Where do you get your protein from?

by newlyVEG

There’s one most common question Vegans are always asked:

But where do you get your protein from?

As we read it somewhere: it’s funny because no one really cares where you get your protein unless you tell them you are Vegan. (:

it’s coming as a shock for meat-eaters to know that a vegan doesn’t consume any meat or dairy.
The thing is… we all (almost all over the world) are brought up with a glass of milk and we literally imbibe that it’s the main source of protein.
As we grow older, everywhere we are taught and told that another important source of protein is meat.
Years later, we find ourselves in this weird protein-craze. People check nutrition labels on products to see how much protein they contain, eat protein bars, drink protein mixes. Without even asking what we need it for.

So, after going Vegan it’s one of the first things you start researching.

First, let’s see why protein is important.
(You can skip if you know it all (: )

There are two main purposes of protein in our bodies:
– growth
– tissue repair

It’s naturally presupposed that maximum protein that we need is when we have our maximum growth. Thus, when we are newborns and kids. That’s why we evolved getting protein from mother’s milk. But nature did not make this milk endless. Why? Because we don’t need it. The rest needed amount of protein we can get from our food. Not from someone else’s mother. Who happens to be a cow. Or a goat.
We don’t eat meat while being babies either. However, slowly we are given meat through our diet. Because the ministry of health told so. Or because they give it at school. Or because it’s advertised everywhere so that we are taking it as a norm? In a fast-pace life we don’t even stop and think if we need it. Leave alone the ethical part..

Thus, growing up we get the taste of cheese, milkshakes, fried meat, grilled meat, smoked meat… Getting addicted to its greasy taste. And meat-addicted, as we are, we justify it with the need of protein. (In a first place). We are convinced by others, by the whole system that it’s normal.

As for the tissue repair, we need protein to balance out the loss of tissue that is deteriorated in everyday life. Thus, the protein plays some essential role for adults. But even here, we don’t need much.
The reality is that we keep on eating more and more proteins, thinking we are deficient in them, adding more foods with higher concentration of protein as if we were starving. Is this how it is supposed to be? The answer is…..

no (:

To find an answer for our daily requirement of proteins hundreds of studies were carried out. The RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) is around 50gr. per day, some nutritionists recommend 70-90, the FAO/WHO (World Health Organization) recommended daily protein intake is 0.75g per kilo of your weight (0,34g per pound), the official US recommended protein intake is at 0.8g/kg.
But looking at the general public, which follow these daily requirements and also consume some more protein – just to be safe – we can see that something in their nutritional intake is definitely wrong.

..Are you still with us?)

So, looking at the results from studies of people with exceptional health, but consuming less protein in their diet, we were more than convinced that 15 to 30 grams per day is sufficient. Here, recommended intake is 25-30 grams per day. That’s it. That’s more than enough protein one can get on a plant-based diet. From a great variety of food!

Let’s take a look at the herbivores like horn-noses, elephants, gorillas, horses, buffalos, or deers. They grow, have muscles and energy. (…and they are freaking strong! (: )

To sound more convincing, we put together a list of some Vegan source of proteins (which one can eat on a daily basis).

Here we go…
Grams. (Remember, you need to get 25-30 (; )
In 100 grams:

16.89 – Oat
14 – Quinoa
12.6 – Buckwheat
9.9 – Barley
7.13 – White Rice
6 – Couscous

36.49 – Soy beans
26 – Lentil
23.86 – Mungo beans
13.22 – Black-eyed peas
8.86 – Chickpeas

3 – Dried Figs
2.45 – Dates
1.4 – Apricot
1.09 – Banana
0.94 – Orange
0.9 – Peach
0.7 – Plum
0.69 – Grapefruit
0.38 – Pear
0.26 – Apple

2 – Avocado (we found it as both fruit and berry)

1.5 – Raspberry
1.4 – Blackcurrents
1.1 – Cherry
0.88 – Goosberry
0.7 – Blueberry
0.58 – Persimmon
0.4 -Strawberry
0.39 – Cranberry

28.38 – Barley grass
25 – Wheat grass
4 – Alfalfa
3 – Kale
3 – Parsley
3 – Collards
2.38 – Seaweed
2.3 – Watercress
2.2 – Spinach
1.4 – Lettuce

6.39 – Garlic
3.38 – Brussels sprouts
3.2 – Sweet corn
2.89 – Artichoke
2.82 – Broccoli
2.20 – Asparagus
2 – Potato
2 – Cauliflower
1.2 – Squash
0.9 – Tomato
0.7 – Celery

Some more?)) here you go…:

23.68 – Peanuts
21.35 – Pistachio nuts
21.22 – Almonds
18.22 – Cashews
15.23 – Walnuts
14.95 – Hazelnuts
14.32 – Brazil nuts
13.7 – Pine nuts
9.7 – Pecans
7.9 – Macadamia Nuts
3.33 – Coconut

32.97 – Pumpkin seeds
22.78 – Sunflower seeds
20.45 – Sesame seeds
18.29 – Flax seeds
15 – Chia seeds

3 – Mushrooms

Tam- ta-da-da…
our Superfood!
50 – Nutritional yeast

Not even talking about soy-products! (Tofu etc.)
(;

With all that I guess we have more protein than any meat-eater…(;
So, if you don’t even try to “get your protein”, it will find its way to your body.

As long as you eat a diet full of various vegetables and fruit, grains, nuts and seeds, you get ALL you need. What is more nutritive, after all, mono-meat-based diet or delicious plant-based diet with a variety of food?

To learn more about that:
This girl has totally made our day (:

Full article on everything you need to know about Protein:
http://www.rawfoodexplained.com/proteins/index.html

Thanks for reading!
S & H