Check out these top 12 vegan foods high in leucine for muscle building, exercise, skeletal strength, and more. 💚
Leucine is one of the nine essential amino acids, playing a key role in muscle protein synthesis, tissue repair, and metabolic regulation. As a branched-chain amino (BCAA), it’s particularly valued for its ability to stimulate muscle growth and recovery, making it essential for athletes, bodybuilders, and people seeking to maintain lean muscle mass.
While leucine is commonly associated with animal products, numerous plant-based sources provide it as well, making it entirely possible to meet leucine requirements on a vegan diet.
The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for leucine is approximately 42 mg per kilogram of body weight per day, which can be met through a well-balanced plan and leucine-rich foods.
This article lists the top 12 vegan food sources of leucine, offering plant-based eaters some insight.
12 Vegan Foods High in Leucine
Here’s a list of the top 12 plant-based food sources of leucine:
1. Soybeans (Raw or Cooked)
Leucine content: ~2.87g per 100g (raw), ~1.75g per 100g (cooked)
Other nutrients: High in complete protein, fiber, iron, calcium, and isoflavones (which have potential hormonal benefits).
Why it’s great: Soybeans are one of the most protein-dense plant foods and contain all nine essential amino acids, making them a complete protein.
How to eat: Rock them boiled, roasted as a snack (edamame), or blended into soups, stews, casseroles, homemade tofu, and more.
2. Lentils
Leucine content: ~0.65g per 100g (cooked)
Other nutrients: Fiber, iron, folate, and resistant starch that supports gut health.
Why it’s great: Lentils are inexpensive, protein-rich, and great for gut-health, heart-health, and about every organ and system in the human body.
How to eat: Use in soups, curries, stews, or as a protein-packed base for salads and other foods.
3. Tempeh
Leucine content: ~1.44g per 100g
Other nutrients: High in vitamins, minerals, protein, fiber, magnesium, calcium, prebiotics, and more.
Why it’s great: Tempeh is a fermented soy product — excellent for gut-health! It’s also a complete protein and jam-packed with nutrients.
How to eat: Slice and pan-fry for sandwiches, stir-fry with vegetables, or crumble into tacos and pasta sauces. It’s also great to make it homemade and stock up.
4. Tofu (Firm)
Leucine content: ~1.08g per 100g
Other nutrients: Complete protein, calcium, manganese, iron, selenium, zinc, and more.
Why it’s great: Tofu is incredibly versatile and absorbs flavors well, making it easy to incorporate into many dishes.
How to eat: Stir-fry, grill, bake, or blend into smoothies for a protein boost.
5. Seitan (Wheat Gluten)
Leucine content: ~ 0.95g per 100g
Other nutrients: An excellent source of plant-based protein with around 25 grams per 100 grams. It also contains It also contains iron, calcium, selenium, and other nutrients.
Why it’s great: Seitan has a meaty texture, making it a favorite among plant-based eaters looking for high-protein meat substitutes.
How to eat: Slice into stir-fries, grill for sandwiches, or use in stews.
6. Peanuts
Leucine content: ~1.68g per 100g
Other nutrients: Healthy fats, vitamin E, magnesium, niacin, and more.
Why it’s great: Peanuts are calorie-dense, making them excellent for muscle-building and energy, plus high in vitamins, minerals, and heart-healthy fats.
How to eat: Eat as peanut butter, roasted and raw peanuts, in peanut butter banana smoothies, sandwiches, sauces like satay. It’s also easy to make your own homemade peanut butter and other nut butters – learn more here.
7. Chickpeas
Leucine content: ~ 0.62g per 100g (cooked)
Other nutrients: High in fiber, protein, folate, iron, magnesium, and more.
Why it’s great: Chickpeas are incredibly versatile and provide an excellent balance of protein and fiber.
How to eat: Use in hummus, roast for a crunchy snack, or toss into salads and soups.
8. Almonds
Leucine content: ~1.68g per 100g
Other nutrients: Vitamin E, magnesium, fiber, and healthy monounsaturated fats.
Why it’s great: Almonds support brain-health, heart-health, gut-health, muscle recovery, and more.
How to eat: Eat organic raw, blend into almond butter, have an almond butter smoothie, drink almond milk, bake with almond flour, rock almond protein powder, and add to porridge, salads, stir fries, vegan puddings, and more.
9. Pumpkin Seeds
Leucine content: ~1.28g per 100g
Other nutrients: High in magnesium, zinc, iron, protein, antioxidants, and more.
Why it’s great: Pumpkin seeds are nutrient-dense and support immune health, heart-health, gut-health, and muscle function.
How to eat: Eat as snacks, sprinkle on salads, add to granola, or take pumpkin seed oil.
10. Hemp Seeds
Leucine content: ~0.96g per 100g
Other nutrients: Omega-3 fatty acids, complete protein with all nine essential amino acids, vitamin E, B vitamins, zinc, magnesium, iron, phosphorous, potassium, and more.
Why it’s great: Hemp seeds are among the best complete plant proteins and are easy to digest. They boost heart-health, skin-health, digestive health, immune-health, and are anti-inflammatory.
How to eat: Blend into smoothies, mix into oatmeal and porridges, sprinkle on salads, or take the protein powder and hemp oil.
11. Quinoa
Leucine content: ~ 0.53g per 100g (cooked)
Other nutrients: High in fiber, iron, magnesium, and all essential amino acids.
Why it’s great: Quinoa is a gluten-free complete protein with all nine essential amino acids. It rocks fiber, potassium, magnesium, zinc, iron, and about 46 micrograms of folate a cup.
How to eat: Perfect in oatmeal and porridges, organic vegan cookies, or mixed into smoothies and baked foods.
12. Spirulina
Leucine content: ~ 2.05g per 100g
Other nutrients: High in protein, iron, B vitamins, and antioxidants.
Why it’s great: Spirulina is a powerful superfood that provides an easy way to boost vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, protein, fiber, and more.
How to eat: Add to green smoothies, spirulina energy balls, porridges, salads, and more. You can also take it in supplement form if you don’t like the taste.
Takeaway
- Best all-around leucine sources: Soy-based foods (tempeh, tofu, soybeans) provide the highest levels.
- For variety: Combine lentils, chickpeas, quinoa, nuts, and seeds to diversify your amino acid intake.
- For convenience: Spirulina, hemp seeds, and pumpkin seeds offer an easy way to add extra leucine to meals.
To optimize leucine intake on a vegan diet, aim for 2.5–3g of leucine per meal (a threshold shown to stimulate muscle protein synthesis) and a total daily intake of 8–12g, depending on activity levels.
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The medical and health topics covered on the PlateofGrass website have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to prevent or cure any disease. This article and its content is presented ‘as is’ for informational purposes only.
