How to Get Enough Protein as a Vegetarian
As a vegetarian or plant-based eater, you might struggle or feel overwhelmed with how to get enough protein.
You may have even gotten questions from your non-vegetarian friends and family:
“But how are you getting protein?!”
The good news is:
It’s easier than you think 😉
After helping plant-based clients feel confident in getting adequate protein to feel full and satisfied, and helping meat-and-potato-eating clients have more energy and feel better through eating more plant-based protein, I wanted to outline exactly how to get enough protein as a vegetarian!
Published just 2 days ago in JAMA Internal Medicine, a research study showed that eating higher amounts of plant protein in place of animal protein may influence overall long-term health and longevity.
They studied over 415,000 men and women in the US (wow, that’s a lot of people!) over 16 years.
Higher plant protein intake was associated with reduced overall mortality for both men and women.
And replacing just 3% of daily energy intake from animal protein with plant protein resulted in a 10% decrease in mortality risk and an 11% decrease in cardiovascular disease mortality.
Those are amazing results from a huge pool of people studied for over 15 years!
And currently, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, many people are eating more plant-based sources of protein due to meat shortages and general health and environmental concerns.
As you eat more plant-based, you’ll want to be sure you’re getting all the essential amino acids.
Essential amino acids are the proteins that your body cannot make on its own.
Meaning that you MUST get essential amino acids from what you eat.
I’m often asked about “complete proteins,” what they are, and what the best sources of vegetarian complete proteins you should choose.
A complete protein contains all 9 essential amino acids (the proteins you must get from your diet).
All animal foods (fish, dairy, eggs, chicken, beef, and pork) are complete proteins.
But what about if you are vegetarian, vegan, or eat mostly plant-based?
How do you make sure you’re getting all 9 essential amino acids?
Look for these vegetarian complete proteins:
Quinoa
Hemp seeds
Chia seeds
Buckwheat
Algae
And whole sources of soy, including:
Tofu
Edamame
Tempeh
Miso
Soy milk
But how do you get all 9 essential amino acids if you’re not eating these vegetarian sources of complete proteins?
The key to getting all 9 essential amino acids as a vegetarian:
Eat a variety of plant-based foods, like nuts, seeds, beans, lentils, peas, whole grains (whole wheat bread, pasta, oats, barley, farro), and veggies.
Eating a variety of plant-based sources of protein will allow you to get an assortment of ALL the amino acids you need.
Does that mean you need to pair certain foods together?
Back in the day, it was recommended to pair specific plant-based proteins together to form a complete protein.
These are called complementary proteins.
Complementary proteins are plant-based proteins that are paired together in the same meal so that you form a complete protein.
For example, these are examples of complementary proteins:
Nuts/Seeds + Whole Grain (think the classic PB&J sandwich)
Beans + Whole Grain (think hummus + pita bread, beans + rice, or beans + tortilla)
Nuts/Seeds + Beans (salad with pumpkin seeds + chickpeas)
But is this necessary?
Actually, no!
Now the recommendation is that you eat a VARIETY of plant-based protein sources throughout the day, instead of trying to combine them into one meal.
The bottom line?
As long as you eat a variety of plant-based sources of protein throughout the day, you’ll likely get all of the essential amino acids that you need!
Which begs the follow-up question:
How much protein do you need each day?
I’m so glad you asked 😉
You can read the full article, “Are You Getting Enough Protein?” HERE>>
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