Legumes, soy and plant protein
Tempeh on a GLP-1: protein, portions and how to actually eat it
About 19 g of protein per 100 g (3.5 oz), steamed or pan fried, for around 190 calories. Half a block, about 100 g (3.5 oz), gives roughly 19 g of protein for 190 calories.
To reach 30 g of protein from tempeh alone you would need about 158 g (5.6 oz). On a small appetite that is often more than one sitting allows, which is why we pair it rather than chase the whole target from one food.
How tempeh sits on a GLP-1
Tempeh is fermented whole soybeans pressed into a firm cake, and it is the densest of the soy foods at about 19 g per 100 g (3.5 oz), complete protein with a lot of fibre. It is also the chewiest, with a nutty, slightly bitter flavour that some people love and some never take to. On a GLP-1 the chew is the issue: a thick slab of tempeh takes real work. Sliced thin, steamed first to soften it and take out the bitterness, and then fried in a marinade, it becomes a different food.
When your appetite is small
Steam it for ten minutes before you do anything else, then slice it 5 mm, about a quarter of an inch, thick and fry it in soy, maple and garlic until the edges catch. Four or five thin slices, about 60 g (2 oz), is 11 g of protein and eats like crisp bacon; half a block is 19 g.
Three ways to prepare it
Steamed, sliced thin and fried in a marinade
The steaming step is not optional. It softens the cake and removes the bitterness, and the marinade then soaks in rather than sitting on the surface.
Crumbled into a chilli or bolognese
Crumbled tempeh cooked into a tomato sauce behaves like mince and disappears into the dish. Around 19 g per half block, spread across two small bowls.
Baked in cubes with peanut sauce
Steamed cubes tossed in peanut sauce and baked for 20 minutes at 200C, about 390F. Soft, sticky and easier to eat than plain fried pieces.
What to eat it with
Soy, ginger, garlic, maple, peanut, chilli, lime. It needs a strong marinade and a bit of sweetness. Tempeh served plain is the version people decide they do not like.
How it compares
| Food | Protein per 100 g | Energy per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tempeh | about 19 g | 190 kcal | this page |
| Firm tofu | about 14 g | 130 kcal | See the page |
| Edamame | about 11 g | 120 kcal | See the page |
| Seitan | about 25 g | 130 kcal | See the page |
All figures are typical values for the food as eaten, steamed or pan fried, not laboratory figures for a particular brand.
Australian, US and UK names
Tempeh in all three countries, originally Indonesian. It is in most UK and US supermarkets and in Australian supermarkets and Asian grocers, usually in blocks of about 200 to 250 g (7 to 8.8 oz). Some versions are made with other beans or grains and carry less protein.
Questions people ask
Is tempeh better than tofu for protein?
Per gram, yes: about 19 g per 100 g (3.5 oz) against 14 g for firm tofu, and both are complete proteins. Tofu is softer and easier on a small appetite, so tofu on the hard days and tempeh when chewing is not a problem is how most people we coach handle it.
Your number comes first
Knowing what is in a food only helps once you know how much you are aiming for. The target is 1.2 to 1.6 g of protein per kg of your goal weight, not your current weight, which for most people is 90 to 140 g a day.
Work out your protein targetMore on eating well when your appetite is small: high protein foods for a small appetite, how much protein on a GLP-1, and every food we have written up. The whole system in five documents is the Keep Muscle Kit, A$47 / US$29 / £23.
EverStrong provides nutrition and strength coaching and education. It is not medical advice and does not replace your prescribing doctor.