Should I be worried about getting enough protein on a vegetarian/vegan diet?

Answer 1

As all the other experience veggies answered the correct answer is that you do NOT need to worry about protein on a veggie diet!

With the limited exception of pure sugar, pure starch and pure fat *ALL* foods contain protein. It's impossible to be protein deficient on any reasonable diet.

Feel free to use the link below to not only calculate the amount of protein you consume but also see the amino acids you are eating. Even something normally considered worthless junk like Iceberg Lettuce has surprising good protein!

Answer 2

Yes. Of course. But most people get too much protein, so a little effort on the part of a vegan will go a long way. Just watch what you eat and make your calories count. Figure out what has protein that you are willing to eat, and stick with that. I can't give you many examples, since I don't know if you are vegetarian or vegan, but I always ate a lot of soy products (some of which have egg whites).

Answer 3

The only way to make yourself sick due to lack of protein is to consume most of your calories from sugar, juice, or alcohol. It is very hard to get you protein intake to a dangerous low eating real food. That being said, your body will let you know if you need more protein rich foods. A potato has something like 30% of it's calories from protein and so do many other vegetables. They are low in calories, but I just want to point out that they have protein that you might not have known about. A serving of white flour pasta has 7 to 9 grams of protein.

Answer 4

No. You shouldn't worry. America is obsessed with protein. As such we are taxing our kidneys at a rediculous rate. We have an epidemic of osteoporosis because our bodies are pulling calcium to process the huge amounts of protein we eat.

A 150 pound male only needs about 60 grams of protein a day. That's just two ounces. A 120 pound woman like me only needs 40 grams. Less than two ounces.

Don't sweat it. Eat your veggies. Toss in some nuts or beans and some Nutritional Yeast. You'll be good to go.

Answer 5

If you live in the developed world, and you aren't a junk food vegetarian (meaning you eat real food... not just funyuns and cheese pizza) You will get enough protein... practically everything has protein, the RDA is only 8% of your daily calories, and that includes a safety margin...

Answer 6

You need a balanced diet whether you choose to eat meat or not.

Peanut butter is good for the protein.

Answer 7

No, not as long as you're taking in enough calories. Official recommendations suggest that eating 8% of our daily energy as protein will provide an adequate amount. National and international recommendations for protein intake are based on animal sources of protein such as meat, cow's milk and eggs. Plant proteins may be less digestible because of intrinsic differences in the nature of the protein and the presence of other factors such as fibre, which may reduce protein digestibility by as much as 10%. Nevertheless, dietary studies show the adequacy of plant foods, as sole sources of protein as does the experience of healthy vegans of all ages.
The main protein foods in a vegan diet are the pulses (peas, beans and lentils), nuts, seeds and grains, all of which are relatively energy dense. As the average protein level in pulses is 27% of calories; in nuts and seeds 13%; and in grains 12%, it is easy to see that plant foods can supply the recommended amount of protein as long as the energy requirements are met.
The short answer is: "No, sufficient protein can be obtained by eating a variety of foods", but here is a longer explanation:
Protein is synthesized by the human body out of individual amino acids. The body breaks down food into individual amino acids and then reassembles the proteins it requires.
All amino acids must be present in the body to make proteins. Those that can be synthesized from other amino acids are called "unessential" amino acids. You can live on a diet deficient of these if you eat enough extra of the other amino acids to synthesize these. Those that cannot be synthesized from other amino acids are called "essential" amino acids and must be present in the diet.
Protein that contains all essential amino acids is called "complete" protein. Protein that contains some, but not all essential amino acids is called "incomplete" protein. It used to be believed that all amino acids must be eaten at the same time to form complete proteins. We now know that incomplete proteins can be stored in the body for many days to be combined with other incomplete proteins. As long as all essential amino acids are in the diet, it does not matter if the proteins are complete or incomplete.
The amount of protein recorded on food labels only lists the complete proteins. A product may contain much higher amounts of incomplete protein that is not listed. Combining such products may increase the total amount of protein beyond the levels expected.

Answer 8

Nope. Most people get too much protein. protein is in everything..just eat a healthy well balanced diet.

Answer 9

You shouldnt' have to worry if you've done your research and know what foods you need to eat to get enough protein. Nuts, nut butters and beans are all good sources.

Answer 10

cigaro doesn't realize that some of those foods contain protein, which is necessary for good health. soy and nuts are the best foods that contain protein.