Ask Me Something Else

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What’s the first question people ask when they find out I’m a vegan? Go ahead, take a wild guess. Yep, that’s right, “but, where do you get your protein?” they ask.

Before I answer that, let me ask you something. Have you ever met anyone here in the United States that has protein deficiency? I’ve only met one person who had protein deficiency in the past, because she had a condition that didn’t allow  her body to properly absorb protein, but that’s under control now. Other than that, nope, no one.

Protein is used by our body for repair and maintenance of body tissue and energy and helps fight infection, illness and disease by producing antibodies.

So where do I get my protein? Well, if you think back to high school biology class, proteins are pretty much the building blocks of cells and occur in all living things, including plants and animals. Now, how much we need is up for debate, but for the sake of argument I’m going to use the U.S. Department of Agriculture figure of .37 grams of protein per pound of body weight for adults. For me, that’s about 50 grams of protein per day.

Let’s look at a typical day’s meals for me, or at least what I strive for.

I may start with a bowl of oatmeal with a couple of spoonfuls of chopped mixed seeds and nuts, a little almond milk mixed and a piece of fruit. Oatmeal + mixed nuts + almond milk = 12 grams protein.

Lunch probably consists of a mixed veggie salad + garbanzo beans + a sprinkling of hemp hearts + oil & balsamic vinegar + handful of crackers = 18 grams of protein.

My favorite dinner is what I like to call my “Bowl Me Over.” Quinoa + garbanzos + broccoli + mushrooms + brussels sprouts + sweet potato + onion + greens + pumpkin seeds + avocado + lemon tahini dressing = 27 grams of protein. Yes, it's quite a production, and well worth it! I'll share my recipe next month.

At the end of the day, not counting any additional snacking I might do between meals, you can see that without even really trying, my protein intake is about 57 grams, which is more than the minimum recommended.

So the next time you meet a vegan, instead of asking where they get their protein, ask them to share some of their favorite recipes with you. Moving towards a plant-based diet has lots of benefits!

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