There is a big trend toward plant-based. If you’re on the bandwagon and it feels good for YOUR body then that’s great. However, among those eating mostly plant-based, I often see a lack of protein which can lead to more hunger and weight gain.
Let me explain…
Protein is made of essential amino acids (AAs), they are essential because our body can not make them on their own and we need to eat them. But just as humans don’t make essential AAs, neither do other animals such as the cows we get meat and milk from. Cows need to eat plants in order to get their protein, and the same applies to us.
Ok, we can get enough from plants. But is the quality as good as animal protein?
The myth that plant protein is inferior to animal protein comes from studies from scientists a century ago who saw that infant rats don’t grow as well on a plant-only diet. But rats also don’t grow as well with human milk– so should we stop breastfeeding babies? No, rats are not humans! Rat milk has 10x the amount of protein than human milk because rats grow about 10x faster than human infants.
Our body is not stupid. It maintains pools of free AAs to do all the complementing for us. Additionally, the massive protein recycling program our body has will ensure we are never short. 90 grams of protein is dumped in the digestive tract every day from our own body to get broken back down and reassembled so our body can mix and match AAs to whatever proportions we need, no matter what we eat. This makes it impossible for a plant-based diet sufficient in calories to be deficient in protein. Thus plant-based consumers do not need to be concerned about AA imbalances from plant proteins that make up our usual diets.
All in all, when deciding what to eat, don’t worry too much about meeting your protein needs. We overlook how easy it is to get what we need. There are so many options for protein aside from chicken and meat.
So what’s the bottom line?
If you choose to be plant-based then you can certainly hit your protein needs, you just have to be a bit more strategic.
If you choose to follow a plant-based eating style, you can definitely hit your protein needs. You do however need to be a bit more strategic and conscious of adding in plant-based protein sources. This can include organic tofu, tempeh, seitan, beans, chickpeas, lentils, nuts, and seeds. By including these foods throughout your day, you will ensure you are getting enough protein while following a plant-based diet.
