Plant-based & Sustainable Protein - Part 1
The Ins and Outs of Protein
Protein is one of our 3 macronutrients…but currently, it’s seen as royalty. That’s not true, it’s just as important as fat or carbohydrates (not more so). Protein sources can vary in quality and price, and the focus on protein has been so strong over the last few decades we tend to forget to look at quality over quantity.
Let’s start with an overview of all things protein:
Protein is a collection of twenty-two amino acids, and your body uses these amino acids to make your muscles and bones. Your body also uses amino acids to create other molecules like hormones, enzymes, neurotransmitters, and antibodies. Protein is a critical factor for growth and repairing the daily wear and tear of your body.
Nine amino acids are considered essential, which means your body can’t make these particular amino acids. Another four are conditionally essential because your body can manufacture them sometimes but not at others (like in childhood). The other amino acids are nonessential because your amazing body can create them as long as you’re getting enough of the necessary nutrients.
Vegans and some vegetarians are among the people in Western societies who need to give special consideration to eating enough protein. If you’re in this group, you may be familiar with the concept of “protein combining.” The idea is to make sure your body receives all nine essential amino acids each day.
All animal-derived protein, like meat, dairy, and eggs are complete, but there aren’t many complete proteins in a vegan diet. Beans contain some of the essential amino acids, and grains, nuts, and seeds provide the other ones. Very simply, you need to eat one complete protein each day or have beans plus grains, nuts, and/or seeds each day. When you consume all the essential amino acids in a day, then your body can use the amino acids in the rest of your diet. It’s an all or nothing situation; you’re unable to use any of the protein you’ve eaten in a day if you don’t consume all of the essential amino acids. We’ll talk more about protein combining in Part 2.
Pretty much every food—even fruit—has at least some protein. Proper protein combining is an important concept for anyone following a plant-based diet because the need for beans can be easily forgotten.
I’ve got a NEED for BEANS!!
(My brain always converts that famous Top Gun quote “I’ve got a need for speed!” whenever I think about beans :)
Symptoms of a protein deficiency
Since you can’t take a journey inside your body to check out how your cells, muscles, and bones are doing, you need to use more visible body parts to see how your body is assimilating protein.
Hair and nails need a lot of protein to look healthy, but those features aren’t necessary for life. Consequently, you’ll detect even a minor protein deficiency in your hair and nails because your body prioritizes other more important body mechanisms, like keeping you strong and making enzymes, over making a glorious mane of hair or beautifully strong nails.
Protein is a building block for many immune system molecules, like antibodies, and sometimes a weaker immune system can be a result of a protein deficiency. You might find that you’re getting sick more often or that you feel weaker or more fatigued than usual. For some people, feeling hungry right after eating a meal may be a sign of eating too little protein. Adults over seventy especially need to pay attention to their protein intake because of a natural weakening of the digestive system.
The first and most important stage of protein digestion/assimilation happens in your stomach. The acid in your stomach breaks down protein, and you need a lot of acid to break down protein properly. Stress can weaken the stomach over time, and the production of acid declines. Medications, especially the ones used to treat acid reflux, dilute stomach acid even more.
The medicine may stop the burning of your esophagus (which is significant), but it also makes it harder for your body to break down protein because it lowers the amount of acid in the stomach to the point that the acid can’t do its job.
Symptoms of low stomach acid include a feeling of heaviness near your ribcage after you’ve eaten, staying full for a long time after eating, symptoms of protein deficiency, and symptoms of iron and calcium deficiencies. (Both iron and calcium require lots of acid for assimilation.)
How much protein do I need?
This is a common question I receive and there isn’t a universal answer. How much is needed can differ from person to person and day-to-day.
A place to start is ½ gram for every pound you weigh. So a 150 lb person would need about 75 grams of protein each day. Try that out and see how you feel. If you feel weighed down and your stomach feels heavy, you probably need less. If you’re constantly hungry, especially after eating, try adding more :).
High protein diets are all the rage right now. To qualify as “high protein” your protein count would be 30% or more of your daily intake or 1 gram per pound of body weight. I’ve heard of some trainers recommending as high as 60% of the diet coming from protein, but that seems excessive to me (and possibly problematic…)
Look to your cravings to help you find balance. If you dream of biting into a hamburger or the smell of protein cooking is delightful, then you could probably use more. An odd but common craving for protein is craving bread. Bread & protein both leave nitrogen after digestion and sometimes the body asks for the wrong nitrogen food. Add more protein and see if your bread cravings lessen.
What if my family’s and/or partner’s needs are different than mine?
This can be tricky to manage but there are a few tricks. And, I should start with the fact that I don’t believe that multiple meals need to be made to make everyone happy…instead, adjust your portions.
My husband and I have different protein needs. At dinner, I usually have a smaller serving of meat is served and many of my lunches are plant-based to balance things out (where his lunches are often protein-dense). An egg can quickly be added to a meal to up the protein quotient or I add some leftovers from earlier that week.
You don’t need to go 100% plant-based to reap the rewards. Start with one meal a week. If you have a very pro-meat family member, invite them to find recipes or make a few plant-based meals so it can be to their taste. Sometimes, a really good vegan chili can win a pro-meat person over. Anyone over the age of 12 can read and follow a recipe, and usually, people eat what they cook…it’s a great way to quiet some fights.
One additional trick – make a big batch of rice and beans (there’s a recipe below) and keep it on hand (it freezes well). If you or another family member has had enough meat, it can be easily warmed up and added to their plate :). Beans on their own also freeze really well :)
Now that we know what protein does in the body, let’s jump over to plant-based protein!
Got any questions or comments? Comment below, jump to our private Facebook Group, or the Ask Lisa page :).