Plant protein and how you can add it to your diet

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As we have explained in another article, summer can be your ally in losing weight but can also be of great help in varying your regular food choices.

This article aims at providing you information on how plant protein can be an alternative to animal protein, which can sometimes be hard to consume on hot weather.

Quantity – How much protein per day?  

This is such a debated and researched topic. Truth being told, like many other subjects in nutrition, we should heavily rely on our body’s needs in order to get the required amount of protein. It is considered that 0.83 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight is sufficient in order for the human body to function normally. For example, a person weighting 60 kg should eat 50 grams of protein per day. Since the digestibility of plant protein is slightly decreased, we should consume 0.9 g/ kg of body weight. (2)

Quality – Plant protein vs animal protein

When it comes to protein, quantity is not the only thing that matters but quality as well. Generally speaking, complete (or whole) proteins include all 8 essential amino acids the human body needs in order to function. Animal protein contains all these amino acids hence eating it on a daily basis is the easiest and safest way to assure you get all the amino acids you need. If however eating animal products in the summer is not something that appeals to you, Mother Nature provides us with numerous vegetables to help us assure the protein intake. Plant protein is mostly incomplete but in order to consume all amino acids you can either choose complete protein plant foods or use a little “trick”. Both grains and beans and legumes are high in protein, but they lack one or more amino acids, therefore combining the two will result in a complete protein source. Complete protein foods include: quinoa, buckwheat, hemp seeds, chia seeds, soy beans, seitan, amaranth, spirulina, pumpkin seeds. Here are some food combinations you can make in order to create complete protein sources: rice and red kidney beans, hummus and pita, peanut butter whole wheat sandwich, tofu lasagna etc..

Vegetables containing significant amounts of protein:

Grams of protein/100 g
Peanuts 24,4
Wheat germs 23,2
Almonds 21,2
Pistachio 21,1
Unsweetened cocoa powder 19,6
Sunflower seeds 19,3
Linen seeds 18,3
Oats 17,3
Tofu 17,3
Sesame seeds 17
Cashew 15,3
Walnuts 15,2
White beans cooked 9,7
Lentils cooked 9
Chickpeas cooked 8,9
Fava beans cooked 8
Green beans cooked 7,1
Green peas cooked 5,4
Common mushrooms cooked 3,6
Spinach 3
Soy milk 2,9

Source : (1)

As weird or uneatable some of the above foods might sound to you, remember our taste buds are so adaptable and adjusting is just a matter of time. You can start experimenting with more simple, familiar foods such as tofu wrap or lentil hummus and then include more complex foods like quinoa and broccoli meatballs or squash and seitan casserole. Don’t underestimate green plants like: spinach, asparagus, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, arugula, parsley, zucchini, artichoke, green beans. They contain proteins as well as considerable amounts of vitamins and minerals that are of great help against dehydration in torrid days.

The advantage of plants is that they provide a great quantity of proteins compared to their total number of calories and a much lighter option for summer menus.

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