Vegan Protein

“How on Earth are You going to Get Your Protein?” 

The question you’ll most likely be met with from skeptical omnivores if you let them know your huge idea; you want to become vegan. Let’s start with an idea of what protein is. Protein is an incredibly important nutrient present all throughout your body, which helps muscle, bone, skin, tendon, and ligament (and so on) growth and repair. Metabolism and digestion are also assisted by protein, as they are provided with necessary enzymes and hormones. Without protein, our body’s repairing functions are severely debilitated, and metabolism and digestion are also highly affected. 

Have you asked yourself yet, how are you going to get that essential protein? Vegan protein is actually very easy to find, so let’s break it down simply. Most people just want to know what foods are protein rich, so that’s what you’ll learn here. 

Vegan protein is most easily acquired from legumes, as they are the most protein rich vegan foods out there. Legumes are generally “pod” foods, such as beans and peanuts. The only problem is, as vegan proteins, legumes alone do not suffice because they are “incomplete proteins;” foods lacking in essential amino acids. Other foods such as grains, vegetables and seeds/nuts, coupled with legumes provide complete vegan protein. This doesn’t mean you have to eat these foods plain or uncooked. There are many different common foods which have high levels of vegan protein, such as soy milk (8g/250mL serve), lentil soup (one cup of lentils has 18g of vegan protein!), lentil patties (9g/serve) and textured vegetable protein mince (20g/serve). 

Now the question is, how much vegan protein do I need to consume? This is actually not a complicated question. For metric calculations, simply multiply your body weight in kilograms by 0.8. For example, a 70kg person would (on average) need to consume approximately 56 grams of protein daily (70 x 0.8 = 56). Of course, if you were aiming for absolute peak-of-health living, then you would want to consult a doctor or pediatrician for more precise personal requirements. 

Most people tend to have adequate amounts of protein in their diets, but what happens when there is too much? This is a serious issue that should always be taken into consideration when maintaining a healthy diet. Many athletes boost the levels of protein in their diets in the belief that their muscles will develop much more quickly; however, protein alone does not make up a healthy diet. Excess protein comes out of the body as urine and faeces because it cannot be stored. This abundance of protein places a lot of stress on the organs, especially the kidneys, which becomes a growing concern as we age. As the kidneys keep flushing out toxic ketones which have come from protein, the body may end up very dehydrated. Dehydration then becomes problematic as well; stress is placed on the heart, skin loses its elasticity, mental performance is affected (water makes up 80% of the brain), and dizziness, visual snow and headaches (and more) can occur. 

A lot of information has been provided so far on maintaining healthy protein levels, but first you need to know how much protein is already in your system. Your doctor can perform a blood test to see if you are already getting enough protein, or need to make some adjustments to your diet. You should then have blood tests roughly every six months to make sure you are healthy, and that your protein levels are fine. Not only vegans should have blood tests; everyone should, so that they have an indication of how healthy they are, and know whether they are consuming the right foods or not. 

Vegan protein is a focal point for many people opting for the vegan path, however, as this article has shown, getting enough protein can be quite easy. Taking care when managing your own dietary needs leads to a healthy body and the answers to the questions those skeptics asked!