Protein sources

One issue with avoiding the usual protein sources (meat and dairy) is identifying and leveraging alternative ones. I'm personally not a big fan of products that label themselves as vegetarian, yet are fundamentally processed and marketed to be synonymous with meat or dairy (e.g., vegetarian "bacon", "burgers", vegan "eggs" etc.) I'm not saying such products are null and void, I just don't think that's the right approach.

So, with that in mind, here are a few protein options for a reduced (or non) meat and dairy diet:

• Tofu (an obvious choice),Tempeh, Tahini, and Hummus
• Edamame (fresh,frozen, or dried - great for salads, snacking, or as a garnish)
• Quinoa (high in protein for a grain-like ingredient)
• Beans/Legumes (another obvious choice)
• Nuts (often used in the formulation of those veggie "burgers" anyway)

For sure, make sure you get some input from these sources each day, to provide sufficient protein input to your body.