Everywhere I look lately, especially across social media, I swear everyone's on a protein kick. But not everyone wants to rely on meat to hit their macro goals. In r/Cooking, someone asked, "How can I ensure I'm getting enough protein without relying on meat?" and people were quick to share their favorite alternatives — from tofu and cottage cheese to meat-free recipes that honestly sound pretty delicious. Here's what people had to say:

Additional responses were found here, here, and here.

1. "I love air-fried tofu. I'm not vegan or vegetarian, but it's something I love. Just remove the excess moisture from some extra-firm tofu, cube it up, salt and pepper (and whatever other spices you like), then toss it in the air fryer at 380-390F for 15 or so minutes. Great on its own, but I like to toss it into some stir-fried veggies with some sort of stir-fry sauce."

2. "Edamame has a remarkable amount of protein! Like 10 grams for 100 calories of edamame. I buy frozen and shelled, and they're really easy to cook up and taste delicious with a little butter, salt, and chili flakes."

—ReeseTheThreat

3. "Good seitan (made from wheat gluten) is actually amazing and a culinary treat in itself, if you can handle the gluten (I personally can't). The texture is amazing, somewhere between dark meat chicken and pulled pork, and it picks up smoky flavors and sauces amazingly well."

4. "Soy curls! They're shredded, dehydrated whole soybeans, and you can flavor them however you want. If you live in the PNW, they're pretty easy to find locally; if not, you can order them online."

—tomford306

5. "Beans and lentils. I'm a huge fan of red lentils for curries and beluga lentils for their firmer texture. It will miss some of the flavor with no meat, so a drop of liquid smoke or MSG helps. Also, red beans and rice are a solid meal choice as well."

6. "This lentil bolognese tastes delicious. My meat-loving extended family gave it five stars. I chop everything by hand and add chili flakes for a kick. Freezes great as well."

—deleted

7. "Rice, beans, and vegetables are a complete meal. This recipe here is so good."

—DingLedork

8. "Dairy sources like Greek yogurt/skyr, cottage cheese, milk, and cheese are high in protein!"

9. "If you blend cottage cheese, it can be mixed in with a lot of things, and it's not as noticeable. I've started making cinnamon rolls with cottage cheese mixed into the dough. You can mix it with flour to make flatbread as well. I also use it to make spinach dip instead of cream cheese. You can still add the cream cheese for flavor if you want, but I find it tastes good enough without it, especially if you spice it right."

—5FootTendy

10. "Protein pasta, cottage cheese, and using Greek yogurt with hot sauce mixed together as dips for tacos and veggies, along with protein tortillas."

11. "I make cashew cream, add nutritional yeast, and then add stuff, like butter beans, to make it creamy and add protein."

—Code-coquinha

12. "I just had pumpkin chili with beans that I'd made a huge batch of and froze back in October, and it helped me hit my protein and fiber goals for the day!"

—fingersonlips

13. "Chickpeas are a very good source of protein as well!"

14. "Pea protein powder in shakes or smoothies, nutritional yeast in place of bread crumbs for breading, like: 'meat' balls, crab cakes, etc., or as a topping on salads, pastas, and other dishes. Dry roasted edamame, edamame or other bean-based pasta, beans in general, seeds and nuts, fish, lean dairy like low-fat Greek yogurt/skyr or cheese, high protein cereals, and meatless meat products."

—Brinkken

15. "You can add hemp hearts, chia seeds, and flax to oatmeal or smoothies for some added protein, fiber, and omega-3s."

16. "Eggs and egg whites are great. Egg whites are basically just water and protein, but have no flavor whatsoever. I usually do eggs and egg whites together to get some yolk flavor while getting more protein. Honorable mention of nuts and seeds, but they tend to be fat bombs first, protein source second."

—hraath

18. "Nutritional yeast is an excellent source of B12."

20. "I like soy-based 'fake meats.' Also Quorn is often good."

—Barneyk

21. "One of my go-to protein snacks (I got this from TikTok): Take the Kodiak powder cakes, mix with milk and eggs according to directions. Add cheese and any protein you like (bacon, sausage, ham, etc.) or no protein, dealer's choice. Add a tad of syrup. Distribute into muffin pans and bake at 350 for 15ish minutes, or until you can do the toothpick test."

22. "If you are someone worried about non-natural foods, this isn't for you, but I am unencumbered by those chains. Two cups of Fairlife milk and a serving of instant Jell-O of choice. Boom. 26 grams of protein in a huge ass serving of pudding."

—ginger_giraffe_

23. "Soya chunks. Cheap, high in protein, and easier to cook than I thought."

—enchanted_biscuit

24. And lastly, "Protein shakes, if you have a blender! They can taste however you want, but they'll have protein as long as you add protein powder, which also can be flavored."

How are you getting your protein in? Do you have any favorite protein-packed recipes to share? Let us know in the comments!

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Note: Responses have been edited for length/clarity.