You don't need meat to get protein! 5 protein-packed foods from mother nature

Vegetarians like myself sometimes struggle to get protein, but there's plenty of it if you look hard enough.
*The following list does not include any dairy or eggs.

1. Beans. I try to include beans in my everyday vegetarian diet when possible. One cup of black beans gives you 42 grams of protein, and that is just short of enough protein to get you through a day. I like to put a few beans on my salad, have a bowl of beans with some bread, or just have them alone. Aside from protein, beans also have a ton of fiber, lots of potassium, and are abundant in other vitamins and minerals.
2. Green Peas. One cup of green peas has 8 grams of protein. They're perfect to just toss in a salad, throw onto your plate as a side, or just to snack on through the day. They're also low in fat, extremely low in sodium, have lots of potassium, fiber, and Vitamin C.
3. Broccoli. Though broccoli only has a little over half as much protein as green peas, they still have a good amount for a veggie. For one stalk of broccoli, which is a little over one NLEA serving, you get 4.3 grams of protein. Again, some of these are great in salads. Also, you can get some dip and they make perfect snacks!
4. Hazelnuts and Almonds. Both of these foods are nuts. For one cup of hazelnuts, you get 20 grams of protein. The same goes for almonds. Nuts are good to snack on during the day, but they are very high in calories, fat, and carbs. Everything in moderation.
5. Corn. Yes, corn may be high in calories and carbs, but it's low in fat, low in sugar, has lots of fiber, and 16 grams of protein for one cup. Some corn tossed into a salad is good, but I'm starting to think that almost anything organic in a salad is good. It's also just a great side on its own.