"Are You Getting Enough Protein?" ...everyone asks every vegetarian all the time

In our weight-obsessed culture, we spend a lot of time thinking about macronutrients: protein, carbohydrates, and fat.  Many recent diets have been based on the theory that eating more or less of any of these three things will lead to miraculous weight loss.

What category do vegetables, fruits, and other plant foods fall into?  Most everyone knows fruits are high in natural sugar, so we would classify those as carbs, right? What about lettuce? Is there protein or fat in lettuce or is it all carbs? It may surprise you to learn that romaine lettuce, for example, is 17% protein and an excellent source of Omega-3 fatty acids.  An entire head of lettuce only has about 100 calories and 7.7 grams of protein. Other rich sources of plant protein are beans, of course, and asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, corn, watercress, and artichoke. Fun fact: 100 calories of broccoli has 11 grams of protein (along with huge amounts of many other nutrients), and 100 calories of steak only has about 8.

Think about huge, muscular animals like cows, elk, and even some dinosaurs. They are herbivores and only eat plants foods for their entire lives (after being weaned). No one's asking them if they get enough protein. Grains like oats, quinoa, amaranth, and spelt have high protein-to-carb ratios.

Consider nuts and seeds. Peanuts have the highest protein content of any nut, with about 7 grams per ounce. The highest protein containing seeds are pumpkin seeds and pine nuts. Close runners up are almonds, hemp seeds, pistachios, and sunflower seeds (all about 6 grams per ounce). Nuts and seeds also contain hundreds of nutrients and phytochemicals, antioxidants, and fiber.

How Much Is Enough?

Many people are convinced that without huge amounts of protein, we will become weak and lose muscle mass. This is simply not the case. The average person needs somewhere in the range of 50 grams of protein per day. Pregnant and breastfeeding women may need a little more, and endurance athletes may need a little more. The average person in our culture gets plenty of protein on a daily basis. Protein deficiency is only common in underdeveloped countries where there are very limited food sources. For example, one eight-ounce steak has over 50 grams of protein.

Eating too much protein can wreak havoc on your body. It can cause build up of toxins like ammonia in your blood, and is very hard on your liver and kidneys. Your body has to do a lot of work to process and excrete excess protein, and it has been linked with kidney disease. Also, if you are eating too much protein from animal foods, it is likely you are also eating too much fat and cholesterol.

Have a nutty day, friends!