How do vegetarians get their daily intake of proteins?

Question

I mean the ones who eat STRICTLY fruits & vegetables. I think those are vegans, right? Well, I learned in Biology class that it's dangerous to not have meats & proteins in your diet because you lose muscle mass.

Answer 1

You learned wrong.

Ever heard of beans? Ever heard of Peanut Butter? Check the food pyramid, for crying out loud! There are beans in the "protien" part of the pyramid. Did you know that beans and rice eaten at the same meal, have all the amino acids, and are a complete protien? Ever heard of veggie meats?? Soybeans?? Tofu??

That's how we get protien. BTW.. human body doesn't actually need as much protien as the meat-industry advertises.

Answer 2

Vegans do not eat only fruits and vegetables. Vegans also eat nuts and seeds, grains and cereals, and beans and legumes, all of which are excellent sources of protein. You DO need protein in your diet to maintain muscle mass, but what your bio class didn't tell you is that most Americans get many times the protein they need each day and that excess protein irritates the immune system, taxes the kidneys and leaches calcium from the bones. The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine recommends multiplying your body weight by 0.36 to estimate the number of grams of protein you need daily (and says this calculation provides a large margin of safety.) If you look at the protein content of vegetarian/vegan foods you will see that it's insanely easy to get plenty of protein even without meat and other animal products.

Answer 3

Eating STRICTLY fruits and vegetables means you really can't get a lot of protein. As for the suggestion that they take supplements, well... Where did those supplements get the protein? If they are comfortable with the source of the supplement, then they could eat whatever it is made from.

Vegans don't strictly eat fruits and vegetables. Most vegans also grains and legumes (beans). Soy beans are an excellent source of protein, as is wheat. Beans have TONS of protein, and when it is combined with a grain like rice or wheat, an excellent balance of amino acids is achieved. In fact, unprocessed soy beans actually have more protein than ground beef. Thing is, you can't eat unprocessed soybeans. Soybeans have enzyme inhibitors that disable our own digestive enzymes, causing horrible gas and bloating. By cooking them, the enzyme inhibitors are destroyed, and a large amount of the soy protein is intact (but it is then less than ground beef). So there are tons of ways to get the ten essential amino acids we need to be healthy and not lose muscle.

If you don't even eat grains (this would be Fruitarians and Raw Vegans), you screwed in my opinion. Possibly you could eat avocados and cherimoya (bull's heart [a fruit]) to get a little protein. Don't know as much about that world.

Answer 4

I have a friend who is a raw food vegan. They only eat fruit and vegetables in their raw form. So tofu is out and they only eat the soy bean (edamama).
When I ask him about getting his protein he says he gets it from dark green vegetables. I asked a nutritionist who said that it would take tons of spinach to get an ounce of protein. So if the vegan doesn't eat nuts and beans, they dont get protein and their muscles do waste. But they are thin!!

Answer 5

Most vegetarians/vegans include beans,legumes,seeds,nuts and whole grains in their diet. Alot of vegetarians eat dairy and eggs. Many vegetables also have some protein. Many people eat way too much protein in any case.

Answer 6

Well Vegans are Pure Vegetarians They do not eat meat or dairy products. Vegetarians and vegans get enough plant based protein so they DO NOT HAVE to take any supplments. It's the same with iron etc.

Answer 7

I'm pretty sure that vegans can eat beans and rice. :)

The two eaten together should provide plenty of daily protein, but without the cholesterol.

I'm not a vegan, I'm just here for recipes -- but I'm pretty sure that not many people are just out there gnawing on fruits and vegetables, unless they're stuck on a desert island.

Protein also comes with dark leafy greens as well.

Vegans can eat just about anything a non-vegan can on a larger level. Anything from pasta dishes, mexican food, stir-fry, you name it, all can easily be vegan and not need a supplement.

Answer 8

I eat everything a meat eater would that doesn't have meat in it or involved with it. Vegetarian black bean burgers are great for something like that, and any kind of bean is loaded with protein. Also be sure to take vitamins and get the right amount of sun.

Answer 9

vegans don't eat ONLY fruits and vegetables, hon. vegans just won't eat meat, dairy, eggs, honey or any other animal product. there's plenty of sources, including..

nuts/seeds
beans
peanut butter (depending on ingredients)
soy products
quinoa
tempeh

even some dark, leafy vegetables contain some protein. being a vegan can actually be super-healthy if you go about it right. it's actually more dangerous to have meats in your diet, hon.

i think you meant raw foodists when you said STRICTLY fruits & vegetables..to learn how teen raw foodists live, click this link:: http://www.vegetarianteen.com/raw.shtml

hope i helped you understand!

Answer 10

Protein is in everything and vegans eat more then fruit and veggies. Great sources include several whole grains, legumes, nuts and soy products.