How to Get Enough Vegan ProteinGetting enough vegan protein isn't as complicated as it seems... Everyone always hears that meat, eggs, and dairy are great sources of protein. Protein is made up of 20 amino acids, and meat, eggs, and dairy have all 20 of them.
There are also complete proteins in nature, such as grains and beans, but some of them have smaller amounts of one or two of the 20. Because of this they aren't popularly recognized as great sources of protein, even though they have tons of vegan protein. Humans create 11 of those amino acids in their bodies and get the other 9 from foods. Someone with a protein deficiency is not getting enough of one or all of those extra 9 amino acids.
An old misconception about being a vegan was that in order to get enough protein, you had to combine the foods that were missing amino acids with a food that had that exact amino acid. That is quite a bit of work!! But don't worry... You don't have to do all that work! As long as you eat a wide variety of grains, beans, nuts, and seeds, you will absolutely get enough vegan protein. Vegan Protein SourcesThe USDA's Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) (opens new window) for protein for a non-athlete adult is only 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight. If you want to figure out how many grams you should be eating daily, here is the calculation:Body weight (in pounds) X 0.36 = recommended protein intake For example, if you weigh 150 pounds, you would need to eat 54 grams of vegan protein a day. Keep in mind that this is a conservative estimate and that many people say you can eat fewer than that amount and still be very healthy. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding you will need to increase your protein intake, and the same is true if you are an athlete. The easiest way to add more protein is to increase how much food you are eating overall. Vegetables, beans, and grains are great sources of protein. Here are some examples of a few protein packed foods: 1 cup Tempeh has 41 grams (wow) 1 c. Quinoa has 9 grams 2 slices Whole wheat bread has 5 grams Vegan Meal PlanIt's really easy to plan a meal plan that gives you enough vegan protein. If you are following the vegan food pyramid, you will absolutely get plenty of vegan protein. The food pyramid shows 6+ servings of grains in a day. Each piece of bread, ounce of dry cereal, 1/2 cup of hot cereal is a serving and has about 3 grams of protein.
If you are having the recommended 3+ servings of vegetables a day, each has about 2 grams of protein. A serving of vegetables is about 1 cup raw, 1/2 cup cooked, or 1/2 cup vegetable juice. Also, if you are eating 3+ servings of legumes, which could be 1/2 cup cooked beans, 4oz. tofu/tempeh, 8 oz. soymilk, 1 oz nuts, you will get anywhere from 4-10 grams of protein per serving. Here's one of my favorite breakfasts: Here's one lunch I love: I love to snack: For dinner I enjoy: TOTAL 56 grams An average vegan female needs 46-58 grams of protein per day. With this meal plan, I am on the high end of my protein needs. So, without having to eat this same exact meal every day, I know that my eating a balanced diet ensures I will have plenty of protein. Now, for my boyfriend, he has to eat a bit more protein. An average vegan male needs anywhere from 56-70 grams/day. Here's what my boyfriend likes to eat: For Breakfast: For Lunch: For Snack: For Dinner: TOTAL 73 grams of vegan protein Return to What Do You Eat??!!
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