by Priscilla Feral
Environmental groups routinely talk about reducing carbon emissions as a key to climate action on Earth Day, which is April 22, yet waffle about a truth that Friends of Animals knows should be center stage—one’s diet, what we call food, and especially the consumption of protein.
Remarkably, a consumer research firm that studied American food culture found that almost 60 percent of Americans actively work to increase their protein intake for the energy it provides. That’s likely why Americans typically consume about 100 grams of protein a day—far more protein than we need.
On a vegan, plant-based diet, people easily acquire about 50 – 60 grams of protein from foods like beans, legumes, broccoli, seeds, nuts and whole grains, and those plant foods are better for the environment without wreaking havoc on animals.
Do know the Recommended Dietary Allowance for protein is a modest 7 grams of protein for every 20 lbs. of your weight.
A reminder, too, that animal farming contributes to climate change, and we don’t have time to waste cleaning up an environment polluted by the meat industry’s destruction, which corresponds with the number of people who haven’t stopped eating animals.
For Earth Day 2025, we present one irresistible, high protein legume that’s a staple in many cuisines: chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans. A 1-cup serving of chickpeas, while a good source of fiber, provides about 14.5 grams of protein.
My friend in New York, a great cook who knows her way around a kitchen, and is eliminating meat from her diet, mused that she finds chickpeas addictive. If abandoned on an island, she says, and only allowed one legume, it would be chickpeas. “There are so many ways to eat them and so little time,” she jests.
“Roast them, and BOOM, a snack. Put them with the right pasta, and it’s over the top. Make it soupy, make it saucy. Make hummus and then make more hummus! Throw some in a salad. Make them all by themselves with onions, garlic and olive oil.”
I’ll bring the bread.
Below is a brief guide to other protein-rich, plant-based foods followed by three of my favorite chickpea recipes that I know you will find enticing: Creamy Chickpea Pasta with Broccoli and Rosemary, Pasta E Ceci, and Olive Oil-Braised Chickpeas and Broccoli Rabe.
2 tablespoons of peanut butter have 8 grams of protein
2 slices of whole wheat bread have 8 grams of protein
½ cup of cooked lentils has 9 grams of protein
½ cup of firm, cooked, grilled tofu has 21.8 grams of protein
1 cup of spaghetti has 8 grams of protein
1 cup of tempeh has 31 grams of protein
5.3 oz. Kite Hill Protein Almond milk yogurt has 10 grams of protein
¼ cup of almonds has 7.6 grams of protein
1 cup of soymilk, plain has 7 grams of protein
½ cup of cooked black beans has 7.6 grams of protein
½ cup of cooked pinto beans has 7.7 grams of protein
1 cup of cooked quinoa has 8 grams of protein
Recommended Recipes:
Creamy Chickpea Pasta with Broccoli and Rosemary
Olive Oil-Braised Chickpeas and Broccoli Rabe
Priscilla Feral is president of Friends of Animals, an international animal advocacy group founded in New York in 1957.