Many people want to adopt a plant-based lifestyle, but struggle to know how to do it and remain healthy. “Where do you get your protein from?” is the question that vegans get asked more than any other. The good news is if you eat a varied and balanced diet containing plenty of variety, whole foods and adequate calories, you will be able to meet your protein needs.
What is protein?
Protein has many functions in the body - from making enzymes and hormones to creating the structure, the growth and repair of bones, blood, skin, muscles and just about everything in between.
Protein is made up of building blocks called amino acids. There are 20 amino acids altogether, and 9 of them are essential - meaning you have to get these ones from food. Your body is very clever, it can make the 11 non-essential amino acids itself.
When all of the 9 essential amino acids are present in food, it is referred to as a ‘complete’ protein. Meat, dairy and eggs fall into this category. In a vegan diet, soya based foods such as tofu, tempeh, soya milk, soya yoghurt, and edamame beans are also complete proteins. In fact, soya provides a biological value similar to that of animal derived protein. Pseudograins such as quinoa, amaranth and buckwheat, as well as foods such as hemp seeds, spirulina and nutritional yeast also have all 9 essential amino acids, making them complete protein sources too.
There are also other plant foods which still contain a good amount of amino acids but are usually low in - or lack - one or more, making them ‘incomplete’ proteins. These include all legumes (i.e. all types of beans and lentils), nuts and seeds, and to a lesser extent vegetables and whole grains.
For example, beans tend to be lower in an amino acid called methionine, while whole-grains and nuts are lower in another one called lysine. If you eat these foods together in a meal, as with beans on toast, or rice with beans, you will be consuming all 9 essential amino acids in one go.
It used to be thought that vegans and vegetarians needed to combine specific foods at each meal to get sufficient protein, but this is not true. Your body can pool together various amino acids from different sources across the day and create the protein it needs. However, to ensure you are getting enough amino acids to make protein in your body, having a diet that meets your calorie needs and has plenty of variety is key.
What is protein?
Protein has many functions in the body - from making enzymes and hormones to creating the structure, the growth and repair of bones, blood, skin, muscles and just about everything in between.
Protein is made up of building blocks called amino acids. There are 20 amino acids altogether, and 9 of them are essential - meaning you have to get these ones from food. Your body is very clever, it can make the 11 non-essential amino acids itself.
When all of the 9 essential amino acids are present in food, it is referred to as a ‘complete’ protein. Meat, dairy and eggs fall into this category. In a vegan diet, soya based foods such as tofu, tempeh, soya milk, soya yoghurt, and edamame beans are also complete proteins. In fact, soya provides a biological value similar to that of animal derived protein. Pseudograins such as quinoa, amaranth and buckwheat, as well as foods such as hemp seeds, spirulina and nutritional yeast also have all 9 essential amino acids, making them complete protein sources too.
There are also other plant foods which still contain a good amount of amino acids but are usually low in - or lack - one or more, making them ‘incomplete’ proteins. These include all legumes (i.e. all types of beans and lentils), nuts and seeds, and to a lesser extent vegetables and whole grains.
For example, beans tend to be lower in an amino acid called methionine, while whole-grains and nuts are lower in another one called lysine. If you eat these foods together in a meal, as with beans on toast, or rice with beans, you will be consuming all 9 essential amino acids in one go.
It used to be thought that vegans and vegetarians needed to combine specific foods at each meal to get sufficient protein, but this is not true. Your body can pool together various amino acids from different sources across the day and create the protein it needs. However, to ensure you are getting enough amino acids to make protein in your body, having a diet that meets your calorie needs and has plenty of variety is key.