The best high-satiety plant-based foods

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High-satiety plant-based foods

Beans, peas, and lentils

Beans, peas, and lentils — also known as legumes — are popular among people who follow vegan and vegetarian diets. And many people who eat animal foods enjoy them as well.

Legumes have a lot of positives. First, they’re high in both protein and fiber, along with potassium and magnesium. They’re also versatile and inexpensive. Some studies suggest that including beans, peas, and lentils in your diet may help you lose weight.

Although all types of legumes have impressive satiety scores, some are higher in carbs than others. In general, most beans, peas, and lentils aren’t a great fit for keto or very low carb diets unless they’re consumed in small amounts. (The exception is lupini beans, which have a lower carb content.) Plus, they may cause digestive stress in some people.

Legumes are increasingly being used to create pasta alternatives, such as lentil spirals or penne. Although more refined than whole beans, because many of these products are 100% legumes, they also boast impressive satiety scores. 

Below are the satiety scores and grams of protein, fiber, and net carbs per one cup (160 to 190 grams, unless otherwise indicated) of cooked legumes:

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Soy

Looking for a high-satiety plant-based protein option that’s low in carbs? Consider soy, including tofu, edamame, and tempeh.

Unlike other plant sources, soy is considered a complete protein because it provides all nine essential amino acids in amounts comparable to the proteins in milk. Your body also digests and absorbs soy protein efficiently.

Besides providing high-quality protein, soy is rich in iron, magnesium, and several B vitamins, among other nutrients. 

Soy is sometimes considered a controversial food because older, very weak evidence suggested it could potentially lead to health problems. However, most of the recent high-quality human research on soy shows that it is safe and may even reduce — rather than increase — disease risk in some cases.

Overall, soy’s benefits seem to greatly outweigh the risks, especially for vegans and vegetarians.

Below are the satiety scores and grams of protein, fiber, and net carbs per serving of soy. (Serving sizes vary by weight; see the specific foods for details.)

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Or try one of our popular high-satiety soy-based recipes, such as:

Seitan (vital wheat gluten)

Seitan (pronounced say-tan), or vital wheat gluten, is a favorite among many vegan and plant-based eaters because it makes an excellent meat substitute.

Gluten is a protein found in wheat and other grains like barley and rye. However, unlike most grain products, seitan is high in protein and very low in carbs.

How can a wheat product be low in carbs? 

Seitan is made by mixing water with wheat flour to form a dough, which is kneaded and rinsed repeatedly to remove the starch. After several rinsings, only gluten strands remain. These gluten strands are used to make seitan: a high-protein meat substitute that’s typically seasoned with spices and soy sauce before cooking. Besides being protein-rich, seitan also provides important minerals like iron and selenium.

If you have celiac disease or are sensitive to gluten, you should avoid seitan. But if you tolerate gluten, consider giving seitan a try, since it has an excellent satiety score and nutritional profile.

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Nutritional yeast

If you want a plant-based alternative to cheesy, creamy sauces, you may want to try nutritional yeast.

Nutritional yeast comes from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which is the same yeast species used to make beer and bread. But unlike live yeast that causes bread to rise, nutritional yeast is treated with heat, which kills the yeast cells. Then the yeast is dried into a powder or flakes and packaged for sale.

Besides being an excellent vegan protein option, nutritional yeast is rich in several B vitamins, including riboflavin, niacin, and vitamin B6. Some manufacturers fortify nutritional yeast with vitamin B12, which occurs naturally only in animal foods.

Because nutritional yeast is so high in protein and fiber and has a low energy density, its satiety score is exceptionally high. 

However, its flavor can be an acquired taste, and you may need to do some experimenting to find out how you like it best.

Below are the protein percentage and grams of protein, fiber, and net carbs per ounce (30 grams) of nutritional yeast powder, approximately one-quarter cup:

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Plant-based protein powders

Although we recommend opting for minimally processed plant foods most of the time, using plant protein powders occasionally can help you meet your protein needs. Plus, they have excellent satiety scores because they’re so high in protein and low in carbs.

Choose unflavored powders with minimal additives, such as pea protein or protein from other legumes, seeds, or grains. For flavor, add some fresh berries or one of the low-carb sweeteners we recommend. Or choose a protein powder that contains one of these sweeteners.

Below are the satiety scores and the grams of protein, fiber, and net carbs per ounce (30 grams) of protein powder blended with one cup (240 ml) of water. (Keep in mind that these are average values. Check the nutrition label for the specific protein and carb content.)

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Moderate-satiety plant-based foods

Plant foods with satiety scores between 40 and 59 are considered moderate-satiety foods. Feel free to include them in small to modest amounts — or not at all — based on your eating preferences and health goals.

Seeds

Seeds are crunchy, rich in fiber, and versatile. However, their satiety scores are lower than beans, soy, and the other protein foods discussed earlier. Why? Because seeds have lower protein percentages and higher energy densities than other plant-based protein sources. 

If you like seeds, you can still enjoy them on a higher-satiety vegan or vegetarian diet, or a diet that includes meat. Just keep quantities modest. (We include a few seed options that score below 40 on the satiety scale in this category, with slightly smaller serving sizes.)

Below are the satiety scores and grams of protein, fiber, and net carbs per 1.5 ounces (45 grams) of seeds, unless otherwise noted:

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*approximately two tablespoons

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Whole grains

Rice, bread, oatmeal, and other whole grains play a prominent role in many cultures. Although whole grains provide fiber and some vitamins and minerals, they’re low in protein and fairly high in net carbs. With a higher-satiety eating approach, you can opt to include about half a cup of grains or one to two slices of bread at a meal if this doesn’t raise your blood sugar, cause digestive issues, or trigger cravings. 

Here are the satiety scores and grams of protein, fiber, and net carbs per serving of cooked whole grains (3.5 ounces or 100 grams, unless otherwise indicated. Note that the weights of bread and popcorn are smaller to reflect typical servings sizes):

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Low-satiety plant-based foods

Foods that have satiety scores below 40 are classified as low-satiety foods. While none of these foods should make up a large portion of your diet, it’s OK to include some types in small amounts. However, it may be best to avoid others altogether. 

Added plant fats

Plant-derived fats contain virtually no protein or other essential nutrients but are high in calories. For this reason, they have low satiety scores.

However, whether used in recipes or added to your food at the table, fat can improve the taste and mouthfeel of legumes, vegetables, and other plant foods. 

While you don’t need to avoid added fats, keep amounts small to modest for higher-satiety eating — even if you follow a keto or low carb diet. Just add enough for flavor. Aim for around a tablespoon of added fat per meal if you’re trying to lose weight. 

Here are the satiety scores and grams of protein and carbs per 1 tablespoon (15 grams) of plant-based fats:

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Nuts

Crunchy, flavorful nuts provide protein, fiber, and some vitamins and minerals. So, why are their satiety scores so low? They’re high in fat, which drives down their protein percentage and drives up their energy density. This can lead you to take in a lot of calories before you start feeling satisfied. Plus, nuts can be tough to stop eating once you start.

The good news is, if you like nuts, you can enjoy small amounts and still get the benefits of higher-satiety eating. For instance, eat a small handful of nuts as a snack, add a couple of tablespoons of chopped nuts to your Greek yogurt or soy yogurt, or try a high-satiety recipe featuring nuts, such as our high protein chocolate almond smoothie. (Use a plant-based protein powder in place of whey if you don’t consume dairy products.)

Below are the satiety scores and grams of protein, fiber, and net carbs per ounce (30 grams) of nuts, unless otherwise noted:

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Low protein, highly-processed vegan products

Processed foods that are high in both carbs and fat provide little nutrition but lots of calories. They also taste so good that they may drive you to keep eating more. Some researchers believe that they can even be addictive. And vegan versions of these products that replace eggs and butter with plant-based ingredients are no better — and their satiety scores are equally low. 

To lose weight and improve your health, avoid these foods or eat them on a very occasional basis.

Below are the satiety scores and grams of protein, fiber, and net carbs for a serving of processed vegan products. (Serving sizes vary by weight; see the specific foods for details.)

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Summary

Whether you eat a vegan, vegetarian or mixed diet, choosing higher-satiety plant foods can help you feel full and meet your nutrition needs while losing weight. Make high protein options like beans, soy, and seitan the center of plant-based meals, and use lower-satiety foods like nuts, seeds, oils, and grains in smaller amounts, based on your personal preferences and health goals.