protein, protein, protein

Everyone’s talking about protein these days. Beef consumption in the U.S. is booming, despite high prices. People are demanding protein in everything they consume, including foods that no one ever used to rely on for their protein needs, like coffee, soda, and even birthday cake.

Just yesterday, I came across this post in a local Facebook group

Meat, eggs, and dairy aren’t the only way to get protein. There are excellent health and environmental reasons to consider plant-based sources.

And every time you choose plants over meat, eggs, and dairy, you have a positive impact, so you don’t have to be a vegetarian or vegan to help protect the places and people (including yourself) that you love.

Here’s an honest look at the pros and cons of plant sources of protein.

meat protein vs. plant-based protein

No matter how much protein you need, it is entirely possible to get a sufficient amount from plant-based foods. But let’s be real: You probably need to be strategic about getting your recommended quantity of protein from plants, for two reasons.

1. Serving size: In general, somewhat larger quantities of plant-based foods are needed to provide the same level of protein as meat. Someone who eats a medium amount of meat would consume around 13-31g of protein per day from beef, lamb, pork, and/or poultry meat. Getting the same amount of protein from beans, lentil, tofu, nuts, or other plant-based foods would require consuming more food by weight—perhaps ½ to 2 cups, depending on the type of food and how it’s cooked.

   However, plant-based proteins are often good sources of fiber, another essential nutrient, and one that many Americans don’t get enough of. If you get all your protein from meat, eggs, and dairy, then you need to eat more of other types of foods anyway, to get the fiber you need. That’s a reason to get more of your protein from plants.

2. Nutrition: Plant and animal proteins are not nutritionally equivalent, gram for gram. Proteins are made of amino acids, and the body needs nine essential ones it can’t make itself. Animal proteins contain all nine essential amino acids in adequate amounts. Most plant proteins are low in, or missing, one or more of the nine. Furthermore, depending on how they are prepared, the body may not absorb plant-source amino acids as readily as those from animals.

   Soy and quinoa are happy exceptions to both these caveats: They are complete proteins and readily absorbed. And the key is to eat a variety of other plant-based sources of protein to ensure your protein intake is sufficient.

why can’t I just eat a dang cheeseburger for protein?

Yes, meat, eggs, and dairy are tasty, convenient, complete sources of protein. But they are also problematic in ways like these:

• Animal agriculture is a big driver of the pollution that is overheating our planet, giving us powerful storms, extreme temperatures, and droughts.
• Among the health problems associated with diets high in meat, eggs, and dairy, eating a lot of red meat can cause cardiovascular problems, and processed meats increase the risk for cancer.
• Almost all animals raised for food in the United States are “factory-farmed”: raised, fed, bred, and slaughtered in confined, unnatural ways that may cause extreme distress and discomfort.

Not ready to give up meat? I feel you. But every time you choose a plant-based protein over an animal protein when you sit down to a meal, you’re prioritizing nature, your family, and your community. That’s the mighty power of the fork.