Quality Protein From Plant Sources

When most people think of protein, they think of meat. It might surprise you that there is protein in just about every food, including fruits and vegetables. Just because a food is not in the “meat group” doesn’t mean it is lacking in protein.

Do You Need To Eat Meat?

While meat and dairy products make up the majority of the protein in American diets, meat is not the only source of “complete” protein and certainly is not required in the diet for a healthy lifestyle.

Plant sources of quality protein include beans, nuts, leafy greens, whole grains and all fruits and vegetables. It’s hard for many people to imagine that someone could get adequate protein from plant sources alone because they are so used to eating meat.

Here are a few examples of protein-rich plant foods:

• Breakfast: A green smoothie made with 2 cups of chopped kale, 1 banana, 1 kiwi, 1/4 avocado and 1/4 cup of Goji berries contains 12 grams of protein. That’s just slightly over 20% of my recommended daily allowance (RDA) of protein (56 grams) according to the USDA. If I add a scoop of vegan rice or hemp protein powder to the smoothie, I will double it and be getting almost 50% of my recommended daily value of protein from just one smoothie!
  
  
• Lunch: If you look at my blender soup recipes, you’ll see a great way to get a good source of protein. The zucchini soup recipe has 6 grams of protein, and if you pour it over 1 cup of cooked brown rice (which is really yummy!), you’ll bump that up to 10.5 grams of protein. That’s almost 20% of my RDA. Between this lunchtime soup and my morning smoothie, I’ll get around 34 grams of protein with just these two meals!
  
  
• Snack: Snacking on 1/4 cup of sunflower seeds provides 8 grams of protein. Now I’m up to 42 grams.
  
  
• Dinner: A serving of beans or lentils for dinner can provide an average of around 15 grams of protein. With this meal, I’ve just exceeded my goal and got 57 grams of protein for the day.
  
  

You get the picture. It is easy to get adequate, complete protein from a plant-based, vegan diet.

Complete vs Incomplete Protein

Many people think plant-based protein is incomplete and translate that into meaning “low quality” or “inferior”. The truth is that different types of plant proteins have different amino acid profiles, but most of them do, in fact, have all 8 essential amino acids. For example, while the beans I had for dinner might have higher levels of some amino acids and lower levels of others, the green smoothie that I had earlier in the morning had a complementary amino acid profile that helps fulfill my overall requirement and provides all the essential amino acids and protein I need for the day.

It is now firmly acknowledged among dietitians and nutritionists that it is no longer necessary to “combine proteins” in the same meal (ie: eating rice with beans) provided you eat a combination of different plant protein sources throughout the day.

The easiest way to ensure that you are getting complete protein from plant sources is to eat a varied diet consisting of various protein sources each day such as legumes, whole grains, nuts, seeds, fruits and vegetables (especially dark leafy greens).

How Much Protein Do You Need?

There is no set protein requirement that fits every person. Find out how much protein you need.

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Tags: Nutrition, protein