Can You Get Protein As A Vegan?
While it is becoming easier to get protein as a vegan, there is still a lot of misinformation that can cause confusion and will result in poor nutrition. Nuts, grains, and legumes are touted as protein sources but often times you must eat a really large amount of each to get sufficient protein in your diet. These oversized portion sizes bring with them a lot of calories and lead to overeating and subsequently you become overweight or even obese, all while trying to eat “healthy”. Take cashews for example. Just ¼ cup of cashews has nearly 200 calories. Your body doesn’t differentiate between over-consuming “healthy” calories from “bad-for-you” calories. Gaining weight is a function of calories taken in compared with calories exerted.
One way to easily supplement your diet is to use vegan protein powder. You can make a protein shake or mix it with yogurt or oatmeal for a quick and easy meal.
Is peanut butter a good source of protein?
Contrary to popular belief, peanut butter is not a good source of protein. While it does contain some protein, the majority of its calories comes from fat. Peanut butter is a good source of fat. Learn why I only recommend natural peanut butter.
What is a complete protein?
One of the shortcomings of plant-based proteins is that, unlike whey protein, nearly all are incomplete proteins. What does this mean? You need nine essential amino acids (EAAs) for immune function, nutrient absorption, energy production, and tissue growth. Your body can not produce them so they must come from food. Examples of complete proteins are beef, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy. Vegans usually have to work hard to incorporate a wide variety of foods and quantities of each to get these EAAs on a daily basis. Quinoa and buckwheat are two such choices.
Are vegan protein bars healthy?
Like all foods, the answer to this depends on the ingredients. For example, organic foods are not necessarily better for you than their non-organic counterparts. The food may have been grown without the use of pesticides but its nutritional value is likely the same. You’ll find that many vegan protein bars are very high in sugar and fat.
Being vegan is a lifestyle choice, and with proper planning of your meals you can feed your body what it requires and still stay true to your beliefs.
