I’m sure any Vegan or Vegetarian out there can attest that one of the biggest comments they received about their diet tends to be concerned with the amount of (or lack of) protein they receive from their diet. Now whether this fact is true or not depends on each individual’s protein needs and protein consumption. America’s infatuation with protein (and meat) is crowding health media. In my opinion, this information is negatively influencing our food choices and the way we view this macronutrient.

Protein is incredibly important for our body to function. Proteins provide the structure and support for cells, which are tiny functional units that make up who we are. Proteins help form all of the hormones are body needs, building lean tissue, and repair our body from injury or illness. However, there are negative effects from consuming too much protein in our diet. Our body does its’ best to eliminate excess nutrients in the urine, but excess protein that is not eliminated can actually be stored as fat.

The amount of protein a person needs each day is individualized and is based on body weight and activity level. The amount of protein our body needs (roughly) in one day can be calculated using these formulas:

If you are sedentary: 0.8 x body weight in Kg = # of grams you need per day

If you are moderately active (2-3x a week): 1.2 x body weight in Kg = # of grams you need per day

If you are very active/athlete: 1.6 x body weight in Kg = # of grams you need per day

To find out how many calories of protein you need, take your number of grams needed and multiply it by 4.

Another important thing to note about protein is that the protein you consume is that it should be spaced out evenly throughout the day. Consuming all of most of the protein your body needs all at once is noble, but not effective because our body can only metabolize a certain amount of protein per hour. Again this amount is unique to each individual and depends on individual metabolism.

One huge myth about protein is that you need to eat meat/animal products to consume protein, or even consume enough protein you need per day. This is a lie. Protein is in most of the food we eat. Beans (including soy), vegetables and whole grains, contain a surprising amount of protein per serving, and eating a balanced diet with these ingredients in the proper amounts is sure to give you enough protein you need per day to sustain your body functions. The protein we get from animals is actually coming from the protein stored inside the animal from eating grains and vegetables that contain protein. It is not imperative that you eat animal products to get your needed amount of protein per day.

Here me out also on what I am about to say next. By no means am I against eating meat, eggs, or dairy in a healthy diet. It true those animal products tend to pack more protein per serving than non-animal protein sources do. So if you want to get the same amount of protein in plant protein as from animal protein, it is totally possible, you just need to consume more quantity of that food item. You may need to consume 3 servings of plant protein to get the same amount as 1 serving of animal protein. But keep in mind that this is not a straight forward comparison and each food item has its own values of protein that differ.

The 9 essential amino acids are nutrients that our body cannot make on its own so it needs to be consumed by an outside source. A strength about animal protein is that it contains all 9 essential amino acids that our body needs in one item while plant protein does not.

Don’t become cynical yet.

Vegetarians and vegans can still get all 9 essential amino acids without consuming any or very little animal product. Plant protein does in fact have the essential amino acids we need, it just doesn’t have them all in one food item. For example, black beans contain certain amino acids but lack others. Whole grains lack the amino acids that black beans have, but contain the ones that the beans lack. So if you combine to two in one meal, you are still consuming all 9 that you need! Achieving all 9 is doable as long as you have plenty of variety in your diet. Fun fact, soy products (like tofu or edamame) actually do contain all 9 essential amino acids, and are perfect for vegans and vegetarians because they don’t contain any animal protein.

In sum, remember that you want make sure you are eating the proper amount of protein per day (not too much or too little). Space out your protein consumption throughout the entire day rather than smashing it all into one meal. Eating animal products and a variety of plant proteins will give you all the protein you need to sustain proper bodily functions.

As always, this article is my own opinion based on previous knowledge. For individualized advice for your body’s needs, please consult a doctor, registered dietician, or other certified professional.