Protein means power!

I started this series of posts as I got into researching the vegan diet in more depth. The information below comes from a range of websites including: vegansociety.com, vegan.com, veganhealth.org, the UK NHS website, US NIH website, healthline.com, and a number of other seemingly credible looking websites. Please note however that I am neither a doctor, a dietician, nor a nutritionist so if you are experiencing any health issues, it is always best to seek proper advice from a qualified professional.

This is the first question normally asked to vegetarians and vegans – “how do you get enough protein”? And its actually one of the easier questions to answer, as there are many plant-based protein sources, and they are relatively easy to include in your daily diet. There are many performance athletes following a plant based diet these days, and easily getting enough protein to sustain their levels of exercise.

In fact, because vegans can easily get enough protein from dietary sources, some vegans become complacent and don’t think too much about where they are getting protein from. Whilst vegans shouldn’t overly worry about protein, it is also a mistake to completely ignore the possibility of protein deficiency.

What is protein?

Protein is one of the most important nutrients. Proteins are the main building blocks of your body, used to make muscles, tendons, organs and skin, as well as enzymes, hormones, neurotransmitters and various tiny molecules that serve many important functions.

Proteins are made out amino acids, which link together to form long protein chains, and complex shapes. To make things more complicated, there are different types of amino acids, some of which can be produced by your body, while others can only be sourced through food. These that can only be sourced through food are called essential amino acids. Of the essential amino acids the two main types are methionine and lysine. The percentages of methionine and lysine found in animal and soy products closely mimic human proteins and are therefore called “complete” proteins.

What plant-based foods contain protein?

There are 3 main types of plant-based protein food groups:

• Grains – which includes wheat, oats, rice, quinoa etc.
• Beans – including all legumes and lentils
• Nuts and Seeds

All plant based proteins contain both methionine and lysine amino acids, but the percentages vary. Beans are rich in lysine and low in methionine, whereas grains and nuts contain high levels of methionine, but lower lysine.

A handy rule of thumb for vegans, invented in the 1970’s, is that to get complete protein sources in your diet it is a good idea to combine two plant protein sources, e.g. eat beans with rice (a grain), or combine grains with nuts. These do not need to be consumed in the same meal, but having both every day is recommended. whilst our understanding of the science of proteins has improved considerably since the 70’s, this is still a good rule to follow.

There are a few plant-based protein sources that are considered complete and these include: quinoa, chia seeds and all soy-based foods.

How much protein do you need?

The amount of protein you need will depend a lot on your age, size and lifestyle, so it is hard to pin down a definitive amount that works for everyone. The US DRI (Dietary Reference Intake) is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, but this is for someone with a sedentary lifestyle, and anyone doing any moderate amount of exercise will need more. Endurance athletes may need up to 1.4 grams per kilogram. Older adults may also need more than the DRI to prevent health issues. The DRI amounts to:

• 56-91 grams per day for the average man.
• 46-75 grams per day for the average woman.

“Grams of protein” refers to grams of the macronutrient protein, not grams of food. For instance, a large egg weighs 46 grams but only contains 6 grams of protein.

To ensure adequate protein intake, vegans should eat 3-4 servings per day of high-protein foods. This sounds daunting, but when you break it down is relatively easy. For instance, bread or muesli at breakfast is one serving. Add some nuts and seeds to the muesli or peanut butter on the bread and you have had 2 servings. A quinoa salad for lunch provides another serving. Have a snack of some nuts during the day, and a dish with beans, lentils or tofu in the evening, and you have had 5 servings.

Below are some examples of plant-based protein foods and how much protein they contain:

• Chickpeas – 19g / 100g
• Hummus – 8g/ 100g
• Kidney beans – 24g/ 100g
• Lentils – 9g / 100g
• Green Peas— 9g/ 100g
• Tofu – 8g /100g
• Soy milk – 8 g /1 cup
• Peanuts—26g / 100g
• Pistachios—20g/ 100g
• Quinoa—8g / 1 cup cooked
• Pumpkin seeds—19g / 100g
• Oats – 17g / 100g (raw)

The richest plant-based protein source is seitan, which made from wheat gluten and often made into “fake chicken”. Seitan contains about 25 grams of protein per 100 grams, but is obviously not appropriate for anyone with gluten intolerance.

“Health food” shops are packed with protein powders these days. These may be appropriate if you are seriously into body building, but are not required for most people.

How do you know if you are not getting enough protein?

This is also easy – you will feel hungry! Not getting enough protein will make you just as hungry as not getting enough carbs, so if you find you are losing weight (without planning to) as a vegan, take a look at your protein intake, as well as your intake of other essential nutrients.

So if you are vegan or are thinking of becoming vegan, the message is not to get too worried about protein. Without too much trouble you can easily get the protein you need from your diet, and be as healthy and strong as you would like to be.

Stay safe and healthy everyone!

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