MACRONUTRIENT MYTHS: All protein is created equal and more is better.
Where else to start this plant-based journey, but with perhaps the most beloved macro nutrient protein. Our culture is obsessed with protein, and getting as much of it as we can. Our love affair with protein is a relatively new development in our evolution and people for thousands of years survived, and thrived, without calculating how much protein they were getting everyday. If you take a step back and think about how and what you know about protein, it is almost always informed by clever advertising and marketing. How do we actually know that protein and large amounts of it is good for us? And are meat, dairy and eggs the only place we can get this magical nutrient from?
When I decided to go plant-based/vegan, this is what I was most scared of, how will I get enough protein? It was what most people asked me about and what the media was constantly telling me I needed more of. It probably took me a good year and half to let my protein phobia go. As I became more observant about how I felt and how my body reacted to food, I realised that the expensive plant-based protein powders really weren't adding anything to my nourishment.
Protein is important - our bodies use it to repair and build tissue including bones, muscles, skin, and blood as well as making enzymes and hormones. We absolutely need protein but can we get enough of it from plants? The answer is an undeniable yes and protein from plants (even in excess) is better for our bodies than that sourced from animal products. There have been many studies showing that consuming animal protein above the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) (which is only about 10% of daily calories) carries no benefit and increases risk of diseases such as bone disorders, kidney & liver disease, heart disease and cancer. Some of the strongest animals on earth only eat plants- elephants, rhinos and hippos - and no one questions where they get their protein from. And in actual fact the protein acquired when consuming most animal products is only created by those animals when they eat plants to begin with!
So what plant-based foods have protein in them? Even though the meat and dairy industries would like to make you think otherwise, almost all plant foods have protein in them. Some plant foods that have higher amounts of protein are beans, lentils, oats, nuts, seeds, spirulina and whole grains. Some less obvious foods are wholemeal bread, bananas and potatoes. Potatoes even have a complete amino acid profile (which is what makes up protein) so you could eat nothing but potatoes and still not be protein deficient. A guy from Australia did just that and changed is life from one of depression and over eating to abundance (in the form of potatoes) and inspiration. The idea that you need to eat complete proteins to ensure you are getting adequate nutrition is also false, as long as you eat a variety of foods, your body will figure it out. But I would urge you not to focus on how much and where your protein is coming from and think more about total nourishment that you get from a variety of whole, plant-based foods. We have evolved over millions of years and nature makes it easy for us to get what we need from plants if we just eat them and stop worrying about calories and getting ‘enough’ protein.
Just out of curiosity I figured out roughly how much protein I am getting in a day from my plant-based diet that is largely based on oats, fruit, beans, wholemeal bread and pasta. The amount of protein I consume in a day is about 73gms which is nearly 30gms over the RDA (which is about 46gms for a woman and 56gms for a man) without even trying or adding any extra supplements. The biggest portion of this comes from my bowl of porridge in the morning, which adds a whopping 30gms! When I was pregnant and exclusively nursing my son, I didn’t purposefully eat extra protein or use protein powders, I just ate more whole, plant-based foods, it was as easy as that. Another interesting fact is that human breast milk is the ideal food for humans and we consume it at the time of our most rapid growth and it only contains 1gm of protein per 100gms. That is only 1% of protein total!
There are many high performing plant-based/vegan athletes out there proving everyday that strength, endurance and peak performance can be achieved by eating only plants. Most of them would also argue that plants make them better athletes and aid their recovery. Check out Patrik Baboumian - a world champion strong man, or Rich Roll - an ultra endurance athlete (his blog on protein is much more eloquent than mine). It isn’t a compromise to eat plants but a gift to your body and your health (and of course the animals!).
So in a nutshell, yes protein is important but it is in lots and lots of different sorts of food and we don’t actually need that much of it. Don’t stress about it, don’t over complicate it, just eat some plants, nature has your back and your protein needs covered! Time to swap that protein shake for a green smoothie or even some potatoes, yum!
Disclaimer: I am not a nutritionist or health professional. I have completed a certificate in Plant-Based Nutrition from eCornell and have done in-depth research about plant-based living. The information I trust is mostly sourced from medical professionals that are leading the way in this plant-based revolution. Check out my recommended page for more info.
