Proteins are known as the building blocks of life: In the body, they break down into amino acids that promote cell growth and repair. (They also take longer to digest than carbohydrates, helping you feel fuller for longer and on fewer calories—a plus for anyone trying to lose weight.) You probably know that animal products—meat, eggs and dairy—are good sources of protein; unfortunately, they can also be high in saturated fat and cholesterol. What you may not know is that you don't need to eat meat or cheese to get enough protein. [1]
Protein comes in different foods, we can get all the protein we need from plant products. Still vegetarians need to make extra effort to make sure they get all the building blocks we need to make human protein. Getting the proper balance of protein is easier for vegetarians who drink milk and eat milk products than for vegans but vegans can be healthy. [2]
What humans need to make complete protein[]
There are nine essential building blocks of human protein, which we must get from food. (Scientists call these building blocks amino acids) Meat and milk contain all the essential amino acids humans need; most plants do not have them all or have some in the wrong proportions for human protein. However eating a mixture of plants, such as both wheat and peanut butter, or rice and beans, provides all the essential amino acids needed. soy products like tofu provide all the essential amino acids as does quinoa but are not the only way to get the protein you need. [3] Wheat, barley and rye can complement the protein from pulses.
Humans don’t need every essential amino acid in every bite of food in every meal they eat; we only need a sufficient amount of each amino acid every day . Most [but aparently not all] dieticians believe that plant-based diets contain such a wide variety of amino acid profiles that vegans are virtually guaranteed to get all of their amino acids with very little effort. [4]
Especially if you are a vegan it's perhaps worthwhile to put a bit of effort into learning which proteins complement each other.
Protein for vegetarians and vegans[]
Below are some foods that are good protein sources for vegetarians and vegans.
It's not a good idea to buy too many unfamiliar foods at one time, you don't want them cluttering up your kitchen and slowly deteriorating while you try to work out ways of using them. It's best to buy between about 1 and 3 unfamiliar foods and focus on ways of cooking with those. Later when you've tried all those out and decided if you like them you can try different items.
- Peas, beans, lentils, Soya beans have specially good protein.
- Green peas More about Green peas
- Beans
- Chickpeas More about Chickpeas
- Soybeans More about Tempeh and tofu
- Whole grains and seeds
- Nuts Here's more about Nuts and nut butter
- Seitan Here's more about Seitan
- Non-dairy milk Here's more about Non-dairy milk
References[]
- ↑ Best Vegan and Vegetarian Protein Sources
- ↑ Best Vegan and Vegetarian Protein Sources This website is well worth reading for vegetarians, vegans or anyone who is concerned about saturated fat and wants to cut down on meat.
- ↑ Protein
- ↑ 12 Complete Proteins Vegetarians Need to Know About