Where Do Vegans Get Their Protein?
The number one question I get being on a plant-based diet.
The common view is if someone is not eating meat (or fish or dairy, etc.) then they are surely not getting enough protein.
Chances are good that is not true, but let’s dive in to see why.
How Much Protein Do I Need?
Health.com recommends a daily protein intake, in grams, equal to 0.36 to 0.72 x your weight in pounds.
In other words, if you weigh 150 pounds, the recommended daily intake would be 54 to 108 grams.
With each gram of protein consisting of 4 calories, that’s 216 to 432 calories per day of protein.
Older adults and active people would target the upper end of the range to promote and maintain healthy muscle and bone mass.
Notably, adults over age 30 begin to lose efficiency in building muscle from amino acids and require more protein to do so, according to Food Science and Human Nutrition Professor Donald Layman at the University of Illinois.
Assuming a 2,000 calorie-per-day diet, this range would be somewhere around 11% to 22% of your calories derived from proteins.
Statistics at the CDC indicate the mean intake for Americans over age 20 is around 16% of total calories. That’s protein from all sources including meat, dairy, etc., but it seems apparent that the typical American diet meets the recommendations.
Why is Protein Important?
As noted, protein is needed to promote healthy muscle and bone mass, but it’s also important for nutrient transportation, your immune system, and to maintain healthy hair and skin.
Protein makes up the hemoglobin that carries oxygen in the blood.
Sufficient protein also promotes the “full” feeling and helps limit cravings.
With enough protein, you’ll have a healthy metabolism, and lower blood pressure. And even see tissue repair faster after injury.
Where Do I Get the Protein I Need?
Now, let’s assume you were eating a plant-based diet, and wanted to target the middle of the range at 324 calories, or 81 grams.
Excluding obvious choices for protein consumption like meat, fish, and dairy, you’re left with a smaller menu, but it’s not impossible. You just have to know where to look.
Below is a list of some top contenders for grams of protein per serving. These are all plant sources.
Comparatively, a 5 oz serving of 80% lean ground beef contains around 24 grams of protein.
- Hemp seeds — 11 grams per 2 tablespoons.
- Green peas — 8 grams per 4 ounces, roughly 1/2 cup.
- Pistachios — 6 grams per 1 ounce, roughly 1/4 cup.
- Cashews — 5 grams per 1/4 cup
- Pumpkin seeds — 5 grams per 1/4 cup
- Broccoli — 6 grams per 1 cup.
- Oats — 6 grams per 1/2 cup.
- Apricots — 3 grams per 1/2 cup.
- Soy Milk — 6 grams per 1 cup.
- Chia seeds — 5 grams per 2 tablespoons.
- Spinach — 5 grams per 1 cup.
- Quinoa — 9 grams per 1 cup (cooked).
- Peanut butter — 8 grams per 2 tablespoons.
- Tofu — 22 grams per 1/2 cup.
A Sample Day’s Consumption
Looking at the list above, you can build a breakfast of oatmeal made with apricots, pistachios, hemp seeds, and soy milk and have 32 grams of protein.
For lunch, you can pull together a salad made with 3 cups of spinach, 2 tablespoons of chia seeds, and a sprinkling of pumpkin seeds, and cashews, and you’ve added about 20 grams to your total for the day, which now stands at 52 grams.
Then for dinner, maybe you saute some tofu, and drizzle it with a mix of peanut butter and soy sauce, along with a side of quinoa and a half cup of broccoli,and you’ve exceeded your target with an additional 42 grams of protein.
The suggestions above are not meant to be a full menu.
Adding other vegetables would be recommended, as well as healthy snacks to fill your calorie needs, but it’s a simple illustration to show how quickly the protein count adds up with the appropriate food choices.
An added bonus to this is that many of these items require minimal prep time, some are ready to eat right out of the bag.
Bottom line: eating a plant-based diet does not have to put you in a protein-deficiency, not does it need to be an inconvenience.
You can easily get the protein you need while entirely avoiding animal-based food products.
Sources: nutritiondata.self.com, cdc.gov, health.com, health.usnews.com
