Great Sources of Plant Proteins

Vegetarians and vegans get 70% more protein than the average daily requirement of 42 grams of protein per day. [1] The data below show that on average, people of all diets meet the daily protein requirement amount. Now we can look at sources of protein rather than the amount of protein.

Dietary mean protein intakes by dietary pattern in the Adventist Health Study 2 (AHS-2). Adjustments were made for age, sex and race. [2]

Protein can come from both plant sources and animal sources. Although protein can be found by eating animal products, it comes with a hefty price tag that includes fat, cholesterol, and a higher risk of death. High meat-protein intakes are associated with increased dietary acid loads and increased ammonia production, which lead to a greater risk for injury within the kidneys. Kidney performance decreases with animal protein-rich diets but protein from plants can actually improve kidney performance. [3]

Animal protein also plays a role in cancer risk. Insulin-like growth factor 1 or IGF-1 promotes cancer and is released excessively when animal protein is consumed. Finally, research shows that high amounts of animal protein increase the risk of premature mortality from all causes by 75%, from cancer by 400%, and from type 2 diabetes by 500%. [4] Accordingly, plant proteins are healthier than animal proteins.

Someone eating a diet of whole grains, legumes, fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, and roots will easily meet the average daily requirement for protein consumption. Even professional champion athletes like those competing in Ironman races, mixed martial arts, track and field, and even weightlifting are able to get enough protein from such a diet. Patrik Baboumian, a strongman from Germany, puts it best, “Don't listen to those self proclaimed nutrition gurus and the supplement industry trying to tell you that you need meat, eggs, and dairy to get enough protein.  There are plenty of plant-based protein sources and your body is going to thank you for stopping feeding it with dead-food.”

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that people obtain about 5% of their calories from protein. The table below shows the percent of calories of proteins from each selected food. [5]

Personally, I get a lot of my protein from rice, beans, lentils, fruits, and vegetables. On most days I eat a traditional Indian meal that consists of rice and dal. I also eat vegetable dishes which contain many of the ingredients from the table above. Some dishes are made with potatoes or various beans which are very high in protein.

Sources:

[1] https://youtu.be/2m4p8s7xskQ

[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4081456/

[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21880837

[4] https://www.ornish.com/zine/i-worry-a-bit-about-getting-enough-protein-on-the-reversal-program-what-is-solid-advice-on-daily-protein-intake/

[5] https://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2007nl/apr/protein.htm

How It All Started

Just A Young Preschooler

As a young preschooler I saw that my diet was different than many of my friends and I began asking questions to my mom about our special diet. I learned that our family had been lacto-vegetarian for many generations.

Innocent Preschooler With a Big Heart (You May Call it Cute!)

I was eating my favorite cereal, Envirokidz Gorilla Munch, and I was fascinated by the picture of the big silverback gorilla on the front. When I asked my mom to read what was written on the box I realized that people were destroying the forests where the gorillas lived and the company was raising funds and awareness to restore the gorillas’ habitat. When I started thinking about how to support them, the idea of donating my birthday gift money came up. I supported the effort for many years to come.

A Curious Boy

Fast forward to fourth grade where I learned about obesity, starvation, and other health issues during a unit on nutrition. Later in sixth grade when given the choice for a project, I decided to research the food chain with a focus on soil conservation and methods to create healthier crops. I encountered many more issues like climate change, wastage of water, species extinction on land and in water, and wildlife destruction while I was researching.

Once again, the food we ate was at the heart of these issues. This sixth-grade project was an eye-opening experience for me. Then, in seventh grade, I read The Omnivore’s Dilemma for my Honors Biology class. The book was about how our food is made and how it gets to us. This was yet another time I got to study the impact of the food we eat. I became intrigued by this topic.

Unearthing Secrets

Starting in 8th and 9th grade, I began noticing that obesity began hitting my school lunch discussions and as athletes we became more aware of our physical fitness and eating habits. Even our coaches were making us aware of our diets and impact on performance. To be a well-educated participant of these discussions I started researching about the ideal diet.

I discovered doctors, nutritionists, athletes, environmentalists, and others on the web, who had found solutions to these issues much earlier than me. Eventually, I came to the conclusion that the best diet was the one that my previous generations had been following. I started inspecting my own diet and found out that my “so-called perfect” diet was not adequate enough. Even though I was lacto-vegetarian, I was still consuming some milk products. To make my diet more perfect I started eliminating most milk products and have now come closer to becoming plant-based for the most part, although rarely milk products do slip in.

Plant Strong

I found that eating plant-based has helped me become physically strong. I have not had to visit the doctor other than my yearly physical checkups. My nutritionally balanced diet helps me to recover faster even if I am down with a cough or cold. I have a Second Degree Black Belt in Karate and my diet helps me with balance, endurance, flexibility and strength. As a midfielder on my travel soccer team, I find that I am able to recover faster between back-to-back games.

I was fortunate to partake in a 12-day, 100+ mile trek, with a summit of 12,441 feet at Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico, during the summer of 2017. Many fellow crew members thought I would struggle because of my diet, but it helped me perform better. Over the past four years, I camped out for a total of over 30 nights and attained the rank of Eagle Scout while keeping my vegetarian and mostly whole food plant based diet.

Plants Can Make You Smart

Eating a mostly whole food plant-based diet has helped me grow physically, intellectually, and emotionally. This wholesome diet helped me improve my focus. As a result, I perform better in any subject I put my mind and efforts to. Not to boast, but I earned a perfect score of 36/36 on my ACT in ninth grade and have an unweighted cumulative GPA of 4.0/4.0. I take many Honors and Advanced Placement classes and began taking high school classes in the sixth grade.

Give It a Shot!

After having changed my life over the past few years and feeling its tremendous positive impact I felt that it was only right to increase awareness in my fellow youth. When I was talking with my family about this whole food plant-based diet I felt the need to compile all the resources together at one place. That was idea that led me to create this website and forum for youth, just like me, who care for their health, environment, and social issues.

Feedback Please

I hope you will benefit from this website. If you feel that something is missing or needs to be added, please do not forget to send in your feedback at plantpoweredyouth.org/contact-us or leave a comment down below.