Protein, fats, carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, minerals, calories and food composition explained with practical context.
You can get substantial iron without meat. Cooked lentils provide about 3.3 mg per 100 g, beans roughly 2.5–3.7 mg, many tofu products about 2–5 mg, and 1 oz pumpkin seeds about 2.5 mg. Plant foods provide non-heme iron, which is absorbed less efficiently than heme iron, so vitamin-C-rich foods can improve absorption.
You can meet calcium needs without dairy, but the source matters. One cup of fortified soy milk often provides about 300 mg, 5.3 oz calcium-set tofu can provide 300–500 mg or more, and 3.5 oz sardines with bones roughly 350–380 mg. Greens such as kale and bok choy provide less per serving but their calcium is relatively well absorbed.
A small serving of cheese can fit into a daily diet, but type and portion matter. The American Heart Association recommends two to three dairy servings per day and favors fat-free or low-fat options. About 1.5 oz of hard cheese counts as a dairy serving; full-fat hard cheeses can provide useful protein and calcium while also concentrating saturated fat and sodium.
Rice can be eaten frequently, even daily, as part of a balanced diet, but it does not need to be the only grain. FDA notes that rice absorbs arsenic more readily than many crops and recommends dietary variety. Rotating rice with oats, wheat, corn, barley, quinoa, and other grains broadens nutrition and reduces dependence on one food source.
The best protein source without meat depends on what your diet still includes. Fish can provide more than 30 g in a serving; eggs and dairy make vegetarian meals easier to build; soy foods, seitan and legumes give vegans options ranging from roughly 16–18 g per substantial legume serving to 20 g or more from concentrated choices.
Cooked mature soybeans are among the highest-protein legumes, with about 18 g protein, 9 g fat, 6 g fiber, and 172 calories per 100 g. Dry soybeans exceed 35 g protein per 100 g, but that number is not directly comparable because cooking adds water and increases weight.
Firm tofu often provides roughly 12–17 g protein per 100 g, 7–10 g fat, and 120–160 calories, although water content and brand make a large difference. A 5.3 oz (150 g) serving can provide about 18–26 g protein. Calcium varies substantially depending on whether calcium salts were used as the coagulant.
Tempeh is cooked soybeans fermented and bound into a firm cake. It usually provides about 20 g protein, 11 g fat, and 190–200 calories per 100 g. Its high protein concentration comes mainly from retaining the whole soybean and containing less water than many tofu products; fermentation changes the food but does not magically create the protein.
Edamame is soybean harvested while immature. Cooked and shelled, it provides about 12 g protein, 5 g fiber, 5 g fat, and 121 calories per 100 g. A 150 g serving provides roughly 18 g protein and 8 g fiber, an unusually useful combination in one food.
Meat is much more protein-dense per 100 g: cooked chicken breast provides about 31 g and lean beef around 29 g, compared with roughly 9 g in cooked lentils or chickpeas. Legumes, however, provide about 6–8 g fiber per 100 g and can contain as much or more total iron, although it is non-heme iron and is absorbed less efficiently than heme iron from meat.
Walnuts are by far the common nut with the most omega-3: a 1 oz (28 g) serving provides about 2.57 g of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). Pecans, pistachios, almonds, hazelnuts, and cashews provide much smaller amounts. ALA is a plant omega-3 and is not nutritionally identical to the EPA and DHA found in fish.
Roasted nuts are not automatically less healthy than raw nuts. Roasting lowers moisture and can reduce some heat-sensitive compounds, but protein, minerals, and most of the fat profile change little. Added oil, salt, sugar, or coatings often matter more than roasting itself.