'Why I Love These 4 Underrated Vegan Protein Sources'

In a recent video, Jenné Claiborne, the creator of popular Sweet Potato Soul YouTube channel and blog, shared her favorite underrated vegan protein sources. Claiborne, a vegan since 2011, is known for her accessible and flavorful plant-based recipes inspired by Southern cuisine and her global travels. She also authored Vegan Vibes, a cookbook releasing on February 4, 2025, which features 100 vegan recipes.

In the video, Claiborne debunked myths about protein deficiency on a vegan diet, stating: “Yes, you can get plenty and more than enough high-quality plant-based protein eating vegan.” She highlighted four often-overlooked protein sources and explained their nutritional benefits, incorporating them into meals she ate throughout the day.

You can watch the full video, and find a summary of what she eats, below.

Whole grains

Whole grains are a cornerstone of Claiborne’s diet, beginning with her breakfast of spelt flour pancakes. “These are fluffy, light, easy to make, not a lot of ingredients, and taste like Grandma’s pancakes,” she said. Spelt flour, an ancient wheat variety, provides around five grams of protein per 1/2 cup. For her recipe, she used one cup of spelt flour, giving her 10 grams of protein from the pancakes she consumed.

A pile of vegan pancakes made with spelt flour — Sweet Potato Soul/YouTube Claiborne uses spelt flour to make her pancakes

Claiborne emphasized the protein content of minimally processed whole grains. “You don’t even know you’re getting protein – it’s not like adding protein powder, which is chalky and gives your pancakes a weird texture and flavor… You can just stick with the whole grain that’s delicious,” she said, encouraging viewers to incorporate grains like spelt, quinoa, and farro into their diets.

Lentils

For lunch, Claiborne prepared a sweet potato lentil salad from her upcoming cookbook. Highlighting lentils as one of her favorite protein sources, she noted: “Lentils are so underrated. Most people have never even tried lentils, at least most people here in the United States.”

She praised lentils for their ease of preparation compared to beans, stating: “They’re incredibly easy to cook – even easier than beans. They don’t require you to soak them overnight and cook in about 30 minutes on the stove or just eight minutes in an instant pot.”

The salad featured cooked French lentils, sweet potatoes, fresh herbs, and a pomegranate molasses dressing. “Lentils have 18 grams of protein per cup. For this salad, I ate about a cup and a half of lentils, giving me a whopping total of 30.6 grams of protein just in this meal,” said Claiborne.

Leafy greens

Claiborne also highlighted leafy greens, particularly kale, as a surprising source of protein. “Just one cup of raw packed kale has 2 grams of protein,” she explained, adding that she used 1.5 cups of raw kale in her lentil salad, contributing 3 grams of protein.

She recommended massaging greens with tahini to enhance their flavor and nutritional value. “I massaged this kale with one tablespoon of tahini, which has 2.6 grams of protein just in that one tablespoon – more than the kale itself!” Claiborne suggested pairing greens with other protein-rich foods like nuts, seeds, or whole grains for a nutrient-dense meal.

Tempeh

For dinner, Claiborne made tempeh tacos, describing tempeh as “fermented soybean cake” and a “great source of complete plant-based protein.”

Tempeh, like tofu, is made with soybeans, but it has a very different texture. “It’s made with whole soybeans that are cooked and mixed with a culturing agent, which ferments the soybeans and turns them into a cake,” Claiborne explained.

Claiborne prepared a simple marinade for the tempeh using soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, chili powder, and maple syrup, which she allowed to soak in before sautéing. “Tempeh has a slightly bitter taste, but when you marinate it and put sauce on it, it takes that bitterness out and brings the flavor to life,” she said. For her tacos, she added guacamole and shredded vegetables, noting that tempeh provides 18 grams of protein per serving.

Follow Jenné Claiborne on Instagram and YouTube channel. You can also find more recipes on the Sweet Potato Soul website.