- The role of protein in training
- Difference between vegetable protein and animal protein
- Complete protein in a vegan diet
- Protein in a vegetarian diet
- How much protein do you need in a vegetarian or vegan diet?
- Animal protein vs vegetable protein - comparative tables
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More and more people are switching to vegan and vegetarian diets. The motives may be different: humanitarian, he alth and environmental. Regardless of the reason for our diet, we must keep it balanced. Currently, the supply of protein in a vegan and vegetarian diet is still a controversial topic, but is it right? Find out what are the sources of protein in a plant-based diet and find out if people who exercise and quit eating meat have anything to worry about.
The nutritional awareness of people has been growing at a crazy pace lately. It is comforting because the 21st century is full of poor-quality products, stuffed with chemicals and the production of food in frightening amounts, which later end up in the basket of excess. It has been known for a long time that what counts is quality, not quantity, and today's unconscious eating harms not only our he alth, but also other beings and, above all, the Earth. More and more of us want to find out the truth and look more carefully at labels and the latest scientific research.
The same is true of meat, which in most cases is of tragic quality, and people are increasingly struggling with changing conditions for farm animals, the consumption of which currently brings us more harm than he alth benefits. Regardless of the reason for changing the diet and giving up meat and animal products, we must take care not only of animals and ecology, but also of our own he alth.
Vegetarians and vegans often make the same mistake. When you give up meat or all animal products, they do not replace the lack of protein on the plate with vegetable protein. As a result, a meatless diet is considered harmful and debilitating, but is it really so if we conduct it wisely and wisely? Let's see if training vegans and vegetarians should worry about the supply of protein in their diet.
The role of protein in training
Protein in the body of every human being has a number of important functions. In a physically active person, the supply of protein is especially important. Protein is the building block of nervous and glandular tissue, as well as a component of body fluids, blood, hormones and enzymes, and the building blocks of our muscles and joints, which are so important in physical activity. Protein primarily transports and regulates the most important processes in our body.
Peoplephysically active people should consume 1.5-2 g of protein per kilogram of body weight depending on the type and intensity of training (while an average adult, he althy person with a he althy body weight needs 0.9 g of protein per 1 kg per day). The amount of protein in the body of an adult human is about 10-14 kg, and at least 300 g is exchanged per day. During exercise, we lose protein in increased amounts because the body needs it to regenerate and rebuild cells. Training vegans and vegetarians should pay special attention to this and not neglect the protein supply in their diets.
Difference between vegetable protein and animal protein
It's no secret that the human body consists of about 20 percent proteins, but an interesting fact is that only fat is stored in our body's stores. Protein and carbohydrates must be supplied in appropriate amounts every day for our body to function properly and to prevent inflammation and cancer from developing.
Protein is the basic building block not only of muscles, but also of all organs in the body. It is part of hormones, enzymes and antibodies, and participates in the metabolic processes of the body and ensures its proper development and functioning.
A person needs 20 amino acids for proper development, 10 of them are exogenous (absorbed from food) and the other 10 endogenous (synthesized independently under good conditions). Amino acids that we must constantly consume from food are:
- phenylalanine
- isoleucine
- leucine
- lysine
- methionine
- threonine
- tryptophan
- valina
- arginine and histidine, which is additionally needed only in the growth phase, while an adult man produces sufficient amounts of it on his own
After consuming a protein product, our body breaks it down into the amino acids it needs for biological processes.
Animal protein is slightly different from plant protein in structure, and this translates into the later functioning of our body. Well, it is true that vegetable proteins contain fewer or no amino acids such as methionine, tryptophan, lysine and isoleucine. Therefore, it can be much more difficult for vegans to maintain a proper and balanced diet without additional protein supplementation, which includes the above-mentioned amino acids.
Eggs contain all the necessary amino acids in the right proportions, so in a vegetarian diet it is a must-have ingredient in meals.
On the other hand, vegetarians should notto worry about getting wholesome protein, because giving up meat still leaves them with foods like eggs and dairy.
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Complete protein in a vegan diet
Vegetarians don't have to worry about wholesome protein in their diet, and vegans? Plant-based foods such as beans, lentils, nuts, and seeds are high in protein, but don't contain all the essential amino acids. Soybeans are the closest to the ideal amino acid profile of plant-based proteins, but shouldn't be eaten in large amounts.
It is well known that soy is rich in estrogens (female hormones), which are particularly not recommended for men, but ladies whose endocrine system is working properly should not eat soy in large amounts.
Side effects of frequent consumption of soy can include gas, weight gain, water retention, skin problems, and stomach problems resembling poisoning and heartburn. However, you must remember that nothing in excess is good for us, and soy can be eaten in an amount of about 30 to 50 grams a day.
Despite everything, you also need to know that soy does not contain enough essential amino acids (2 of them are in very small amounts), and the body is unable to produce them itself.
So is there a solution for vegans? Yes of course. There are a number of supplements available on the market that contain the necessary essential amino acids and protein supplements. However, here it is worth remembering that not every vegan needs an additional supply of protein supplements. Additional supplementation with protein supplement is recommended only when we train or are on a reduction diet. A balanced vegan diet with appropriate supplementation will successfully keep our body he althy.
Do you know that…Some studies on algae, such as spirulina and chlorella, and grain products such as quinoa and amaranth, show that these products may have a full complement of essential amino acids. However, positions on this research are divided, and these products have not been thoroughly tested enough to confirm this information one hundred percent.
Protein in a vegetarian diet
As already shown, protein in a vegetarian diet is wholesome, aA well-balanced vegetarian diet has many he alth benefits for our bodies. Such a conclusion was made by the Ministry of He alth and the American Dietetic Association, which showed that a balanced vegetarian diet is completely safe for he alth at every stage of life and development.
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How much protein do you need in a vegetarian or vegan diet?
According to the guidelines of the Food and Nutrition Institute, we should provide about 15% of energy during the day coming from proteins, and this translates into about 1 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. Physically active people need about 1.5-2 grams of protein per kg / bw. In a vegetarian and vegan diet, protein should be selected so that all amino acids complement each other.
For vegans, these should be products consumed daily, such as: beans, soybeans, seeds, nuts and grains, and of course supplements supporting the supply of protein. On the other hand, in the case of vegetarians, the above-mentioned food products with the addition of a few dairy products and eggs will constitute a complete supply of protein.
It should also be remembered that plant-derived protein is slightly less digestible than animal proteins. It comes through improper heat treatment and a naturally inferior amino acid profile. On the other hand, thermal processing of meat or eggs also takes away protein and other valuable values, e.g. B vitamins, which we often forget about.
To avoid protein deficiencies in the diet, we present examples of daily guidelines established by the Food and Nutrition Institute for the consumption of individual products in a vegetarian diet:
- 1 cup of legumes (soybeans, beans, lentils, chickpeas, peas)
- 3 cups of cooked vegetables
- 1.5 cups of grain products (groats and whole grain rice)
- 2 cups of raw vegetables
- 0.5 cups of leafy vegetables
And optional:
- around 600 grams of fruit or a handful of dried fruit
- 3 tablespoons of nuts or seeds
- tablespoon of linseed
- 2 slices of whole grain bread or ½ cup of oat, rye or spelled
- 2 cups of dairy products, e.g. cow or vegetable milk (oat, almond, soy, etc.) fortifiedcalcium
These guidelines are set by professionals, and recommended daily amounts of protein for each vegan or vegetarian may vary. Therefore, the above "menu" should only be looked at indicatively.
Animal protein vs vegetable protein - comparative tables
It has always been said that meat and animal products have the best quality protein and that our diet should be rich in such products, but is it really? Of course, there is a point in this, but we often forget about it, especially when we are on an omnivorous diet, that the proportion of plant and animal proteins in our diet should be 50 out of 50. Moreover, not every high-protein product will have the same high digestibility proteins. It turns out that the most important thing in the absorption of a given product into the body is its biological value. Let's check it in the tables.
Animal protein
| Product | Amount of protein per 100 grams |
| Beef (lean) | 34,6 |
| Yellow cheese 5% | 33 |
| Veal (lean) | 29 |
| Pork loin (skinny) | 26 |
| Turkey breast | 22.3 |
| Chicken breast | 21.8 |
| Halibut | 20,1 |
| Tuna | 20 |
| Salmon | 19.8 |
| Tilapia | 17,3 |
| Cottage cheese 0% | 17 |
| Fat cottage cheese | 15 |
| Eggs | 12,6 |
| Greek yogurt | 3.8 |
Vegetable protein
| Product | Amount of protein per 100 grams |
| Soja | 36 |
| Lentils | 25 |
| Pumpkin seeds | 24,5 |
| sunflower seeds | 24,5 |
| Pea | 23 |
| Red beans | 21,4 |
| Pistachios | 20.6 |
| Chickpeas | 20 |
| Almonds | 20 |
| Cashews | 18 |
| Walnuts | 15,2 |
| Hazelnuts | 15 |
| Oatmeal | 13,5 |
| Buckwheat | 12,6 |
| Millet | 10,5 |
| Brown rice | 7,1 |
| White rice | 6.7 |
| Couscous | 5,6 |
| Broad beans | 5,2 |
| Green peas | 4 |
| Dried apricots | 3,4 |
The protein content of the food is important, but even more important is the biological value of the food. How much macro and micronutrients will be absorbed by our body depends on the biological value. The lowest value on the scale is 0 which means that nothing will be absorbed, and the highest 100 which means that 100% of the value in the product will be absorbed. The greater the biological value of a protein in a given product, the better it is for the body.
Let's check some of the sources of plant and animal protein in this table:
| Product | Biological value in percent |
| Eggs | 93.7 |
| Milk | 84,5 |
| Pisces | 76 |
| Beef | 74,3 |
| Soja | 72.8 |
| Rice | 64 |
| Wheat grain | 64 |
| Corn | 60 |
| Beans | 58 |
As you can see in the above products, as many as 7 out of 9 sources of protein do not consist of meat. Vegetarians can therefore be confident about the proper supply of protein, while vegans will find it much more difficult to supplement the protein deficiency in the diet. However, we must remember that it will be more difficult, but not impossible!