Tuesday 17 January 2012

I'd be rich...

If I have a nickel for every time someone asks me, or any veg person for that matter, where do you get your protein?

Now lets make the simplest thing clear first. All whole foods consist of a ratio of macro-nutrients aka carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Yes ALL whole foods, meaning that fruits, veggies, greens and grains contain proteins as well as carbs and fats in different ratios.Now that we have that clear..

Moving on! Protein is actually comprised of linear chains of amino acids. There are 22 amino acids (as far as we know anyways) and 9 of them are essential to us. These 9 amino acids are all abundantly available in whole vegan foods. We do not need to consume "complete" proteins, only a ratio of these amino acids. Even the woman who first published work about the complete protein myth proclaimed that her work was flawed and false.

Now onto the question of getting enough of these essential amino acids. I'll give an example of my daily intake: Today I consumed 72.9 grams of protein, more than meeting my RDI of just under 50g and exceeding my need for all essential amino acids. I probably average about 55 grams of proteina day and always meet my "needs" for the rest. (If anyone is wondering how I know all this, check out cronometer.com)

So that is my simple, down to the essentials answer to the most common question any veg or veg-curious person will get asked.

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