Protein is an essential part of a healthy diet. Protein is very helpful in you feeling full. It builds and repairs muscle tissue. It also is involved in many other functions in the body, like making hormones. A basic target for daily protein intake is 1 gram of protein per pound of lean body mass, but it can seem challenging to increase your dietary protein if you are vegetarian or vegan.
Protein is composed of amino acids. Similar to how carbohydrates break down into sugar molecules, protein is broken down into amino acids. There are about 20 different amino acids, but only 9 of them are ‘essential,’ meaning they need to be eaten in a diet, because we cannot make them ourselves. A ‘complete’ protein is defined as containing all 9 ‘essential’ amino acids.
We convert animal sources more efficiently into muscle than plant sources. Animal sources of protein have higher levels of leucine, which helps stimulate muscle protein synthesis. More muscle growth >> increased metabolism. So, let’s talk about what animal derived proteins to start with!
Eggs are a great source of complete protein. They are inexpensive and easy to add into your diet, they don’t just have to be eaten for breakfast! They can be mixed into a veggie burger, boiled and put into a salad. There even is egg white protein powder you can mix into your shakes and smoothies. (If mixing in a raw egg in makes you a little anxious.)
Cow or Goat’s milk is another great resource for complete proteins. Yogurt, cottage cheese, kefir, cheese, whey protein powder are all excellent sources. If you don’t tolerate lactose you can try goat’s milk or look for lactose free. The bonus of cultured dairy items like yogurt, kefir and cottage cheese is you are helping your gut biome and it can help ease digestion for you. Not all whey protein powders are equal, if you have had gastrointestinal discomfort with some, try a different brand and look for ‘whey protein isolate.’ I used to have significant GI bloating/pain with a particular brand of whey and when I switched to Ascent, I’ve been fine!
Now let’s look at some top non animal sources of protein!
Soy. A longtime standard and base for many vegetarian and vegan products. Comes in the form of the naturally occurring soybean, is also processed into tofu, soymilk, tempeh or found in a variety of vegan meat substitutes. Many other beans are also a good source of protein, but are not ‘complete’ like soy is.
Quinoa & Amaranth are great plant protein sources. They are seeds, which were cultivated by Central and South American cultures. Both are devoid of gluten and safe to eat if you have a sensitivity or celiac disease. They can be eaten cooked whole, ground into flour and added to recipes.
Impossible burger is also a new protein source, combining potato protein and genetically engineered soy leghemoglobin with other vitamins and binders. I was unable to find any conclusive research documenting if this is a source of ‘complete’ protein. However, it is worth mentioning alongside many of the other ‘meatless’ meat products you find in the vegetarian section of the grocery store. Major downside to some of these products are they are heavily processed and can contain excess sugars.
It’s always important to note if you are eating non animal sources of protein, your ratios of protein to carbohydrate will be lower. Meaning for every gram of protein you get, you likely will be ingesting more carbohydrate than you would with an animal based source. This is something to consider if you are counting macros, you’ll have to experiment to figure out what combination helps you hit that protein goal, but also doesn’t push you over your carbohydrate target!
Coach Sarah, FNP-BC, MSN