Protein

Protein

Protein, protein, protein! Most vegans are tired of hearing about this particular nutrient. The good news is, a reasonable variety of protein-containing foods - as part of a diet which includes enough calories overall - is all that is needed to ensure a healthy protein intake (see page 1 of our leaflet, which gives the low-down on protein).

“How much protein is there in plants?”

Plenty! Grains and pulses are good plant-based protein sources. Seitan, aka wheat gluten, contains just as much protein, if not more, than a beef steak. And, like fellow protein-rich foods tempeh and tofu, it can be bought cheaply as mock meat from Asian supermarkets. You can also make your own seitan from vital wheat gluten, which is sold online and in health food shops. 

All things in moderation

Don’t start planning seitan with every meal just yet, as having too much protein may not be good for you. Check out page 4 of our leaflet for more information.

Daily protein requirements

Aim for no more than 1g of protein per kilogram of your healthy body weight on your healthy plant-based vegan diet.  This is rounded up from 0.75g of protein per kg of body weight to account for the digestibility of plant and protein. If you are regularly exceeding this and aren’t looking to build your muscles (see page 2 for more on vegan athletes) then think about cutting back.

Sources of protein

The main plant-based sources of protein  include:

• Pulses: peas, beans (aduki beans, blackeye beans, chickpeas (and chickpea flour), kidney beans), lentils, soya foods (tofu, tempeh, soya mince, soya milk)

• Some nuts: cashews, almonds, peanuts, pistachios. (Some 'nuts' such as chestnuts and macadamias are poor sources of protein and others such as Brazil nuts, walnuts, pine nuts, pecan nuts and hazel nuts are mediocre sources)

• Seeds: pumpkin, sunflower, sesame

• Grains: wheat, oats, buckwheat, millet, quinoa, amaranth, pasta, bread, seitan (which contains 75g of protein per 100g). Note that rice is a relatively poor source of protein.

Cereals contribute around 22% of protein in average UK diets (mainly from pasta, rice, bread and wholegrain breakfast cereals). For more information on incorporating protein ingredients into meals, check out our article here.

Essential amino acids

For more information on the essential amino acids contained within protein, see page 4 of our leaflet. A diet comprising a variety of plant protein sources will include all the essential amino acids you need. There are a few plant-based foods which contain all the essential amino acids, namely soya, buckwheat, quinoa and amaranth ('complete' proteins). But you don't need to eat complete proteins at each meal. Your body can store and combine the essential amino acids. So stick to a balanced diet, and you’ll be fine.

If you want to know more, check out our leaflet 'Protein' and 'Examples of protein ingredients in meals'.