My Top 5 Sources of Plant Protein
When planning your meals, you want to get enough protein, right? Maybe you’re working out a lot, or maybe you just want to make sure you have enough protein to fuel your muscle gain and fat loss, as we've often been told to.
Contrary to fad-diet lore, consuming extra protein won’t necessarily lose you more weight. A low-carbohydrate diet on the other hand, can reduce the performance of athletes, and reduce the fuel muscles need to work efficiently. People in western countries like Australia tend to consume more protein than they need, so deficiencies are rare, if not non-existent.
According to nutrition experts like Dr Garth Davis, author of Proteinaholic we have an unhealthy obsession with protein – especially animal protein.
Dr Davis makes the bold claim that "the science shows that our protein obsession may be one of the main causes for the rise we are seeing in obesity, cancer, diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease. ...Protein very well may be to blame for our poor health!"
Dr Michael Greger from Nutrition Facts tells us that "plant protein is preferable to animal protein because food is a package deal. Plant protein has been associated with lower rates of heart disease and lower cholesterol."
As vegan dietitian, the Human Herbivore Amanda Benham explains, "Protein is an important nutrient for growth and has many functions throughout the body, including being a major component of muscles. Protein is composed of substances called amino acids. There are 22 different amino acids but only 8 of these are considered essential as our bodies cannot make these and so these need to be provided in our diet."
Julieanna Hever, The Plant Based Dietitian advises that protein "...is one of the three macronutrients we need to attain from our diet. Protein is involved in virtually all of the body’s structural and functional mechanisms. All of our cells contain protein and it constitutes the building blocks of muscles, hair, nails, organs, skin, tendons, ligaments, membranes, some hormones, haemoglobin, antibodies, enzymes, and much more."
Here’s the good news: it is real easy to get enough protein from plant food sources, including beans, legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds.
Here are my top 5 plant protein foods:
1. Soybeans – a ‘complete’ protein source, which means they contain all the essential amino acids (building blocks of protein) that humans need. The super soybean is:
- High in fibre
- High in protein
- Low in saturated fat
- Cholesterol-free (an analysis of 38 clinical trials found that 31-47 grams or 2-3 serves of soy protein can reduce blood cholesterol levels by as much as 20%)
- Lactose-free
- Good source of omega-3 fatty acids
- High in phytoestrogens (it is thought that a soy-rich diet helps reduces menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes because phytoestrogens act like a mild form of hormone replacement therapy)
Your meal planning should include common soy foods such as soy milk, edamame , tofu, tempeh, and soy meat alternatives.
*Make sure you include lots of other types of beans in your diet, which are also great sources of protein, fibre and vitamins.
2. Peanuts (really a legume, related to lentils and chickpeas) are 25% protein (more than any other nut), and are rich in vitamin E, folate, fibre, monounsaturated fats, and antioxidants which protect cells from damage linked to heart disease and cancer. You can have peanuts (raw unsalted is preferred); as peanut butter (I prefer natural peanut butter, with no additives), and in stir-frys, with peanut satay sauce.
*Remember, all nuts are healthy sources of healthy fats and protein. You should eat them sparingly (without added oil or salt) if you're trying lose or maintain a healthy weight.
3. Lentils – with about 30% of their calories from protein, lentils have the third-highest protein level by weight of any legume or nut, after soybeans and hemp. Lentils have been part of the human diet since Neolithic times, around 13,000 to 9,500 years ago. Although deficient in 2 essential amino acids, they are also a good source of folate, fibre, iron, vitamin B1 and minerals. Cooked lentils can be used in soups, stews and curries (such as Dhal).
4. Wheat gluten – also known as seitan (‘say-tan’) or wheat-meat, is made from gluten, the protein component of wheat. Wheat gluten, which is about 14% protein, tends to have a stringy, chewy texture similar to meat, and so is often used in meat alternatives. Wheat gluten was developed in ancient China, as an alternative to meat by vegetarian Buddhist monks.
5. Quinoa (‘keen-wah’) – a staple of the ancient Incas, quinoa is a grain-like crop (quinoa is a ‘psuedo-cereal’ more closely related to beets and spinach). With 18% protein, quinoa grains contain all essential amino acids as well as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and iron. Quinoa has a light, fluffy texture when cooked and a nutty flavour that makes it a good alternative to rice or cous-cous.
Contrary to popular myth, it is really not difficult to get enough protein from plants - especially from healthy whole-plant foods. As Plant Based Dietitian Julieanna Hever says:
"Humans need about 10 percent of calories from protein. Virtually all whole plant foods contain at least this amount, so if you consume enough volume and variety of whole plant foods, your protein requirement will easily be met.”
Tom Perry
There are lots of simple ways you can follow a low-energy-density diet to help you reach your weight loss and health goals. For example, you can reduce the energy density of a dish quite dramatically just by changing a few ingredients.
Top 15 tips for creating a lower energy density diet and helping you to
lose weight without going hungry or counting calories:
- Choose foods with a high-water content, which includes dishes where water is added during cooking (e.g. soups, casseroles and stews), as these tend to have a very low energy density.
- Add extra vegetables to starters or main dishes to bulk them up without adding extra calories e.g. add extra vegetables to stir fries, stews, chilli, pasta dishes and salads.
- Bulk up meals by adding extra pulses, such as beans, peas and lentils. Pulses are high in fibre and protein and filling, but low in calories e.g. add extra beans to a chilli, soup or salad. You could also add some extra (brown) rice or pasta to soups or salads to make them more filling.
- Avoid meat, animal products, junk foods (such as ice-cream, sweets and pizza) and fried foods.
- Use brown or wholegrain varieties of foods such as bread, breakfast cereals, rice and pasta. These contain more fibre which will help to fill you up for longer.
- Choose non-animal protein alternatives, such as lentils, tofu and soy mince.
- Add more liquids to dishes to help bulk them up without adding extra calories e.g. add extra tinned tomatoes to a chilli or pasta sauce.
- Avoid use of refined fats such as margarine, butter, and vegetable oils.
- Salads can be a great low energy density food, but not when they are smothered with high fat dressings! Try using low fat salad dressings, for example, those based on lemon juice or vinegar.
- Use up leftover vegetables to make soups and stews. Again, add extra pulses such as beans or lentils, to bulk up the dishes. Serve with some wholegrain rice or bread and you have a complete meal!
- Have fresh fruit for desserts and snacks.
- Consume an appetizer low in energy density. A practical approach to help moderate calorie intake is to consume a low-energy-dense food, such as a vegetable soup or a green salad, at the start of a meal.
- Have plenty of foods low in energy density readily available. Having plenty of low-energy-dense food at home and at the office makes it easier to choose these foods over higher-energy-dense options. Frozen and canned fruits and vegetables are good options when fresh produce is not available or affordable. However, choose items without added sugar, syrup, or fat.
- Choose water and other low-calorie beverages to quench thirst. While increased consumption of water-rich foods such as fruits, vegetables, and broth-based soups can help control hunger while moderating calorie intake, increased beverage consumption is not likely to promote satiety.
- Cutting calories too much slows your metabolism, reducing your calorie burning speed, and decreases leptin, a hormone that keeps your metabolism up and controls your appetite. Don’t diet!
Whole Vegan Plant Foods – high in nutrients, low in energy density
If you eat whole, natural plant foods, you don’t have to count calories, or worry about getting too much fat or carbs, or not enough protein, for example.
The beauty of healthy, whole plant foods is that they are not just low in energy density, but also naturally high in all the very best nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals, anti-oxidants and phyto-chemicals, not to mention fibre. They are mostly naturally low in fat (the exceptions, such as raw nuts, seeds, avocado and whole olives – not oil - are healthy sources of plant fats and protein), low in salt and sugar. Even the natural sugar in fruit is of the low GI variety, as the fibre in the whole fruit ensures a slow release of the energy within.
It turns out that the best diet to lose weight - and keep it off - is also the most protective against the main killer diseases that afflict so many people in our society; including cancer, heart disease, stroke, dementia, type 2 diabetes and obesity.
The answer to the question, ‘what is the best diet to enable you to have and maintain a healthy weight and body?’ I believe is simple: whole-foods, plant-based vegan.
Tom Perry
