Vegetarians and Protein

One of the biggest questions that a person who wants to switch to a vegetarian diet (or is just curious about it) has is how does one receive sufficient protein, given the lack of animal protein and the paucity of protein in vegetarian diet.

The recommended requirement for daily protein is calculated from the maximum normal BMI, your height, and your level of activity. It corresponds to 0.8 grams of protein per Kilogram of body weight which is the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for low levels of activity, 1.1 grams for moderate activity, and 1.4 grams for vigorous activity. (Source http://www.scientificpsychic.com/fitness/diet.html - see "Grams of protein per day") .

For a person weighing about 160 lbs, who is moderately active, that would work out to (72.6 Kg * 1.1) = 79.86 gms of protein per day, or about 58 gms of protein if your level of activity is low.

Another consideration for vegetarians is "complete protein" vs. "incomplete protein". A "complete protein" (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Complete_protein) provides required quatities of all 9 essential amino acids (the building blocks of proteins). Animal protein is complete. Plant proteins are generally not.

However, combinations of different vegetarian foods can provide all the essential amino acids, and they don't have to be eaten at the same sitting. Some examples of complementary protein dishes are rice and beans, rice and lentils, hummus and pita bread, peanut butter sandwich, mac and cheese.

Here are some more links to check out for the curious.
http://www.mypyramid.gov/tips_resources/vegetarian_diets.html
http://www.savvyvegetarian.com/articles/protein-veg-diet.php

So the name of the game is having a good varied diet for a healthy vegetarian diet. Be adventurous and explore new territory, especially if you're switching from a meat diet, as you may not know enough balanced vegetarian dishes, and end up eating an unhealthy and unbalanced vegetarian diet. I hope to explore delicious vegetarian dishes as I go along.

Coming back to daily protein intake, let's take a look at where good amounts of protein can come from:

A glass of 2% milk gives you about 8 gms of protein.
A glass of 1.5% buttermilk gives you about 9 gms of protein.
A glass of (mmm mmm.... delicious Silk) soy milk (I love Silk Chocolate Soy Milk) gives you 5 gms of it.

A slice of cheese is about 7 gms of protein.
A slice of whole wheat bread is about 4-5 gms of protein!! That's about 20 gms right there for 4 slices!
A serving of quinoa gives you 5 gms - it is also an interestingly different and tasty alternative to rice.
A serving of whole wheat cous-cous gives you 8 gms of protein.

This list just scratches the surface. Thus, you can see that a vegetarian diet can provide quite adequate quantities of proteins. Just like in any kind of diet, a balanced diet is quite crucial.

Enough already! Give me some tasty veggie dishes that don't leave me hungry and craving food and overeating and packing the fat!!

Patience, my dear Watson! Do come back soon! I'll start posting some delicious recipes, I promise!

Gotta run now!
Ciao,
Sridhar