Vegetarians/Vegans DO Get Enough Protein, but Meat Eaters Usually DON'T Get Enough Dietary Fiber! PLUS a Recipe for a Protein/Fiber packed Salad!
When switching from a meat eating diet to a vegetarian or vegan diet it has been very common to be asked ‘but where do you get your protein from?’ - Here we will clear up the misconception that plants don’t provide enough protein for us… Plus reveal that the main nutrient deficiency facing Americans and those who eat like the S.A.D. (Standard American Diet).
You eat MEAT?! But… Where do you get your fiber from? :)
According to a study published by the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, it is common for people eating every category of common diets to get enough protein each day. The vegetarians and Vegans both received a similar amount of protein each day as the meat eaters and, in truth, they ALL received nearly double the amount that it is thought that they actually need!
So.. That confirms the message of countless vegan bodybuilders who show clearly that they easily get enough protein from a plant based diet to build big muscles and stay strong. It would be nice if the many nay sayers of veganism with regards protein and body building would take note here.
But what about nutrients that we ARE commonly deficient in? As it turns out, the vast majority of those monitored in another study were deficient in dietary fiber – commonly eating only half the recommended minimum daily intake. This is not surprising since the main way we get fiber in our diet is from eating plants and most of us are not eating our ‘5 a day’ of fruit/veg (or anything close to it).
The health risks of a lack of fiber
Many studies show that there are many connections being drawn between major illnesses and a lack of dietary fiber, including but not limited to: Diabetes, Heart disease, High Blood Pressure, Obesity and Cancer!
So.. We really need to think again about what beLIEfs we are holding about our nutritional requirements and to look closely at the glaring gaps we are creating as a result of our ‘convenience’ lifestyles or worse, our decision to eat the corpses of slow moving animals.
My Simple Solution to Protein AND Fiber Requirements
If you examine the nutritional profiles of plant based foods you will be surprised at how much protein is in foods that you may have thought contained none at all. This simple salad made from a mixture of plants I grew organically at home and some others from local shops, contains a fairly broad nutritional profile, including plenty of protein and fiber too. :)
Ingredients
- Lettuce
- Cucumber
- Spinach leaves
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Broad beans
- A sprinkle of Hemp seed hearts
- Red Bell Pepper
Plus some home made potato chips cooked in an oven with just a tiny amount of olive oil to grease the baking sheet and some mixed herbs to taste on top. In fact, just the raw potatoes used here may provide the recommended intake of protein for an entire day according nutrition.self's profile.
NOTE: It is generally advisable to avoid Olive Oil as it is connected to reduced longevity in nutritional studies. See here for more information.
Dr. Gerger from NutritionFacts.org explains the details of the studies in question:
Got any comments/thoughts - Know something that was missed?
Let me know in the comments below, thanks!
Love! Ura.
but the proteins from veggie and meat are different isn't it?
That's what I always heard from ppl :)
Yes, the amino acid (protein) profile of plants is such that they are MORE easily used by the human body. The plant proteins are less complex than animal proteins and thus the body needs to do more work to break down the animal proteins and use them - this is why vegan body builders tend to report that they can build muscle more easily than when they ate meat.
I see now !!
Thanks You :)~
Here here!!!! Been Vegetarian for 5 years now, slowly heading into Veganism, being mindful not to turn into a junk food or carb based vegan though so I'm taking my time and learning how to do it correctly. But yes all the time, how do you get enough protein? Using the chronometer app I can see that most days I'm over my daily protein needs by about 10g easily. It would not be difficult at all to increase my protein amounts significantly with some effort, there are countless Vegan body builders all over you tube. And also your body can utilise plant proteins more efficiently than it can meat proteins. Your body does not use protein, it uses amino acids- the single celled units that make up a protein molecule. So when you eat meat, your body has to break all that protein down into its single unit components, and then utilise those to rebuild the kind of protein molecule it needs. Plant sources of protein are already in amino acid form, so your body does not need to break the protein down from plants first per say. Once the chains links holding all the amino acids together are broken down the amino acids are immediately available to be utilised. Much easier job on your digestive system and less pathogens as a side dish. Very informative post :)
Very good, yes - the plant proteins are in a more usable form vs. the animal form which requires energy for us to break it down for use. The meat and dairy industry's propaganda couldn't be more backwards. Chronometer is a useful app, yes - I sometimes use it as a rough guide, but generally it is wise to go by listening to the body's voice internally.
Oh it's unreal the diss information they dish out into the public. Yes I don't use the app religiously, it's helpful to keep a check, more helpful when like my self I'm transitioning it gives me a rough idea as to what my meals are, some days I was really low on somethings like vitamin E, or coming under on the protein. Simple additions like some chia seeds with my breakfast and a small handful of almonds in the afternoon filled the gap. I think that's what puts people off, they don't know where to start and are so fearful of being deficient, and also think they will need to munch on plants all day long to get all their nutrients and it's just not true. SO many plant foods are so nutrient dense, it's actually really really easy.
Yes listening to the body is always the wisest way. It is always communicating things to us if you just take the time to listen :)
Ok yes, I pretty much switched from being on the carnivore end of omnivore about 10 years ago straight into being vegan. I found that a thorough detoxification was necessary to clear out the old dietary wastes and allow my pallet to reset. From there I was still pretty clueless about how to eat well as a vegan, but I found some good teachers online and ultimately it's not really that hard anyway - there's just a few things to learn about plants and nutrition in general. A high speed blender goes a long way to making the transition simple because our jaws just aren't generally strong enough to chew up all the greens we would really need to be fully fed - we aren't gorillas after all (well, most of us aren't) ;)
Fiber is so important. It nourishes your ever-so-important gut flora - bacteria that we farm in our intestines.
When I've had enough fiber, I am regular and I feel CLEAN inside and like my gut flora are happy and celebrating.
Indeed, yes - it's important to not stagnate!
thanks for this. you did well to share this recipe. keep i up
thanks!
Good day dear...As a health lover read up my latest post on "How to Treat Ear Problems with Natural Remedies"!
support and comment also. thanks
Looks like a delicious meal!
simple, but effective!
My dear friend, vegetables do not give you the essential amino acids. Therefore, you will never get the important amino acids from a plant! It is not quantity but quality.
Can I assume that you do not have basic biochemistry?
Please review the video I shared in this post, it is from the web's leading nutritional science teacher - who constantly reviews all of the english language published science on nutrition. He clearly shows studies which make clear that, yes, plants give the amino acids / protein needed for human health.
You can review the link I also provided to the nutrition.self website wherein nutritional profiles are provided for plants and where you can clearly see the amino acid profiles for plants and that they are often complete.
That's interesting to know that you share recipe too dear @ura-soul! I'm impressed!
Thanks
@progressivechef
Thanks, you are welcome!
Being a vegetarian is indeed a healthy plan. I tried being a vegetarian for one month but couldn't carry on 🙈 😁
I was distracted by several flavourful meals that were passing my way.
Great post btw, and thanks for sharing.
It is sad indeed to continue the suffering of living beings due to addiction to taste experience. Really, this is an opportunity to dive deeper into understanding the nature of habit and addiction - there is much we can learn that is of benefit. <3
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