Chances are, you already have a few go-to ingredients for bumping up the protein content of your smoothies and sauces. (Nut butter, pureed beans or protein powder, anyone?)
But there's something else you can try: vegetables.
You might not think of veggies as a potent source of protein, but plenty of them pack way more of the muscle builder than you might expect. And they're easy to add to blended drinks, sauces and dips. (If you have trouble digesting raw veggies, try blanching or steaming them—then freeze them if you plan to use them for smoothies). Here are eight surprising ones to try:
Peas
A cup of green peas packs a whopping 8g protein, which is more than a large egg. Who knew? Throw a handful of fresh or thawed frozen peas into your green smoothie—the natural sugars nix the need for added sweeteners—or make a protein-packed pesto with peas, walnuts, garlic, olive oil and lemon juice.
Sweet potatoes
Sure, you probably count the orange spuds as carbs. But a medium sweet potato also serves up 2g protein. Bake or steam them, then scoop out the flesh to add natural sweetness to smoothies. Or try pureeing the flesh with tahini, garlic and unsweetened almond milk to make a creamy nondairy sauce for mac and cheese.
Artichokes
You might've heard that artichokes are a top source of gut-friendly prebiotics and fibre. What you probably don't know: A cup of artichoke hearts also gives you 4g protein. And though the flavour might not taste quite right in a smoothie, pureed artichoke hearts make for a rich, earthy sauce. Blend them with olive oil, garlic and Parmesan, and drizzle it over grilled chicken, fish, or even grain bowls.
Kale
Your favourite power green will load you up with vitamins and antioxidants—not to mention 3g protein per cup. If you haven't jumped on the green smoothie bandwagon yet, it's time to start throwing a handful or two of chopped kale into the blender, stat.
Spinach
Popeye knew what he was talking about, people. You'll get 1g of protein per cup of raw spinach. Plus, the leafy green's mild flavour makes it easy to incorporate into tons of recipes: Add a few cups of finely chopped spinach to pasta during the last few minutes of cooking, or fold it into tzatziki. Another idea? Puree whole leaves with parsley, scallions, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil to make a tangy green salsa for taco bowls.
Broccoli
Remember when Mum used to tell you that eating your broccoli would make you big and strong? She was right. A cup of the chopped florets packs nearly 3g protein. Toss lightly steamed broccoli into a smoothie in place of the usual leafy greens, or add finely chopped florets to pasta sauce.
Cauliflower
At 2g protein per cup, the white knight serves up almost as much protein as its green cousin above. And it's even more versatile: Add lightly steamed cauliflower to smoothies, or puree it with garlic, olive oil and unsweetened almond milk to make a clean, Alfredo-style sauce for noodles, lasagna, or casseroles.
Beets
Steamed or shredded raw beets add sweetness (and an eye-poppingly pretty colour) to smoothies, hummus and even chocolate avocado pudding. Oh, and they deliver nearly 2½ g protein per cup. Pretty good, right?
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