What is textured vegetable protein?

Dried, defatted soy in small chunks or granules. It rehydrates in hot water in about ten minutes and takes on the flavor of whatever it is cooked with. 100 g dry is a lot of protein for very little fat.

Is 30 g of couscous enough?

It is a small portion by design: the protein and the sauce carry the plate, and the couscous is there for texture. Doubling it adds about 110 kcal to the total.

Vegetarian Couscous with TVP and Spinach: 480 kcal, 57 g Protein

Name: Vegetarian Couscous with TVP and Spinach: 480 kcal, 57 g Protein
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 100 g textured vegetable protein (TVP); 30 g couscous; 80 g crushed tomatoes; 20 g fresh spinach; ¼ medium onion; ½ tsp olive oil; 1 tsp dried oregano; ½ tsp garlic powder

September 9, 2026

The vegetarian dish in our light dinner set, and it is not the low-protein one. 100 g of textured vegetable protein brings 50 g of protein on its own, more than most chicken plates, plus 19 g of fiber. Couscous, a quick tomato and spinach sauce, done in 25 minutes. 480 kcal with 57 g of protein for the recipe as written.

TVP needs rehydrating first and then a dry, hot pan to get any texture. Skip the dry-pan step and it stays spongy.

How This Fits Your Day

At 480 kcal this is roughly a quarter of an 1,800 kcal day, or closer to a third of a 1,400 kcal one. Where it lands for you depends on your own daily target, which depends on your height, weight, age, sex and how active you are. If you have not worked out your number, our free calorie calculator takes about a minute.

The recipe

Prep: 10 min
Cook: 15 min

Nutrition for the whole recipe as written:

Calories: 480
Protein: 56.5 g
Carbs: 40.4 g
Fat: 10.2 g
Fiber: 22.9 g

Ingredients

100 g textured vegetable protein (TVP)
30 g couscous
80 g crushed tomatoes
20 g fresh spinach
¼ medium onion
½ tsp olive oil
1 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp garlic powder

Method

1Rehydrate your textured vegetable protein (TVP).
2Heat the olive oil in a non-stick skillet, add the sliced onion, and cook until lightly golden.
3Add the crushed tomatoes, dried oregano, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to the skillet. Cook for 5 minutes.
4Add the chopped fresh spinach to the sauce and continue cooking for 5 minutes. Set aside in a bowl.
5Meanwhile, bring a lightly salted pot of water to a boil (same amount of water as couscous). Turn off the heat, add the couscous, and stir. Cover and let it absorb for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
6Cook the TVP in the same hot non-stick skillet without any added fat, to your liking.
7Serve the couscous with the TVP and top with the tomato and spinach sauce.

These are fixed quantities, not a portion calculated for you. MenuVita adjusts recipe quantities to your own energy needs and builds them into a seven-day plan with a grocery list. Serving suggestion; your dish may look different. Follow the quantities above.

The quantities above are fixed: they are not scaled to your body or your goal. Adjusting recipe quantities to a personal calorie target, across a full week, is what we are building at MenuVita. This recipe is part of our high protein low calorie meals collection, and there are more free dishes on the recipes page.

This recipe is not intended for pregnant or breastfeeding people, adolescents, or anyone with a medical condition, who should talk to a doctor first.

This is general information, not medical advice. If you have a medical condition, talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian before changing your diet.

Common questions

What is textured vegetable protein?: Dried, defatted soy in small chunks or granules. It rehydrates in hot water in about ten minutes and takes on the flavor of whatever it is cooked with. 100 g dry is a lot of protein for very little fat.
Is 30 g of couscous enough?: It is a small portion by design: the protein and the sauce carry the plate, and the couscous is there for texture. Doubling it adds about 110 kcal to the total.