Ask ND: What are good protein sources for vegans?
Q. I want to build bigger muscles, but I'm a vegan. What are some good sources of vegan protein?
A. If you're new to veganism, you might be interested in the article "Veganism in a Nutshell," from the Vegetarian Resource Group. The VRG is a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating the public on vegetarianism and related issues, and it is a great resource for both new and long-standing vegetarians. In this article, the authors state:
"It is very easy for a vegan diet to meet the recommendations for protein as long as calorie intake is adequate. Strict protein planning or combining is not necessary. The key is to eat a varied diet.
"Almost all foods except for alcohol, sugar, and fats are good sources of protein. Vegan sources include: potatoes, whole wheat bread, rice, broccoli, spinach, almonds, peas, chickpeas, peanut butter, tofu, soy milk, lentils, kale... ."
I particularly appreciate this article's emphasis on the importance of a varied diet and that it lists a wide variety of protein-containing foods. For some reason, people have the idea that soy is the ideal (or only!) replacement for animal protein. In addition to soymilk and tofu, you can now find cheese, yogurt, hot dogs, hamburgers, bacon, cold cuts, chili, and so on, all made from soy. But I'm not sure that replacing all these different foods with versions made out of soy is such a good idea.
For one thing, these highly processed "health" foods often contain a lot of sodium, sugar, and other not-so-healthy ingredients. Soy also contains naturally occuring compounds that, when eaten in sufficient quantities, can interfere with thyroid function as well as impair the absorption of certain nutrients. I suggest limiting soy foods to a couple of servings per day and, where possible, choosing less highly processed soy foods, such as edamame (steamed soy beans), tempeh, and miso.
How much protein do you need each day?
In a previous post, I discussed how much protein you need each day to be healthy, and how ND can help you be sure you are getting enough high-quality protein. You mention that you are trying to build more muscle tissue: If you are doing a lot of exercise and weight training to build muscle, you may benefit from a diet that includes a higher percentage of protein, up to 35% of your daily calories. As I'm sure you realize, simply eating a lot of protein without exercising won't do much to increase your muscle mass!
Finally, because you will be getting all of your protein from non-animal sources, you might also want to pay attention to the protein quality score included in ND's analysis reports. This will ensure that the foods in your diet provide all the essential amino acids over the course of the day.
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Posted by: Hiram Berry | May 16, 2007 4:42:56 PM
Sylvia's observation sparks a lot of thought. I'm very concerned about whether some of the allegations about side effects of soy foods are true or not. In this particular case I doubt that the main cause of small stature in many Asian populations is due to soy intake; the more likely culprit is the widespread overuse of empty-caloried polished white rice as a staple food for children in these same populations. But really, someone ought to check on a biochemical level. So just how does soy inhibit some mineral absorption--iron,magnesium, etc.-- does something in the soy chelate with the mineral ions? If so is that substance inactivated by any normal preparation steps like cooking or fermentation in the case of tempeh? Is tofu prepared with nigari any better or worse in this respect than that prepared with gypsum? (I speculate that the sea minerals in the nigari might possibly act as a competitive inhibitor of the chelator, but that's just a wild guess on my part) And likewise, what specifically goes on at the digestive or cellular level with the supposed anti-thyroid activity? I have heard that there are phytosterols in soy, but do not know what their specific hormonal activities are, nor whether they can also be mitigated by preparation technique. I sure would like to know though, in case someone here could further enlighten the rest of us on this issue.
Posted by: Lisa McC | May 7, 2007 11:59:09 AM
I,m a vegan & would like to know what will help me to build up my immune system. I,m drinking soy milk also taking a soy protein. I find with the soy protein it has allot of iron. Iron constipates me badly. Thank you !
P.S also what vitamins help to build up immune systems.
Posted by: Meeshie | May 7, 2007 10:28:24 AM
I, too, would like to know the best way to ensure that the food I eat that contain iron are being absorbed properly. I've been vegetarian since the first week of January 2007, and I feel great, but I don't want to one day find out that I'm deficient in iron because I haven't been eating the right food combinations.
Posted by: Catherine Phipps | Apr 29, 2007 8:16:23 PM
I stopped eating meat approximately 9-10 months ago. I believe my iron intake from green leafy vegetables, seeds, nuts etc is probably sufficient, but I'm concerned I'm not processing, or absorbing the iron effieiently. As determined by a recent blood test, my iron stores are sufficient however, my blood reading was 7.6 (healthy range is between 9 to 26). I'd prefer to stay away from meat, what suggestions can you offer to improve my day by day iron levels?
Posted by: Nancy | Apr 24, 2007 7:00:34 PM
I agree with Aaron about having a good kitchen scale. I have been on a strict diet for medical reasons for the last six years. After a short time of weighing EVERYTHING that I put in my mouth I have gotten a pretty accurate feel for what a serving is. Plus, there are lots of free or low cost programs out there that can give you all of the nutritional data of a certain food if you have the weight (usually in grams) of the serving you're eating.
Posted by: Sylvia Finch | Apr 24, 2007 11:44:13 AM
Since soy may possibly impair thyroid function could that be the reason why people who live in countries that eat soy often and a lot of it are of smaller stature?
Posted by: Aaron | Apr 23, 2007 11:58:25 AM
This is a reply to Russ' post on 4/16 regarding serving size. Serving size traditionally has two components - a volume and a weight (or just volume for liquids). For your example, a serivng size of baby carrots is not only one-1/2 cup, but also 85g and if you are interested knowing your serving sizes accurately, it is the weight you ought to use. A simple food scale is a great asset to any kitchen. Hope that helps.
Posted by: Russ | Apr 16, 2007 11:35:04 AM
I'm having trouble determining what is meant by a serving of vegetables. Often I see 1/2 cup listed as a serving, but how much is held by a half-cup is greatly determined by the size of the pieces. To give but one example, I can get 3-4 baby carrots into a half-cup measure, or I can chop the carrots into 1/2" pieces and get several more carrots in, or I can chop them very thing and get twice as many in. You get the idea. So, what is a serving?
