With plant based diets and veganism becoming more popular recently, the age old question is alive more than ever..
What do you eat for protein??
Well I’m here to tell you exactly that.
What vegans, like myself, eat for protein.
And the truth just might surprise you!
Let’s dive in.
FIRST, BUSTING THE MYTHS
You might have heard that vegans can’t get enough, or any protein. Or that they’ll be missing certain amino acids.
You also might have heard that plant protein isn’t as bioavailable as animal protein.
These are just some of the popular myths and misconceptions around getting protein as a vegan. I’ll explain..
For one, all plant foods do contain all of the essential amino acids, but in varying amounts.
Some plant foods have high amounts of certain amino acids, and low amounts of others. And amino acids that are low in one food may be high in another, and vice versa.
What this means is that plant foods are not “missing” amino acids, you just have to eat a variety of food to reach adequate amounts of each of them. Which people normally do anyway because nobody eats the same food for every meal, every day. Myth busted.
This mostly came from research looking at the quality of plant protein, but they only looked at foods in isolation, rather than as a part of a daily eating pattern. This was then used to say that plant foods aren’t quality sources of protein, and that they’re “missing amino acids”.
Pretty misleading if you ask me.
Other methods of protein quality were done on rats, which we are not.
And in regards to bioavailability, a study was done where participants ate raw beans, and it showed poor protein digestibility and absorption. But here’s the fuck up..
Literally nobody eats raw fucking beans.
It is true that raw beans don’t digest and absorb very well, but it’s been shown that by cooking them (you know, eating them like a normal person), the protein bioavailability increases. Hmm, I wonder why they didn’t cook the beans in the study..
Plant protein has really been dragged through the mud..
But don’t just take my biased vegan word for it, here’s a link to a big science-y article that dives deep into the truth about the quality of plant protein:
We also need to talk about soy..
Since soy is a great source of protein (as you’ll see below) I must also clear the air on the common questions and concerns about it, as well.
Does it increase estrogen levels? Is it bad to have too much?
Let me break it down..
No, soy does not increase estrogen levels.
The reality is, soy contains a plant form of estrogen called phytoestrogens. These plant estrogens act differently in our body than mammalian estrogen would (which by the way, is found in dairy since cows are mammals).
Phytoestrogens attach to a different estrogen receptor in our body that actually has a positive effect on hormones, rather than the commonly perceived negative effect.
But again, don’t just take my word for it, here’s another big science-y article that dives into the actual truth about the health effects of soy. If you really have doubts about it, take a gander below.
I hope I’ve helped clear up some of the common misconceptions and concerns about plant protein, getting enough of it as a vegan, and also the myths surrounding soy.
That being said, let’s dive into what the hell we vegans actually eat to get enough protein!
TOFU: 6g – 20g of protein per serving
Tofu is an amazing and underrated as fuck protein source. Why?
For one, just like other forms of soy, tofu is a complete protein source. Speaks for itself.
Next, rather than containing saturated fat and cholesterol, tofu contains healthy fats that have actually been shown to help lower cholesterol! Pretty wild.
Third, tofu comes in various forms, and is versatile as hell. It can be made into a tofu scramble, or cubed up, cooked, and added to a stir fry, among many other things.
The different varieties are based on water content and firmness. From the least firm, like silken, to firm, extra firm, up to super firm.
The more firm the tofu is, the higher both the protein and fat content are.
Common varieties:
Soft or silken: most water content, used in smoothies, sauces, desserts, etc
Firm or extra firm: great for crumbling, cubing, air frying, pan frying – think tofu scramble, vegan fetta cheese, stir fry, etc
Super firm: highest protein content, very dense
SEITAN: 15g – 21g of protein per serving
This devilishly sounding protein source is made from wheat gluten and is a great substitute for things like steak or pork.
It’s high in protein, low in overall calories and fat, and contains few carbs.
It can be used on sandwiches, fajitas or stir-frys, layered with barbecue sauce, and so much more.
Some meat alternative products, such as Beyond steak, are forms of seitan, but it can also be found on its own, or even made at home.
TEMPEH: 15g – 30g of protein per serving
Tempeh is made from fermented soybeans. It’s packed with nutrients, is a complete protein source, and is incredibly beneficial for gut health.
It’s versatile, and makes a great meat substitute!
Tempeh can be used for tacos, stir frys, tempeh burgers, tempeh bacon, kabobs (like in the picture for this article), and more!
LEGUMES (beans, lentils, chickpeas): 5g – 10g of protein per serving
Beans, lentils, and chickpeas are great for so many reasons. Full of complex carbs, fiber, low in fat, great for gut health, helping to lower cholesterol, and so much more.
And of course, being a great addition to your total protein intake!
They can be eaten on their own, as a side dish, thrown into tacos or burritos, made into bean or lentil burgers, stews, chilis, chickpea salad (chicken salad swap), added to salads, and so on. (Just remember to cook them, heh)
WHOLE WHEAT OR LEGUME PASTA: 6g – 20g of protein per serving
For a good protein (and fiber) boost, ditch the white pasta and choose a whole wheat, or legume-based pasta instead!
There’s edamame pasta, lentil pasta, black bean pasta, chickpea pasta, etc, etc.
QUINOA: 8g of protein per serving
Quinoa is a healthy grain, a great source of fiber, and has roughly 8 grams of complete protein per cup.
Higher protein content than some other grains, such as rice.
Quinoa shouldn’t be your top source of protein, but it still can serve as a great addition to your overall protein intake.
SOY MILK: 7g of protein per serving
Just like tofu and other forms of soy, soy milk is a great complete source of protein.
It’s also a great source of healthy fats.
Most other plant milks are pretty low in protein, so choosing soy milk is an easy way to get a little protein boost, especially when adding it to things like smoothies, or oatmeal.
OATS: 5g of protein per serving
I fucking love oatmeal.
Two of my favorite ways to have it are:
- Warm with maple syrup, a few dashes of cinnamon, and frozen blewbs
- Cold (overnight oats) with protein powder, berries, flax seed, soy milk
The great thing about them is that they’re versatile and can be used and flavored in many ways.
Oats have been a staple food of mine for years now. They offer protein, complex carbs, fiber, vitamins and minerals, anti-inflammatory compounds, and more!
WHOLE WHEAT/GRAIN BREAD: 5g of protein per serving/slice
Similar with pasta, choosing a whole grain or whole wheat type of bread will offer more protein as well as other health benefits.
A standard piece of white bread may have 2 or 3 grams of protein per slice, whereas whole wheat/grain bread typically has 5-7 grams of protein per slice.
EDAMAME: 18g of protein per cup
Edamame refers to immature soybeans that typically come in a pod, unless they’re shelled. They kind of look similar to snap peas.
They provide a great source of protein, fiber, healthy fats, and many other vitamins and minerals.
TVP & MOCK MEATS: 10g – 30g per serving
TVP (textured vegetable protein, made from soybeans) is a type of mock meat, among many other kinds that are becoming more and more common nowadays.
These plant based alternatives offer similar tastes, textures, and yes, protein content to the traditional animal products they mimic.
Since we’ve gone over myths and misconceptions here, I should bring up how meat alternatives have also been dragged through the mud as being “unhealthy” and “processed garbage”.
It is true that some varieties may be more “unhealthy” than others, especially because health isn’t the purpose of these foods. However, they’re not all as bad as they’re made out to be, and this has been tested and looked at.
Rather than me breaking it down, I’ll just link a study called the Swap meat trial that compared the health outcomes of plant based meats vs. traditional animal meat.
Let’s just say those who like to hate on plant based meat alternatives are going to have a tough pill of truth to swallow.. Study below.
VEGAN PROTEIN POWDER/BARS: 10g – 30g of protein per serving
Step aside, whey, research has shown that pea and soy protein have both been shown to have no significant difference on muscle and strength gains as animal protein.
And luckily, they’re becoming more popular.
Nobody has to consume protein shakes and bars, they’re just a great option if you struggle to get enough protein from food, especially if you’re trying to build muscle and improve athletic performance.
So there’s 12 things vegans eat for protein. But believe me, there’s others. Things like nutritional yeast, spirulina, hemp seed, flax seed, and more, are also wonderful additions to help top off total daily protein intake.
With these things in mind, myths and misconceptions aside, and being aware of the various foods and food groups that can provide protein, it becomes much easier to get plenty of protein from only plants.
Breakfast could be oatmeal, or tofu scramble with a side of whole grain toast.
Lunch could be cubed and air-fried tofu on a big salad, or served with rice and veggies.
Dinner could be a whole grain or legume pasta dish, lentil & veggie stew, or seitan or tempeh tacos with a side of rice and beans.
THANKS FOR READING!
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