Vegan 101: Where do vegans get their protein?

[Guest guest]

Protein is the first thing that new vegans are concerned about and the last

thing they should be concerned about. All plant foods—except for fruits and

fats—supply protein. Beans are the richest sources, but vegans get protein from

nuts, grains and vegetables, too.

 

The building blocks of protein are amino acids. Humans can manufacture most of

the amino acids they need. But there are nine—called the essential amino

acids—that must come from food. All plant proteins contain all nine of these

essential amino acids. Some foods are a little short on certain amino acids, but

when vegans eat a variety of foods—beans, grains and other sources of

protein—they get a good supply of all the essential amino acids.

 

Misunderstandings about plant proteins

 

At one time—several decades ago—nutritionists believed that vegans had to eat

certain combinations of food at each meal in order to get enough of all the

right amino acids. Newer research on protein shows that this isn't true. As long

as vegans meet their calorie needs and eat a variety of foods throughout the

day, protein needs are easily met.

 

The quality of plant protein was also misunderstood for a long time due to early

research in rats. It turns out that rats don't grow very well on certain plant

proteins because they have different amino acid needs than humans. For years,

researchers underestimated the quality of plant proteins because of poor growth

in rats--when those same proteins support human growth and health very well.

 

Vegan protein needs

 

Government recommendations for protein are based on the assumption that people

eat both plant and animal foods. They aren't designed for vegans. Because plant

proteins are not quite as well digested as those from animals, most

nutritionists agree that vegan protein needs are about 10 percent higher than

omnivore requirements.

 

Women on low-calorie diets can also have higher protein needs. Vegan women who

are watching their weight may need to add a few additional servings of

protein-rich plant foods to their meals.

 

To estimate your protein needs, multiply your body weight (in pounds) by 0.4.

Using this calculation, a person weighing 130 pounds would need about 52 grams

of protein, and someone weighing 160 pounds would need 64 grams. You can see

from the list below that meeting those needs isn't difficult for vegans.

 

Grams of protein in plant foods

 

 

3 oz seitan 22

1/2 cup tofu 10 to 20

Veggie burger 6 to 18

3 oz tempeh 15

1/2 cup cooked soybeans 14

1/2 cup cooked pinto beans 8

2 tbsp peanut butter 8

1 cup soymilk 7

1/4 cup sunflower seeds 6

1 cup brown rice 5

1 cup chopped broccoli 4.5

1/2 oz walnuts 4.5

Author: Virginia Messina, MPH, RD

Virginia Messina, MPH, RD is an Examiner from Seattle.

[Guest guest]

A quick note on that. Although unfortunately complete proteins can only be found

in animals, near complete proteins can found in grains like quinoa, buckwheat,

hempseed and amaranth.

 

 

 

 

vegan-network , " swpgh01.t21 " <swpgh01.t21 wrote:

>

> Protein is the first thing that new vegans are concerned about and the last

thing they should be concerned about. All plant foods—except for fruits and

fats—supply protein. Beans are the richest sources, but vegans get protein from

nuts, grains and vegetables, too.

>

> The building blocks of protein are amino acids. Humans can manufacture most of

the amino acids they need. But there are nine—called the essential amino

acids—that must come from food. All plant proteins contain all nine of these

essential amino acids. Some foods are a little short on certain amino acids, but

when vegans eat a variety of foods—beans, grains and other sources of

protein—they get a good supply of all the essential amino acids.

>

> Misunderstandings about plant proteins

>

> At one time—several decades ago—nutritionists believed that vegans had to eat

certain combinations of food at each meal in order to get enough of all the

right amino acids. Newer research on protein shows that this isn't true. As long

as vegans meet their calorie needs and eat a variety of foods throughout the

day, protein needs are easily met.

>

> The quality of plant protein was also misunderstood for a long time due to

early research in rats. It turns out that rats don't grow very well on certain

plant proteins because they have different amino acid needs than humans. For

years, researchers underestimated the quality of plant proteins because of poor

growth in rats--when those same proteins support human growth and health very

well.

>

> Vegan protein needs

>

> Government recommendations for protein are based on the assumption that people

eat both plant and animal foods. They aren't designed for vegans. Because plant

proteins are not quite as well digested as those from animals, most

nutritionists agree that vegan protein needs are about 10 percent higher than

omnivore requirements.

>

> Women on low-calorie diets can also have higher protein needs. Vegan women who

are watching their weight may need to add a few additional servings of

protein-rich plant foods to their meals.

>

> To estimate your protein needs, multiply your body weight (in pounds) by 0.4.

Using this calculation, a person weighing 130 pounds would need about 52 grams

of protein, and someone weighing 160 pounds would need 64 grams. You can see

from the list below that meeting those needs isn't difficult for vegans.

>

> Grams of protein in plant foods

>

>

> 3 oz seitan 22

> 1/2 cup tofu 10 to 20

> Veggie burger 6 to 18

> 3 oz tempeh 15

> 1/2 cup cooked soybeans 14

> 1/2 cup cooked pinto beans 8

> 2 tbsp peanut butter 8

> 1 cup soymilk 7

> 1/4 cup sunflower seeds 6

> 1 cup brown rice 5

> 1 cup chopped broccoli 4.5

> 1/2 oz walnuts 4.5

> Author: Virginia Messina, MPH, RD

> Virginia Messina, MPH, RD is an Examiner from Seattle.

>