How to Get Enough Low Fat Vegan Protein - and Why
It's important to eat a low fat diet in order to reduce our risk of heart disease. Eating lower fat also helps us increase satiety and lose weight: you can create a diet plan that includes even more whole grains, fruits, and veggies, increasing the variety and volume of the food that we get to eat while still achieving our calorie goals. Lowering your fat intake will not only let you easily lose or maintain weight while eating more, it just feels better! Our bodies are made to break down complex carbohydrates and fresh fruits and vegetables, and without excess dietary fat to get in the way of these high-vitality, nutrient-rich foods, our systems are humming! We feel energetic, ecstatic, alive!
As a vegan, we get asked this question a lot - where do you get your protein? How do you get enough protein?
And the real issue is not really the amount of protein we are getting, to be honest. In fact, most North Americans are getting TOO MUCH. We only need about 10% of our diet to contain protein in order to be healthy. So, for example, if you are eating 2000 calories a day, 200 of those calories should be made up of protein - and that is only 50g. Many North Americans are getting over 100g of protein a day. The issue with this excessive consumption of protein is that it leads to issues with our kidneys. The kidneys have a job to filter out excess protein, and when overworked can lead to kidney damage or even kidney failure.
Excess protein intake, from animal protein sources high in acidic amino acids, can also cause our bodies to release alkaline minerals from our bodies in order to "mop" up the excess acidity. What I mean by this is our body uses the alkaline minerals in order to balance our internal pH. The issue with this is that it can lead to deficiencies of our alkaline mineral supply - most notably calcium and magnesium. Most people think that dairy is the best way to get calcium, but in effect, the acidic animal proteins found in dairy lead to a net LOSS of calcium through the pathway described above. Studies have shown that those who consume THE MOST dairy actually have the HIGHEST HIP FRACTURE RATES. Crazy, huh? So dairy is not all its advertised to be.
Excess animal products in moderation may not necessarily be bad in themselves, but we have to remember what they COME WITH. Fish can contain high concentrations of chemical contaminants such as DDT and mercury - which can lead to neurological (mental) issues if consumed in excess. Dairy often comes loaded with estrogens, growth hormones, stress hormones, bacteria, antibiotics (which can lead to antibiotic resistance), and pus cells. Dairy can lead to issues with insulin, acne, and promote an immune response that leads to digestive disturbances and inflammation, depending if you allergic to the milk proteins themselves or just intolerant to the lactose in the milk. Beef, ham products, and poultry, as well, can contain antibiotics, bacteria, growth hormone, stress hormones in their bodies which we consumer along with the food itself. Think about this before you consume animal products. There is nothing morally wrong with eating animals if you don't believe it to be. Tons of animals in the animal kingdom eat meat to survive. The main thing is to be aware of the reality of what you are consuming, versus what you are TOLD you are consuming or MADE TO BELIEVE you are consuming, and from THERE make an INFORMED choice based on your lifestyle, beliefs, preferences, and intuition.
Animal products not only provide excess protein, leach minerals from our bones, and supply unnecessary and harmful chemical contaminants and hormones into our diet, they are one of the highest dietary sources of saturated fat and cholesterol. The higher your intake of saturated fats and cholesterol, the more likely these animal products will clog up your arteries with thick, yellow, nasty junk that forms atherosclerotic plaques. These plaques stop blood from flowing through your body. It's like your arteries become slimy sewers full of mould and mildew that prevents the river from flowing through. And the scary part is, at any time, any of these chunks of cholesterol, called plaques, can dislodge, travel through the blood to another vessel where it blocks the flow of blood to the brain or heart, causing stroke or heart attack. When your arteries are that messy, it a ticking time bomb before an issue occurs. Keep yourself safe by minimizing your intake of animal products and high fat foods in general, but especially those with saturated fat and cholesterol.
So taking into account the downsides of modern animal proteins, it is even more important for us to get enough protein to stay healthy. Although we need very little protein overall, it is important to remember that protein is necessary for health skin, hair, and nails; the amino acids in proteins are important building blocks for brain neurotransmitters such as serotonin to keep mood stable and elevated, and it is important for muscle growth, muscle maintenance, and helps keep overall diet satiety high. Protein is necessary and protein sources are satisfying when we eat!! Don't discredit protein, don't eliminate it completely! Make sure you ARE getting enough!
How can we do this on a vegan diet/
It is easy. Figure out how much protein you need per day. There are online calculators for this. The recommendations from national nutritional websites are on the high end of the range, so these numbers should be maximum (aka more than enough/all you need). If you are dieting, working out, weight training, or feel unsatisfied on a lower-protein diet, feel free to add bit more. When losing weight, all that matters is CALORIES IN - CALORIES out, but at the same time you can never reach tour goal calories unless you ARE SATISFIED. So make sure you are ENJOYING your diet!!
Now that you know how much protein you need a day, divide it into meals. I need about 40-60g per day, and I eat 5 times per day. So I need approximately 8-12g per meal. So now I can plan my meals to ensure I get my required protein intake. That way, I do not need to worry about consuming animal proteins in *fear* of *not getting enough protein* because I KNOW I am getting enough. Its plain to see. And when someone asks me if I get enough protein I don't need to question my commitment to my vegan lifestyle, I can simply say YEP! Lol.
So here is an example below of a couple meals I can make with the protein in brackets after each ingredient and total protein and calories at the end. You can do this for yourself with your favourite vegan meals! If you notice one of your favourite meals is lower in protein, simply add a healthy vegan protein source. My favourites are sprouted vegan protein powder, powdered peanut butter (I buy unsweetened PB&Me from WalMart or Fiddleheads but PB2 is pretty much the same - I just buy what's cheapest), and Ezekiel bread (or other sprouted breads). Beans, lentils, light hummus, seitan, and low fat pita bread are also good choices. Tofu and soybeans (edamame) are great as well, but note they are often a bit higher in fat. If you love the taste of animal products, you can also try vegan versions of hot dogs, hamburgers, and lunch meats. Keep in mind, however, the packaged vegan foods often contain appetite-stimulating flavour enhancers and preservatives. If you are vegetarian you can add FAT FREE greek yogurt or egg whites - both are animal products, but they are allowed on the Ornish diet (a diet scientifically proven to prevent and reverse heart disease) due to their low cholesterol and fat content and are better choices than other animal sources of protein. Don't feel bad if you want to include some animal protein. It's your life. Your body. Your choice. You don't need to label yourself as vegan to love animals, be seen as health-conscious, or to look a certain way. Remember that no matter what you eat, you are still a worthy and amazing person because of WHO you are. Use your best judgement and make an informed decision based on YOUR NEEDS.
Green smoothie: 1/3 scoop iron vegan sprouted protein powder (6), 1 tbsp powdered peanut butter (3), 1/2 banana (0.5), 1.5 cups unsweetened cashew milk (1.5), 1 tsp flax seeds (0.5), 1 cup spinach (1)
Total protein:12.5 (more than enough; smoothie is ~30% protein)
Total calories: 165
Therefore you can easily get your optimal protein intake through smoothie supplementation. Not only that, but it is super easy for you to include a bit of healthy fats (flax), nutrient-rich greens (the most nutrient-dense foods in the world), and calcium, magnesium, vitamin-D, and B12 from the fortified cashew milk. Plus this smoothie feels so creamy and delicious with the peanut butter, banana, and cashew milk combined. Feel free to add more fruit such as berries to increase the nutrition and sweetness if it is your taste. For me, I prefer a more creamy, peanutty smoothie so this is the recipe I use. When you are trying to lose weight, smoothies can be great meal replacements. The calories can be controlled easily, you get tons of nutrients, protein, and fiber to reduce your cravings and appetite, and they take a few seconds to make - saving you time in a rush so you don't reach for something unhealthy or less satisfying, ending up ruining your calorie goals for the day. Some people do better with a bit higher fat, protein, and greens, and less fruit to stay satisfied, while some people like their smoothies more fruity. Listen to your body! Experiment with ratios until you get the perfect smoothie for YOU that tastes amazing, fits your calorie goals, and keeps you satisfied for hours! If at first you dont succeed, try again! The ratios between the amount of greens, fruit, and protein really do make a difference! Green smoothies are always a win!
Ezekiel toast with pb2 and banana: 2 slices of toasted flax Ezekiel bread (10), 1 medium banana sliced into coins (1), 2 tbsp pb2 (6)
Total protein: 17g (more than enough; Ezekiel toast with pb2 and bananas is ~22% protein)
Total calories: 310
I hope you have seen how easy it is to get enough protein when properly planned. And how easy it is to keep the calories of each meal or snack low when we choose low-fat protein.
Keep in mind as well that most green vegetables are quite high in protein, as a percentage of calories. In fact most plant foods, besides fruit, have around 10% protein, or more, and enable you to get enough protein over the course of the day without you having to plan things out meticulously. The only thing that is usually low in protein is fruit. So if you are consuming high amounts of fruit, the easy solution is to replace some of your fruit with high-protein whole grains, beans, lentils, or veggies instead, in order to tip the % protein balance closer to 10% or higher.
And remember, have fun! Allow yourself to get creative and find what works best for YOU! Never eat something just because you *think you should*. Eat what you love and you will never feel like you're on a diet - just make healthier choices and substations and you don't need to ever compromise on taste, or joy, or health! You CAN have it all! You CAN live in abundance!
Substitute plant-based sources of protein such as beans and lentils for meat in soups and stews, burgers, meat loaf, etc. Not only are your recipes likely to taste just as great, but you will be getting way more fiber and nutrients as well.
As a vegan, we get asked this question a lot - where do you get your protein? How do you get enough protein?
And the real issue is not really the amount of protein we are getting, to be honest. In fact, most North Americans are getting TOO MUCH. We only need about 10% of our diet to contain protein in order to be healthy. So, for example, if you are eating 2000 calories a day, 200 of those calories should be made up of protein - and that is only 50g. Many North Americans are getting over 100g of protein a day. The issue with this excessive consumption of protein is that it leads to issues with our kidneys. The kidneys have a job to filter out excess protein, and when overworked can lead to kidney damage or even kidney failure.
Excess protein intake, from animal protein sources high in acidic amino acids, can also cause our bodies to release alkaline minerals from our bodies in order to "mop" up the excess acidity. What I mean by this is our body uses the alkaline minerals in order to balance our internal pH. The issue with this is that it can lead to deficiencies of our alkaline mineral supply - most notably calcium and magnesium. Most people think that dairy is the best way to get calcium, but in effect, the acidic animal proteins found in dairy lead to a net LOSS of calcium through the pathway described above. Studies have shown that those who consume THE MOST dairy actually have the HIGHEST HIP FRACTURE RATES. Crazy, huh? So dairy is not all its advertised to be.
Excess animal products in moderation may not necessarily be bad in themselves, but we have to remember what they COME WITH. Fish can contain high concentrations of chemical contaminants such as DDT and mercury - which can lead to neurological (mental) issues if consumed in excess. Dairy often comes loaded with estrogens, growth hormones, stress hormones, bacteria, antibiotics (which can lead to antibiotic resistance), and pus cells. Dairy can lead to issues with insulin, acne, and promote an immune response that leads to digestive disturbances and inflammation, depending if you allergic to the milk proteins themselves or just intolerant to the lactose in the milk. Beef, ham products, and poultry, as well, can contain antibiotics, bacteria, growth hormone, stress hormones in their bodies which we consumer along with the food itself. Think about this before you consume animal products. There is nothing morally wrong with eating animals if you don't believe it to be. Tons of animals in the animal kingdom eat meat to survive. The main thing is to be aware of the reality of what you are consuming, versus what you are TOLD you are consuming or MADE TO BELIEVE you are consuming, and from THERE make an INFORMED choice based on your lifestyle, beliefs, preferences, and intuition.
Animal products not only provide excess protein, leach minerals from our bones, and supply unnecessary and harmful chemical contaminants and hormones into our diet, they are one of the highest dietary sources of saturated fat and cholesterol. The higher your intake of saturated fats and cholesterol, the more likely these animal products will clog up your arteries with thick, yellow, nasty junk that forms atherosclerotic plaques. These plaques stop blood from flowing through your body. It's like your arteries become slimy sewers full of mould and mildew that prevents the river from flowing through. And the scary part is, at any time, any of these chunks of cholesterol, called plaques, can dislodge, travel through the blood to another vessel where it blocks the flow of blood to the brain or heart, causing stroke or heart attack. When your arteries are that messy, it a ticking time bomb before an issue occurs. Keep yourself safe by minimizing your intake of animal products and high fat foods in general, but especially those with saturated fat and cholesterol.
So taking into account the downsides of modern animal proteins, it is even more important for us to get enough protein to stay healthy. Although we need very little protein overall, it is important to remember that protein is necessary for health skin, hair, and nails; the amino acids in proteins are important building blocks for brain neurotransmitters such as serotonin to keep mood stable and elevated, and it is important for muscle growth, muscle maintenance, and helps keep overall diet satiety high. Protein is necessary and protein sources are satisfying when we eat!! Don't discredit protein, don't eliminate it completely! Make sure you ARE getting enough!
How can we do this on a vegan diet/
It is easy. Figure out how much protein you need per day. There are online calculators for this. The recommendations from national nutritional websites are on the high end of the range, so these numbers should be maximum (aka more than enough/all you need). If you are dieting, working out, weight training, or feel unsatisfied on a lower-protein diet, feel free to add bit more. When losing weight, all that matters is CALORIES IN - CALORIES out, but at the same time you can never reach tour goal calories unless you ARE SATISFIED. So make sure you are ENJOYING your diet!!
Now that you know how much protein you need a day, divide it into meals. I need about 40-60g per day, and I eat 5 times per day. So I need approximately 8-12g per meal. So now I can plan my meals to ensure I get my required protein intake. That way, I do not need to worry about consuming animal proteins in *fear* of *not getting enough protein* because I KNOW I am getting enough. Its plain to see. And when someone asks me if I get enough protein I don't need to question my commitment to my vegan lifestyle, I can simply say YEP! Lol.
So here is an example below of a couple meals I can make with the protein in brackets after each ingredient and total protein and calories at the end. You can do this for yourself with your favourite vegan meals! If you notice one of your favourite meals is lower in protein, simply add a healthy vegan protein source. My favourites are sprouted vegan protein powder, powdered peanut butter (I buy unsweetened PB&Me from WalMart or Fiddleheads but PB2 is pretty much the same - I just buy what's cheapest), and Ezekiel bread (or other sprouted breads). Beans, lentils, light hummus, seitan, and low fat pita bread are also good choices. Tofu and soybeans (edamame) are great as well, but note they are often a bit higher in fat. If you love the taste of animal products, you can also try vegan versions of hot dogs, hamburgers, and lunch meats. Keep in mind, however, the packaged vegan foods often contain appetite-stimulating flavour enhancers and preservatives. If you are vegetarian you can add FAT FREE greek yogurt or egg whites - both are animal products, but they are allowed on the Ornish diet (a diet scientifically proven to prevent and reverse heart disease) due to their low cholesterol and fat content and are better choices than other animal sources of protein. Don't feel bad if you want to include some animal protein. It's your life. Your body. Your choice. You don't need to label yourself as vegan to love animals, be seen as health-conscious, or to look a certain way. Remember that no matter what you eat, you are still a worthy and amazing person because of WHO you are. Use your best judgement and make an informed decision based on YOUR NEEDS.
Green smoothie: 1/3 scoop iron vegan sprouted protein powder (6), 1 tbsp powdered peanut butter (3), 1/2 banana (0.5), 1.5 cups unsweetened cashew milk (1.5), 1 tsp flax seeds (0.5), 1 cup spinach (1)
Total protein:12.5 (more than enough; smoothie is ~30% protein)
Total calories: 165
Therefore you can easily get your optimal protein intake through smoothie supplementation. Not only that, but it is super easy for you to include a bit of healthy fats (flax), nutrient-rich greens (the most nutrient-dense foods in the world), and calcium, magnesium, vitamin-D, and B12 from the fortified cashew milk. Plus this smoothie feels so creamy and delicious with the peanut butter, banana, and cashew milk combined. Feel free to add more fruit such as berries to increase the nutrition and sweetness if it is your taste. For me, I prefer a more creamy, peanutty smoothie so this is the recipe I use. When you are trying to lose weight, smoothies can be great meal replacements. The calories can be controlled easily, you get tons of nutrients, protein, and fiber to reduce your cravings and appetite, and they take a few seconds to make - saving you time in a rush so you don't reach for something unhealthy or less satisfying, ending up ruining your calorie goals for the day. Some people do better with a bit higher fat, protein, and greens, and less fruit to stay satisfied, while some people like their smoothies more fruity. Listen to your body! Experiment with ratios until you get the perfect smoothie for YOU that tastes amazing, fits your calorie goals, and keeps you satisfied for hours! If at first you dont succeed, try again! The ratios between the amount of greens, fruit, and protein really do make a difference! Green smoothies are always a win!
Ezekiel toast with pb2 and banana: 2 slices of toasted flax Ezekiel bread (10), 1 medium banana sliced into coins (1), 2 tbsp pb2 (6)
Total protein: 17g (more than enough; Ezekiel toast with pb2 and bananas is ~22% protein)
Total calories: 310
I hope you have seen how easy it is to get enough protein when properly planned. And how easy it is to keep the calories of each meal or snack low when we choose low-fat protein.
Keep in mind as well that most green vegetables are quite high in protein, as a percentage of calories. In fact most plant foods, besides fruit, have around 10% protein, or more, and enable you to get enough protein over the course of the day without you having to plan things out meticulously. The only thing that is usually low in protein is fruit. So if you are consuming high amounts of fruit, the easy solution is to replace some of your fruit with high-protein whole grains, beans, lentils, or veggies instead, in order to tip the % protein balance closer to 10% or higher.
And remember, have fun! Allow yourself to get creative and find what works best for YOU! Never eat something just because you *think you should*. Eat what you love and you will never feel like you're on a diet - just make healthier choices and substations and you don't need to ever compromise on taste, or joy, or health! You CAN have it all! You CAN live in abundance!
Substitute plant-based sources of protein such as beans and lentils for meat in soups and stews, burgers, meat loaf, etc. Not only are your recipes likely to taste just as great, but you will be getting way more fiber and nutrients as well.
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