TEN GREAT SOURCES OF PLANT PROTEIN

Protein is one of our essential macro nutrients and is needed for building and repairing muscles and bones, as well as hormones and enzymes and also provides satiety to help keep up feeling fuller for longer. With plant based eating increasing in popularity, I wanted to share some of the top plant based protein sources you can include in your diet.

The protein content found in meat is a great, however as the EAT Lancet study reported, a diet rich in plant based foods promotes improved health for our bodies as well as having environmental benefits. Win win! Another bonus of plant based protein sources is that they are often much cheaper than animal protein.

We all know that I am a big advocate for including an abundance and variety of plant foods in your diet (whether you eat meat or not), however many people are confused when it comes to what sources provide high amounts of protein and question if they are consuming enough.

So below, I will be sharing some fantastic sources that you can start to include in your diet. The guidelines for protein intake per day are;

Males (age 19-70): 0.84g/kg
Males (age 70+): 1.07g/kg
Women (age 19-70): 0.75g/kg
Women (age 70+): 0.94g/kg
Pregnancy: 1.0g/kg
Breastfeeding: 1.1g/kg

Generally speaking, a palm size of protein at each main meal (plus some included in snacks) is often meeting most people’s protein needs.

Remember to mix it up and focus on variety. I have a bunch of plant based ideas on my recipe page, so make sure to check them out!

Okay, first let’s get into some nitty gritty:

Now when it comes to plant protein it is important to understand the difference between complete versus incomplete protein sources. 

Complete protein sources contain all nine essential amino acids. They are ‘essential’ as the body is unable to produce them, which means they must be obtained through the diet. 

Incomplete protein sources are missing one or more of the ‘essential’ amino acids. Some plant protein sources are complete yet many are incomplete. Although some of these sources are incomplete, we don’t need to become overly stressed that each meal is considered complete, instead, we can focus on including a variety across your day to meet your essential amino acid requirements. 

In comparison to animal sources;