How do you get enough protein eating a plant based diet?

How I neglected to include this question in my last post borders on the ridiculous. I get the "Where do you get your protein?" question frequently as do my husband and children. For those of you who don't know me, it might surprise you to learn that I was previously terrified of most carbohydrates and lived a mainly South Beach-ish existence i.e. meat, cheese, eggs, and some fruits and veggies (likely not enough).  My intake of high fiber whole grains was also pretty sparse.  Because my workouts are more focused on strength training, I told myself that I needed extra protein. We've had decades of advertisements encouraging us to consume more animal protein e.g.  "got milk?", "The incredible edible egg" and "Beef. It's what's for dinner." to name a few. Who wouldn't think that these are the best sources of protein and that more is better?

When I started the plant based adventure and was watching every food documentary I could get my eyes on, I also began to question the hype of needing more protein. Beyond the messages mentioned above, protein is now added to everything possible (even vodka), as if most Americans are truly at risk of protein deficiency.  It's has been eye opening to learn that some ridiculously fit people eat a plant based diet, including MMA fighters, pro tennis players and Olympic weight lifters. I'm including a link to an article on plant-powered athletes if you want to check it out.   http://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-food/plant-powered-athletes-you-need-to-know/.  It's hard to convince myself that my body requires protein sources like steak and eggs when folks are completing Iron Man triathlons fueled solely by plants.

Because we've been led to believe that a metric ton of protein is required for optimal health and performance, I decided to use myself as a guinea pig to assess my current daily protein consumption.  There are certainly a range of recommendations to choose from, but I'll use an average of .8gm of protein/kg of body weight.  This equates to about 50 grams/day for a 140 pound person or about 72 grams/day for a 200 pound person.  I calculated protein intake from an "average" day and the breakdown is below:

	Serving size (approx)	Protein (gm)
Breakfast
Oatmeal	1 cup	6
Sliced almonds	1/8 cup	3
Homemade smoothie (almond milk, spinach, 1/2 banana, flax meal, cinnamon, PB powder)	1.5 cups	7
Lunch
Quinoa	1/2 cup	6
Black beans	1/2 cup	7
Avocado	1/2	2
Salsa	Lots	0
Dinner
Black bean burger (Aldi)	1 patty	7
Whole wheat pita	1/2	3
Roasted potatoes	1 potato	4
Orange	1	1
Snacks
Baby cucumbers	Several	0
Hummus	3 Tbsp.	3
Larabar	1	5
Wine	1 glass	0
Total		54

Of course, this info varies from day to day (although oatmeal is pretty consistent). More or fewer servings of veggies, a larger serving of oatmeal but no morning smoothie, three servings of tortilla chips, etc. For the record, I am under 140 pounds, so I will take a leap and say I'm getting enough protein on a daily basis without much of a struggle.

In case this info on my simple spreadsheet surprises you, there are many plants that contain protein, including various types of beans, lentils, potatoes and even spinach!  If you're interested in dipping your toe in the water of plant based eating (even once or twice a week), fear not that you will be protein deprived.

This cracks me up!

The recipe I'm sharing is a little more "fun" than the kale salad from last week.  I hope this disclaimer isn't necessary, but chocolate chip cookies are meant to be enjoyed as a special treat rather than a staple of a vegan/plant based diet (Right- tell that to my daughters!)  This recipe is from Forks Over Knives- I like it because the texture is pretty good (although different from a standard choc chip cookie) and because it uses no oil of any kind. https://www.forksoverknives.com/recipes/vegan-chocolate-chip-cookies/#gs.kQVfRdE

See you next time!