VEG-ISM PART FIVE: MEAT is PROTEIN and PROTEIN is ACTION

A common misconception is that vegans are waife-like and protein-deficient. Research into vegan body builders will blow this theory right out of the water.

Protein is an important part of any diet, for both males and females. Because the highest sources of protein are meat and dairy products, it is very important to figure out how we can still get enough of it into our diets. Most foods have protein in them, but the amount obviously varies. Here is a short list of some high protein vegan foods:

- Tofu (1/2 cup): 10.1g
- Lentils, cooked (1/2 cup): 8.1g
- Split Peas, cooked (1/2 cup): 8.1g
- Kidney beans, cooked (1/2 cup): 7.6g
- Soy Milk (1 cup): 6.7g
- Pumpkin Seeds (1/4 cup): 12g

These are relatively high in protein, and a variety of these foods in your diet should help you to meet your requirements for protein. Based on a 2000 calorie diet, you need approximately 50g of protein. This will vary according to your weight and caloric requrements.

As an aside, for athletes looking to build muscle, there is plenty of information out there for how to do this. But I will tell you, it is reccommended that you consume roughly 0.7 to 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight per day (not 2g like the magazines might tell you).

Also, in the process of my research on this subject, I discovered some important sources of fat and amino acids. The amazing thing about a vegan diet is that it is virtually free of saturated fats (provided you avoid too much processed food and stick mainly to fresh vegetables etc), but you do need a little bit of saturated fat, and you can get this from coconut milk or oil. Good sources of fat include flaxseed oil (also high in omega and great if you suffer from RSI), olive oil, walnuts, almond butter and avocado. Combinations for protein and amino acids include black beans and quinoa, lentilos and brown rice, almond butter sandwich, rice protein/soy milk shake, green peas, and almonds.

It's important to maintain variety both for health benefits and to keep it interesting for yourself!

So there's another myth busted for you, I encourage you to look into it yourself aswell!

Love,
M Tehrase
xx