Aug 17 2008
Where do you get your proteins from?
Anyone who adopts a vegetarian diet is bound to be asked this question. The doubt that many people have about the protein issue stems from a cultural exaggeration of the need for this nutrient, which also makes it seem that animal food is its best, perhaps the only, source. It ain’t so. In fact, we’re more likely to be defficient in vitamin A, C or calcium we adopt poorly designed diet, vegetarian or not.
Protein is one of the easiest nutrients to obtain from food when you eat a properly balanced diet. So let’s get a bit technical. Each gram of protein provides four calories. So, for instance, if a potato weighing 100 grams provides 75 calories and 1.8 grams of protein, it will then provide 7.2 (1.8 times four) calories in the form of protein, or 9.6% of the total calories in the form of protein.
The National Cesearch Council says that an adult male needs 2.700 calories per day, which must include 56 grams of protein. These 56 grams of protein represent 224 calories of the total daily recommended amount, or 8.3%. Women need 44 daily grams of protein, or 8.8%. It’s easy to get such amounts from vegetables. Let’s have a look at a list of vegetables and see what they contain:
Food/ calories per 100g/ % calories derived from protein
- Broccoli/ 32 / 45%
- Tofu/ 98 / 43%
- Caulifower/ 41 / 27%
- Lentils / 340 / 29%
- Chick pea / 360 / 23%
- Wheat / 330 / 17%
- Beans / 337 / 22%
- Corn / 96 / 15%
- Almonds / 598 / 12%
- Potato / 75 / 10%
- Carrot / 42 / 10%
- Brown rice / 358 / 9%
- Banana / 85 / 5%
- Apple /56 / 2%
For those worried about protein, it’s good to bear in mind that too much alcohol and sugar can lead to protein insufficiency as both have too many calories but no protein. They are also poor in other nutrients (vitamins, minerals, fat and carbohydrates) so protein is not the only thing to worry about in those two cases.
The great thing is that plant-derived protein is superior to their animal equivalents. Meat is composed of protein, fat and some vitamins and minerals. It doesn’t contain carbohydrate or fiber. An exaggerated emphasis on animal protein can lead to a diet that is also too rich in fat and poor in fiber and carbohydrates. A diet too rich in protein is linked to the loss of bone mass while the excessive consumption of fat is linked to obesity and cardiovascular problems.
So there, now you can tell people where you get your proteins from and be proud of it. But please take this as reference only, not as a nutritional guideline. If in serious doubt about your nutritional needs, look for a professional.
Source of information: Guia Vegano
