Lani Muelrath, M.A., the Plant-strong Fitness Expert
If you follow a diet that is even remotely close to vegetarian, I’m betting that the question, ‘Where do you get your protein?’ is nothing new to you. Let alone if you eat card-carrying vegan-style!
Advertising and lobbying by the big boys of beef, chicken, fish, eggs and dairy products are to blame for the repeated question, “What about your protein?” which is grounded in the marketing-driven push for high-protein foods, and not grounded in the rules of good nutrition.
Is protein an important nutrient in the human diet? Of course. We need those aminos, baby!
Yet over and over again it has been demonstrated that we get all the amino acids we need in a varied whole-foods, plant-based 
diet.
The only cases of protein deficiency are in those diets deficient in calories, period. And unless you are a fruitarian – eating ONLY fruit – or you are severely falling short in your caloric needs each day, it’s time, once again, to lay this groundless concern to rest. It’s time to put the protein pedestal on tilt.
2 answers to the “Where do you get your protein?” question:
Here are 2 simple, friendly replies to have at hand when the question, “What about protein?” or the more ubiquitous, “Where do you get your protein?” lands in your lap.
1) Reply #1: The truth about human dietary protein requirements is that we only need 10% or less of our daily calories from protein, which you can easily get with a plant-based diet. The World Health Organization puts it even lower at a minimum daily requirement of 5%.
“The initial experiments are done to determine how much protein must be consumed to match the amount being lost in the urine. That’s done by comparing how much nitrogen we consume to how much nitrogen we lose. Nitrogen is unique to protein, so we’re actually measuring nitrogen as an index of protein intake. Protein is turning over all the time as we synthesize new protein and get rid of old protein, so we need to replace it on a daily basis. According to these nitrogen balance experiments, the amount of protein required for a normal human being to meet the losses that normally occur is called the minimum daily requirement. The amount of protein we need is 5%–6% of total calories. Researchers add to that number two standard deviations, or statistical adjustments if you will, to assure that the larger population with its varying need for proteins will get enough. That’s how they come up with the RDA, the recommended daily allowance. It comes out to 8%, 9%, or 10%, which is considered adequate theoretically and statistically speaking for 98% of a larger population. So at 10%, most people are already getting enough protein…” T. Colin Campbell Foundation and TILS, 2009, Plant-based Nutrition Certification, Cornell University
For simplicity’s sake, let’s be generous and say that 10% of a person’s daily calories as protein is sufficient. That means that someone eating 2,000 calories a day would get sufficient protein in 10% of those calories, which equals 200. Every gram of protein has 4 calories. 200 divided by 4 = 50 grams.
One can easily score 50 grams of protein in one day by eating simply:
- 1 1/2 cups of oatmeal (9 grams protein)
- 1 cup of black beans (15 grams of protein)
- 2 cups of raw spinach (1 gram protein)
- 1 cup of brown rice (5 grams protein)
- a large stalk of broccoli (7 grams protein)
- one medium potato (3 grams protein)
- 1 cup kale (2 grams protein), and
- one cup of lentil soup (10 grams protein)
….Oops! I’ve overshot my 50 grams protein by 2 grams at 52.
Yet the calorie count is modest: lentil soup (185 calories), 1 1/2 cups oatmeal (300 calories), 1 cup black beans (227 calories), 1 cup brown rice (215 calories), 2 cups spinach (7 calories), large stalk broccoli (98 calories), and one medium potato (128 calories) = 1160 calories.
The 52 grams of protein calculated with the food list above equals a caloric load of 208 (52 x 4 calories per gram). 208 divided by 1160 = .17, which for our purposes means that actually protein comprises 17% of the calories from these food choices. Filling in the rest of the day’s calorie requirements with fruits, vegetables, possibly more starchy vegetables and whole grains, nuts, and seeds easily tips one into the balance of more protein than required.
The point is, see how easy it is to get adequate protein on a diet that includes none from meat, fish, eggs, or dairy products?
2) Reply #2, the ‘complete proteins’ argument is a myth and needs to be put to rest once and for all. The fact is, all plant foods contains all of the essential amino acids.
This myth is a carry-over from Francis Moore Lappe’s Diet for a Small Planet, which was actually written to make a contribution to ending world hunger. In later editions, Ms. Lappe corrects her earlier oversight and adamantly states that all plant foods typically consumed as sources of protein contain all the essential amino acids, and that humans consuming sufficient calories are virtually certain of getting enough protein from plant sources.
“Proteins are composed of amino acids, 12 of which are manufactured by the human body. Another 9, called essential amino acids, must he obtained from food. Most animal products, such as meat and dairy products, contain all of the essential amino acids and have been designated as containing complete proteins. Most proteins from vegetables also contain all 9 essential amino acids, but 1 or 2 may be low in a particular food compared with a protein from most animal sources. Beans, however, are rich sources of all essential amino acids.
The old ideas about the necessity of carefully combining vegetables at every meal to ensure the supply of essential amino acids has been totally refuted. Modern nutritionists, after observing populations of strict vegetarians who were healthier and lived longer than meat-eaters, now realize that all essential amino acids may be obtained from a variety of vegetables or grains eaten over a one-to-two-day period. This should be a great relief to you as a parent. Even the variety is not as critical as once thought.”
~ From “Complete” Proteins? by Charles R. Attwood, M.D., F.A.A.P.
This is not news, especially to longtime vegans. But frankly protein-mongering is so rampant that the more sources of research and threads of enlightenment we can direct friends, family, and legislators to, the better. New vegans, arm yourself with the facts. Don’t get caught without an answer when someone asks you (and they will if they haven’t already!), ‘Where do you get your protein?’
For a definite treatise on the topic of protein, a vegan diet, and adequate protein, check out Dr. John McDougall’s report When Friends Ask, “Where do you get your protein?”
Vegan chef Chef AJ
P.S. Vegan cook, celebrity chef and the author of the extraordinary vegan cookbook Unprocessed, Chef AJ will be my guest at a TeleClass October 26. Are you signed up yet? Grab your ticket to this event by clicking here >>>>
Lani Muelrath, M.A. is Vegan Mainstream’s new Health & Fitness Expert. Watch for regular articles from Lani on how to be a strong, healthy, fit vegan.
Lani is also “The Plant-Strong Fitness Expert” and creator of The Body Transformation Formula and Fit Quickies™. She has a Master’s Degree in Physical Education and over 30 years of experience as a teacher, coach, and trainer. She has received awards for her instruction, created and starred in her own CBS TV Show, and her expertise in the area of health and fitness is called upon by examiner.com, Dr. John McDougall’s Health and Medical Center and Dr. Neal Barnard’s 21-Day Vegan Kickstart program. She is Certified in Plant-Based Nutrition Certification through Cornell University.
