Along with fiber and carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, protein is an essential component of any healthy diet. Complex molecules made up of amino acids, proteins are vital in helping your body function properly. They build bone, hair, skin, nails and muscles, while also helping muscle recovery after exercise or injury. They play a vital role in making hormones and enzymes, and in maintaining a healthy body weight and increasing energy. Though it’s easy to get protein from lean meat, it’s also possible to fuel your body with plant-based dishes that pack a significant protein punch. Learn the ingredients that make the biggest impact and you can reach your protein target every day of the week, whether you’re faithful to Meatless Mondays, are a full-fledged vegetarian or are simply curious about how to make plant-based ingredients the stars of every plate.
High-Protein Meals That Satisfy
Whether you’re a full-time vegetarian or merely try to reduce your meat intake now and then, it’s important to eat enough protein at every meal. Happily, these plant-based recipes are protein powerhouses! Thanks to high-protein ingredients and clever protein combinations, these meals deliver the protein boost you need to keep your body energized.
Crockpot Chili with Sweet Potatoes
Packed with filling kidney beans, this spicy, savory vegetarian chili is naturally high in plant-based protein. Swap out the white rice for Success® boil-in-bag brown, and you’ll have a complete protein, made up of all nine essential amino acids.
Vegan Chili with Quinoa
Speedy and simple to make, Success® boil-in-bag quinoa hits above its weight in terms of nutritional value. Gluten-free, high in fiber and packed with complete protein, it partners perfectly with hearty, pecan-studded chili in this weeknight friendly recipe.
Curry Cauliflower Buddha Rice Bowl
This vegan take on butter chicken relies on fragrant spices, almond butter, coconut milk and cauliflower for its comfort-food reputation. Pair it with aromatic Success® boil-in-bag basmati rice for a weeknight dinner that feels anything but simple.
Parmesan Rice Stuffed Peppers
Saucy, gooey goodness spills out of tender baked peppers in this classic Italian-American dish. To boost the protein levels, stir white kidney beans into the brown rice filling before stuffing the peppers.
Vegetarian Rice and Pho Dinner Bowl
A perennial favorite in any plant-based kitchen, tofu has a starring role in this herb-scented dish. With spiced broth, crisp vegetables, a tangle of fragrant herbs and Success® boil-in-bag jasmine rice, it becomes a rich, comforting crowd-pleaser, perfect for any night of the week.
Spring Minestrone with Rice and Peas
Bright and fresh, this bowl is a welcome sight any time of year! Boasting a verdant combination of nutrient-dense veggies, it also contains white beans, pesto and Success® boil-in-bag white rice to ensure it’s every bit as hearty, flavorful and satisfying as its meat-filled counterparts.
Sesame Tofu Stir-Fry
With crisp tofu, fresh vegetables, peanuts, sesame and a sticky, sweet, irresistible sauce, this effortless stir-fry feels like takeout’s sophisticated sibling. The type of dish that feels complete even without meat, this one is likely to find a way into your regular rotation.
Jerk Tempeh Rice
Hailing from Indonesia, tempeh is a nutty, dense ingredient made from fermented, then compressed, soybeans. Flavored with jerk seasoning and crisped in a hot pan, it’s delicious combined with vegetables and Success® boil-in-bag basmati rice in this satisfying dish.
Vegan Enchiladas
Black beans and brown rice pair up to deliver a complete protein in this plant-based dish. Along for the ride? Plenty of tasty, zippy ingredients, from poblano peppers and corn to enchilada sauce and a molten cap of gooey vegan cheese.
Vegan Meatloaf with Brown Rice and BBQ Sauce
A surprising medley of ingredients — mushrooms, walnuts, lentils, brown rice, barbecue sauce, and more! — pack this meatloaf with plenty of appeal. Sure, it’s nutrient-rich and chockful of protein but the real reason you’ll want to gobble it is because it’s just crazy delicious.
Autumn Vegetable and Rice Power Bowl
It’s hard to say “no” to a recipe with “power” in its name! Made with an energizing combination of roasted root vegetables and Success® boil-in-bag jasmine rice, lentils, greens, goat cheese and pumpkin seeds, this plant-based powerhouse is guaranteed to help chase the winter blahs away.
Chickpea Spinach Tomato Curry Recipe
Steeped in a zesty, spiced sauce, chickpeas and fresh spinach morph into a stew that begs to be paired with fluffy basmati rice and warm naan. With recipes this easy, Meatless Monday could easily extend to Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and beyond!
Sweets with Protein Power
Armed with the right recipes, you can sneak a little protein into every course — including dessert! Recipes that use rice or quinoa, plus seeds and nuts, yogurt and more, these simple sweets will easily help you reach your daily protein quota.
No-Bake Peanut Butter Quinoa Cookies
Start with Success® boil-in-bag quinoa and it’s easy to end up with a dish that’s delicious AND packed with essential nutrients. Mixed with peanut butter, honey, rolled oats and peanuts, quinoa becomes a delectable treat that’s perfect after dinner, midday or when midnight cravings strike.
Brown Rice Energy Balls
A treat that won’t inspire feelings of guilt, these energy balls are decadent, thanks to chocolate and almond butter, but also virtuous, thanks to brown rice, flax seeds and prunes. Customize these with your chocolate of choice, a dash of cinnamon or cocoa powder, then keep them on hand for when your sweet tooth needs sating.
The Best Overnight Oats with Quinoa
A dish that’s as welcome after dinner as it is at breakfast, these overnight oats are creamy, sweet and über-satisfying. Here made with almond milk, bananas, berries and quinoa, this dish is also easy to adjust to suit everyone’s tastes.
Creamy Brown Rice Pudding
Naturally high in protein, brown rice is a whole-grain ingredient that becomes creamy and nutty in this take on classic rice pudding. Sweetened with maple syrup and seasoned with cinnamon, this five-ingredient dessert is warm, comforting and a cinch to whip up.
Carrot Cake Quinoa Muffins
Moist and lightly spiced, these snack-sized cakes are the ultimate indulgence when capped with a lavish crown of sweetened cream cheese frosting. Even eaten plain, their top-notch combination of grated carrots, quinoa, brown sugar, pecans, and spices is always a surefire hit.
Creamy Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pudding
Replace rice with quinoa and you have the makings of a protein-rich pudding that’s as silky and soothing as the original. Read in just 30 minutes, this mostly hands-off recipe includes egg yolks, coconut milk and vanilla, for body and additional flavor.
Inviting protein to your table is an essential part of building a balanced diet. Happily, it’s easy to do, even when meat isn’t always on the menu! Plant-based ingredients, including rice and quinoa, can help you get the protein you need to keep active. Visit Successrice.com to find more inspiration for how to bring crowd-pleasing, plant-powered protein and rice dishes to your table., every day of the week.