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a primer on protein
Posted by Alicia Silverstone on Jun 28, 2011


Quinoa

Perhaps the most common question vegans get is “…but where do you get your protein?” Concerned mothers, incredulous friends, or curious coworkers all want to know! So, my mission with this blog is to give you a clear, simple answer that allays any concerns you may have about the issue, and allows you to respond thoughtfully to those who ask. When people ask you this question, it might also be a good idea to suggest a book or site for them to read themselves, so you aren't stuck trying to explain it to them or asking them to take your word for it. Instead, you can say, "Here is what I know works for me, and if you want more info, read this amazing book. It will change your life and answer all your questions."
 
Back To Basics
 
First, protein is made up of amino acids. When you eat protein-rich foods, these are the nutrients your body is after. In all, you need twenty amino acids, and your body can make twelve of them on its own. The other eight “essential” amino acids come from food. Now, here’s the crucial part: All eight of these essential amino acids can be found in plants! This bears repeating: You can get all of the amino acids your body needs on a plant-based diet. That’s right, no meat required! Quinoa and soybeans are two examples of plant-based foods that contain all eight essential amino acids. It’s that simple!
 
Many other plants have five out of the eight amino acids. As long as you eat a diverse diet, you will easily get all you need. For example, when you eat rice with beans, you get the full complement of amino acids. That said, you don’t have to get all eight amino acids in the same meal. Just eat a colorful, plant-based diet with lots of varieties of grains and beans, and you should have no trouble fulfilling your nutritional requirements.
 
Too Much Of A Good Thing
 
Protein is not a nutrient your body can store, so if you eat too much of it, your blood gets acidic, and you get sick – this is the case with many people who follow a typical Western diet. We live in a culture of excessive protein consumption, hence the fear of eating too little of it. The truth is, it’s actually difficult to eat too little protein. Just about every food we eat contains it, including grains and veggies!
 
How Much Is Enough?
 
Of course the amounts of protein each food contains varies, but you may be surprised by how little your body actually needs. One protein dense food per day (tofu, tempeh, seitan, beans), as part of a meal that is roughly ¼ protein, ¼ grain, and ½ veggies should be enough. The rest of your meals can be a 50/50 ratio of grains to veggies. If you follow this plan, you should be getting all the protein you need. There’s no need to get anal about the ratios – these are just rough estimates to keep in the back of your mind.

Also, if you work out a ton, or you just really love the idea of eating tons of protein, it's easy to do. You can eat beans, nuts, tempeh, tofu, and seitan as much as you want to. It won't hurt you the way animal-based protein will. There are also protein powders, but of course food is the better choice if you want to be superhero.
 
All of this information is in my book, and if you’d like to delve even deeper into the science about protein, check out T. Colin Campbell’s seminal book The China Study.
 
What other common questions or misunderstandings do you get from your veg-curious friends?

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P.S. My Argentinian friend eats quinoa all the time. He says that it is a fairly common food in South America and that it is delicious. :)

Summer - I'm so glad that you are able to get useful info here!  That's what we are here for!

Just a little note - I'm not sure what being vegan has to do with being a pagan - I'm a pagan.  And I can tell you that most pagans I know are HUGE meat eaters.  IT's part of ritual.  They don't actually kill animals - if you don't know what pagans are, we are NOT satan worshipers.  Satan is a CHRISTIAN ideal.  Please look into it before slinging things - (I know you weren't Summer, I was just saying that for the general public, no worries. )

BUT anyway, part of ritual is that they have a piece of meat and symbolically kill it and offer it to the gods.  I don't, of course. lol.  I offer veggies and shiny things.  :-)

I just thought that weird that they would say that.  being vegan has nothing to do with being pagan - the opposite as a matter of fact.

ALSO - i LOVE quinoa.  It's the best.  I love it more than rice.  My advice.  Toast it first.  And use veggie stock rather than water, or at least flavor the water.

I take 1c quinoa in a dry pot.  Toast on medium heat for a few mins.  It will pop and crackle and smell like popcorn.  When it looks good (don't burn it!!) add 2c liquid.  I like veggie stock but when i forget to get some - i use about 5-10 cloves of garlic, salt, pepper, dried herbs, tomato juice, anything to flavor the water because it makes it so much better.

your end result will be so good, so nutty and crunchy, almost pop in your mouth.  its so good.  and it is so healthy for you.  it's actually a seed, not a grain.  which is why its so healthy. :-)

Excellent article! I just made a six-bean chilli for dinner tonight- chickpeas, aduki beans, black eyed beans, broad beans, split peas and sweetcorn (loose definition of the word 'bean' I know). It looks so yummy and it'll definitely give me more than enough protein!

Thanks. this is a great little reminder :)

Jacqui, I think vegetarianism and pagans are associated because they are both so close to nature. Plus, paganism seems so non-agressive toward living entities. It's hard to assume that wouldn't apply to animals.

Summer, eventually you will wear them down! I've had much of the same experience and, even though no one in my family has chosen to take my path, they are much more accepting of it than they used to be. There are so only so many times you can hit a brick wall before you realize it's not coming down. smiley-laughing.gif

I love this post. The question isn't how do you get enough protein? But really it is all about several key nutrients to just keep in mind, THAT in fact most people, even the most carnivorous, have deficienies in! We all need to watch our health and make sure we are getting enough nutrients. I think that the plant-based diet is much more in-line with getting everything we need then others just because we are more aware about what we eat and where it comes from.

Thanks for the post! :)

I get asked this question all the time and by the same people even after I tell them every single time LOL but it's probably cuz they're pulling my chain.

the hardest part is explaining why too much protein is not good for anyone.  but the stubborness of a meat eater is hard to get through to.

Great information. Find a nutritional evaluation online or someone qualified to plug in everything you eat for the day and you will be able to see if you are getting enough protein on a vegan diet. 

http://www.veganrawfood.net

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