable lasagne and veggie pizza with soy cheese.

STEP 5 Go nuts

Go nuts! Eating nuts and delicious nut butters daily is a great source of protein for vegans.

STEP 6 Don't forget the veggies

Remember that most vegetables contain some protein, and often a great deal. Some that are particularly high in protein include artichokes, beets, broccoli, peas, potatoes, and spinach.

Nine of the essential common amino acids humans require are made in the body; the other nine come from protein in our diet.