After working with many vegetarians and vegans, one of the most common questions I am asked is “What should I eat for protein?”.
Good question because protein doesn’t just equate to “meat”, which is the common word that pops into our minds.
Protein is an essential macronutrient for our bodies. Macronutrients are substances required in the human diet as a source of energy (calories). If you hear muscle-bound dudes in the gym saying “Bro, I need to up my intake of protein,” you’ll soon find out why.
Protein is the building blocks of your body. Protein regulates all cells, tissues, and organs in your body. We require protein to:
repair tissue
make essential hormones
growth
energy
immune function
maintain lean muscle mass
A general rule for health is to consume 0.8 grams of protein per pound of body weight. For example, a 120 lb female would require 96 grams of protein per day (0.8 grams x 120 lbs). Athletes and individuals with certain needs may require more protein, such as 1 gram per pound of body weight.
Protein is made up of 22 amino acids. The body can produce some of the amino acids on its own and there are 8 “essential” amino acids that we must acquire from food. Protein from animal sources contain all essential amino acids, which is known as a “complete” protein but plant-based sources do not. However, you can combine two specific plant-based foods to create a complete amino acid in the body each day (example: rice and peas will create a complete protein).
Whether you are vegetarian or not, it’s a good idea to take a break from eating meat during the week. We tend to over-consume meat products, which depending on which types of meat are consumed, can be more troublesome for our health, such as eating too much processed lunch meats or red meat. You will benefit more from eating fish, chicken, turkey, and organ meats throughout the week, while limiting the intake of beef, pork, goat, and lamb.
It’s important to remember our ecological footprint on this planet. Animal production has a high carbon footprint. Cattle require tons of grain and water, in addition to the high amounts of methane they produce, which contributes to the global greenhouse emissions.
The below infograph shows high vegetarian protein sources. All of them are also applicable for vegans, except for the eggs and yogurt.
Another great way to add protein into your diet is to make smoothies and add a scoop of plant-based protein powders. Plant-based protein powders can be made from a variety of sources like hemp seed, rice, millet, quinoa, buckwheat, amaranth, and peas.
