A guide to plant protein
Sautéed salad with fried shallots
Incorporating MORE plants into your diet doesn’t only increase protein intake… But is also boosting your meals into multi vitamin, energy promoting - SUPERFOOD MEALS!
There’s a plethora of plant foods that contain protein! Adequate protein intake is vital for optimal health, as well as aiding in muscle restoration post strength training, protein is also important for - bone health, recovery from injury or surgery, keeping your appetite in check and healthy growth for kids and teens.
Plant protein also boasts big credentials particularly for heart health, and healthy cholesterol levels, and research tells us legumes in particular help you live longer!!
Airfryer stuffed avocados
Plant protein vs animal protein – what’s healthier?
Evidence consistently shows that eating more protein from plant sources is associated with better health. Plant protein has been associated with improved risk factors for cardiovascular health, reduced risk of type 2 diabetes and a longer lifespan.
A key study investigated protein from nuts and seeds specifically and found this to be among the best sources of protein for the heart – it was linked with a 40-60% reduced risk of death from heart disease.
WHY is plant protein good for you?
There are a number of reasons why plant protein may be healthier, but exactly why remains unclear. A possible reason could come down to the types of amino acids, or building blocks, typically found in plant protein. Legumes like chickpeas, kidney beans and soybeans (as well as their products like tofu, soy milk and tempeh) are great sources of protein and are easy to add to meals. A cup of chickpeas has 11g of protein, a cup of soybeans a whopping 20g.
Nuts are often thought of as a great source of healthy fats, but it turns out they are a major source of plant protein too. Just a handful of nuts (a 30g serve) can provide up to 6 grams of protein.
Seeded avocado salad
Here’s a list of more common plant-foods that contain PROTEIN.
Pumpkin seeds
Sunflower seeds
Almonds
Pistachios
Quinoa
Cashews
Hazelnuts
Brazil nuts
Walnuts
Chia seeds
Kidney beans
Soybeans
Pine nuts
Tofu
Chia seeds
Whole grains
Peanuts
Walnuts
Pecans
Macadamias
Lentils
Kidney beans
Chickpeas
Baked beans
Chestnuts
Rice
Potato
Oats
Apple
Flax seeds
Can I get all the protein I need from plants?
There are nine ‘essential’ amino acids that we need to get from the protein we eat. If a food contains all nine of the ‘essential’ amino acids, it is called a complete protein. It’s often argued animal proteins are better because they contain all nine essential amino acids. However, there are also plant foods that are “complete proteins” or high quality proteins.
These include soy bean, quinoa, amaranth, and pistachios.
It’s also argued that we need to combine or complement plant foods to get all the nine essential amino acids from plants. But research shows that this is unnecessary. It’s simply a matter of eating a variety of plant proteins over the course of the day, making sure you also eat sufficient calories to maintain your normal weight. As back up, our body has an internal pool of amino acids we can draw on if needed.
Most people, including vegetarians and vegans, eat enough protein as requirements are surprisingly small. Just 46g per day for an average woman, and 64g per day for an average man. That’s 0.8g of protein per kilogram of body weight. We generally eat twice that amount. In fact, eating too much protein can go against the results you want to achieve, as the body cannot store protein - over requirements are stored as body fat. Over eating protein is also really taxing on the kidneys.
Zesty ricotta salad
Can you build lean muscles from plant protein?
A number of studies have linked a diet high in plant protein, as part of a plant-based diet, with weight loss. But when it comes to building lean body mass, that’s certainly possible too. An analysis of studies on protein supplementation found plant-based soy protein to be as effective as whey protein (which is derived from dairy).
