WHAT ABOUT PROTEIN?!
The first thing I always get asked about being vegan is where do I get my protein… especially relevant for those of us who workout. Valid question – but when I ask why people are asking this, they don’t actually know why they think vegans are lacking in protein themselves. It’s just something that has been passed through generations. Incorrect information.
Yes, whole protein is in animal sources, but we can get it from a lot of other places too. The thing is, compete protein sources were understood to come JUST from animals. Chicken and eggs mainly. So other sources were deemed ‘incomplete protein’ – and people thought it was nowhere near as good a source…this has now been disproved and retracted by the original people who came up with it in the first place.
As long as you are consuming a variety of plant-based foods that includes a few servings of legumes (beans, peanuts or soy foods) and/or protein-rich grains every day, you’ll have no trouble meeting protein requirements without animal foods.
SOME VEGAN PROTEIN SOURCES:
• BEANS
• NUTS & NUT BUTTER (especially peanuts)
• CHICKPEAS (& hummus)
• LENTILS
• SOY (milk, yoghurt, products)
• TOFU
• QUINOA
• GREENS (Especially spinach!)
• VEGETABLES
• NUT MILKS (almond, hazelnut)
• PEA & HEMP POWDERS (great added to smoothies!)
& lots more!!
PROTEIN FACT
The truth is that people commonly eat more animal protein than they can process, and even vegetarians (those who abstain from flesh but consume milk and eggs) often consume too much as well.
Excessive animal protein is incredibly TOXIC to our bodies. The liver’s ability to convert excess nitrogen to urea is saturated, and the blood becomes acidic. This can cause you to lose a significant amount of water (leading to dehydration), muscle mass, and bone calcium.
Some other useful links:
Veganhealth.org
NutritionFacts.org