Vegans and the Protein Myths

Hey guys! Vegetarians and vegans alike are often asked the same question by concerned friends and family (or annoying strangers, but that’s another post for another day) : “but how do you get enough protein?!”

Dudes, it’s so easy to get enough protein in your diet without taking supplements or eating animal-derived food items. For real. Two myths that are continually propagated by self-interested food groups and people who simply don’t know better are: 1) we need LOTS of protein; 2) we need to combine/complement proteins. The fact is, they’re both simply untrue.

How much protein do I need?

The RDA recommends that we take in 0.8 grams of protein for every kilogram that we weigh (or about 0.36 grams of protein per pound that we weigh). Or, you can calculate your weight in kilograms by dividing your weight in pounds by 2.2 then multiplying by 0.8, or just throw up your hands and use the USDA’s helpful DRI (daily nutrient recommendations) calculator right here. Some recommend that vegans increase the 0.8 per kg recommendation to 1 per kg to account for “plant proteins being digested somewhat differently from animal proteins and for the amino acid mix in some plant proteins” [here]; however, that seems overly cautious. So, for someone my weight – 135 pounds – the daily recommended protein consumption is approximately 49 grams/day.

If you’re breastfeeding or pregnant, your intake should be 1.1g protein per 1kg of weight. And, if you’re an athlete, there’s still no need to start downing protein shakes and loads of pea powder – you will already need to consume more calories (so more carbs and fat as well as protein) to fuel your body, so more protein should naturally work its way into your diet. If you want to make sure, just consider that your protein consumption should equate to approximately 10-15 percent of your total calories for the day.

Where do I get protein from if the cows are off limits?

Chew off your arm! j/k!

Veggies, beans, nuts and grains are excellent sources of protein and variety in your diet is key. Some examples of how I get my protein each day, organized by highest protein grammage (hehe) per serving:
[source]
Who would have thought, quinoa has 8g protein per cup!

• Tofurkey Italian Sausage (1 link) – 29g
• Lentils (1 cup cooked) – 18g
• Tofu, firm (4 ounces) – 16g
• Chickpeas (1 cup cooked) – 15g
• Veggie burger (1 patty) – 11g
• Vegan chili (1 cup) – 8-13g
• Whole-wheat toast (2 slices) – 8-10g
• Peanut butter (2 tbsp.) – 8g
• Quinoa (1 cup cooked) – 8g
• Smart Dog (1 veggie dog) – 8g
• Whole-wheat pasta (1 cup cooked) – 7.5g
• Soy milk (1 cup) – 7g
• Brown rice (1 cup cooked) – 5g
• Spinach (1 cup cooked) – 5g
• Broccoli (1 cup cooked) – 4g
• Oatmeal (1 packet) – 4g
• Protein bars (1 bar) – 3-20g

So, if I were to have two slices of toast with peanut butter for breakfast (16g), chickpeas and broccoli at lunch (19g) and brown rice and a veggie burger for dinner (16g), I would have exceeded my daily protein requirements by 2 grams.

Cool, eh?

Find more sources for veg protein here. Recipe suggestions? Try this mac ‘n “cheese” with 8g protein per serving here, this pasta bake with 13g protein per serving here, or this pasta bake for 11g protein per serving, here.

How do I make sure my proteins are “complete”?

You don’t need to worry about whether your proteins are “complete” because, unless you’re eating one source of protein daily (pinto bean diet, anyone?), your body naturally combines the amino acids in foods you’ve eaten as your body needs them.

Are you surprised at how easy it is to get enough protein? If you’ve been veg for a while and are a pro at this stuff, what are your fave sources of protein?

Additional Sources for Information

• Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine. Dietary Reference Intakes for Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 2002.
• Nutrition and athletic performance – Position of the American Dietetic Association, Dietitians of Canada, and the American College of Sports Medicine. J Am Diet Assoc 2000;100:1543-56.
• Messina V, Mangels R, Messina M. The Dietitian’s Guide to Vegetarian Diets: Issues and Applications, Third Edition, 3rd edition. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers, 2010.
• “Protein in the vegan diet” http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/protein.htm
• “Vegetarian Protein: Myths and Facts” http://www.savvyvegetarian.com/articles/protein-veg-diet.php
• “Protein” http://www.veganhealth.org/articles/protein

So, unless you really do feel like chewing off your own arm, live in peace, yo! You’re eating enough protein as long as you’re eating enough calories and a healthy varied diet (so no living off of pitas and hummus, Annabel! *shakes fist at self*).

<3,

The Cranky One

Tags: protein, vegans