How Vegans Get Protein

Veganism is one of the best innovations of humanity. After a while, we realized that we could not continue and burn all the natural resources. What am I talking about? Food! Yes, I am talking about the food industry. It is running the planet earth. For food production, we are consuming water, energy, soil, and other resources badly.

People usually don’t care about the direct and indirect consequences of their actions. This is so true with the food habit we have. Millions of people across the world usually eat meat, isn't it? Many people enjoy biting it and eat it at their parties, festivals, and ceremonies. However, there are many sad truths about our food habits that we usually overlook. Let's talk about it for a second.

Sad Truths About The Meat Industry

You might say that eating meat is not a big deal. Also, you might be saying that eating meat is so enjoyable and healthy and you will do it even though the costs are a lot. However, I am here to argue differently. I am here to show you how the meat industry is destroying the planet earth.

The More Meat; The More Slaughterhouses

People don’t usually like to know what is going on inside a slaughterhouse. They don’t want to get disturbed by this sad truth. Every day, millions of different animals, including cows, sheep, pigs, chickens, etc., are getting tortured and killed. Why? Because we, humans, want to enjoy our meals.

It is so sad when you are having fun and eating meat. You know it has come from a slaughterhouse that millions of animals are kept and imprisoned for their entire life and eventually get killed without enjoying their life for a second. This is ethically wrong and one of the most important negative aspects of the meat industry.

Antibiotic Filled Meat

Imagine that eating meat is not ethically wrong. Even if it is OK to eat another animals' meat, it is hazardous for your health. One of the main reasons is the presence of antibiotics in meat. This is a threat for humanity because of developing resistant bacteria that can cause very nasty diseases.

Chickens Are Given Prozac

You might not need to take antidepressant medication. However, you might take lots of it when eating chickens. Do you know why? This is another cruel aspect of the meat industry. Let me explain this to you. Chickens are under a huge amount of stress while they are growing.

When chickens get stressed, they will not be able to grow as fast as enough. So, farmers use many dangerous medicines such as antidepressants, painkillers, banned antibiotics, and allergy medication. They do this to calm chickens down and get the stress away from them. These compounds will end up storing in your body, and they will influence you in a bad way.

Unwanted Prescription Consumption

Antidepressants and antibiotics are not the only dangerous compounds that open their way into your body, thanks to eating meat. There are other substances too which you need to know. For example, neurological damage is humans in one of the impacts of Ivermectin. Other substances are Flunixin has negative impacts on your kidney and stomach and cause colon ulcers and bloody stool for humans. Penicillin and Arsenic are other substances found in chickens' bodies and are responsible for life-threatening reactions and carcinogenic situations.

Urinary Tract Infections Found In Chickens

The agent that causes urinary tract infections in humans is a bacterium. This bacterium is found in chickens' bodies. Why? It is because many of these bacteria have become resistant to antibiotics. People think that eating chicken meat is healthier than other types of meat. However, this is not the case as they can get infected by many different types of bacteria.

Destructive Influence On The Planet Earth

Well, this is another obvious negative influence of the meat industry. With more people preferring to eat meat, more water, land, energy, and food need to be consumed for the sake of the meat industry. Livestock drink millions of tons of water every day.

Also, they need to get feed several times a day, which means jungles and forests need to be destroyed for creating agricultural lands. Moreover, they need to be kept cold and warm in the summer and winter, consuming electricity in a very intense style.

So, we understand that the meat industry is awful and must be faded away step-by-step. Here is when veganism comes into the picture to keep humans hopeful about the future. I am sure you know what veganism means. It means that you must not eat meat and any other animal-related products such as eggs, milk, and other dairy products.

However, some people argue that vegan food is not nutritionally as valuable as normal food. In particular, they believe that vegans cannot receive a good amount of protein for their bodies. Is it true? In fact, what's wrong with veganism concerning the amount of protein found in vegan food? And, if it is true, how can we compensate for this deficiency? I am here to answer all these questions.

Protein In Vegan Food?

Let me start with this famous argument. Some experts believe that vegan foods are not a good source of protein. Is it really the case? Well, answering this question is not easy. Of course, there are many different plants and foods that you can eat to provide your body with protein. However, there is a catch here.

Look, there are basically nine essential amino acids that your body needs them. Some plant-based proteins are not complete, meaning they miss one, two, or several of these essential amino acids. Why our body needs these essential amino acids so much?

Because our body cannot make them, and they have to be obtained from food. However, you can get all these essential amino acids from different plant-based foods with a good combination. Here, we are going to introduce some foods that offer complete protein sources for vegans.

Quinoa

It is a type of grain. It has a nutty flavour.
It is free from gluten.
It is different from other cereals and grains because it is not produced from grasses. So, experts consider it a pseudocereal.
You can get eight grams of protein from only 185 grams of cooked quinoa.
It is not only filled with all essential amino acids, but it also provides you with other important elements such as magnesium, iron, fibre, and zinc.
You can have a very energetic and protein-rich breakfast from quinoa if you simmer it in plant source milk.

Tofu, Tempeh, And Edamame

Tofu is made from soybeans and is one of the best high-quality plant-based protein sources.
Tofu comes in three different textures, including silken, firm, and extra-firm.
You can produce Tofu by pressurizing soy milk into white blocks.
It doesn’t have any specific flavour, so it takes on the flavour of the food you are eating with.
You can find as high as eight grams of protein in only 85 grams of Tofu. The amount of potassium and iron is not very high. In contrast, it is rich in calcium.
There are some small differences between Tofu and tempeh. First of all, you can chew tempeh better than tofu. Also, it is made from fermented soybeans. Temped is usually used for making a cake. In this case, people usually mix it with other seeds and grains to make a high-density cake.
Edamame beans are green and a bit sweet and taste the grassy flavour. You can boil or steam and eat them as a snack. Or, you can use them in your salads.
85 grams of temped has 11 grams of protein. It is not only filled with protein. It is a good source of fibre, iron, potassium, and calcium, important for your health.
What about edamame? For every 85 grams of it, you can get eight grams of protein. Also, you can get fibre, calcium, iron, and vitamin C.

Amaranth

Let me tell you something interesting about amaranth. It is an ancient food as there is some evidence that it has been the staple food for people who lived in Incan, Mayan, and Aztec hundreds of years ago.
Now, people usually use it in the salad to make the taste more exciting. Or, some others eat it when it is boiled. Another feature of amaranth is that you can still feel the crunch when you are biting from it even after getting cooked. In baking, amaranth can be used as a gluten-free source.
Nine grams of protein can be extracted from nearly 246 grams. Also, traditionally, it has been considered a good source of manganese, magnesium phosphorus, and iron. That's why experts say that amaranth is very helpful in brain health.

Buckwheat

The amount of protein in buckwheat is not as high as the above-mentioned protein sources. It is still considered a valuable source of essential amino acids. In fact, in every 168 grams of it, you can find six grams of protein. The way you cook is similar to oatmeal. In Japan, there is a form of noodle which is called soba. Buckwheat can be used for producing soba. Some essential minerals such as phosphorus, manganese, copper, magnesium, and iron are some of the most valuable properties of buckwheat.

Ezekiel Bread

This food is a product of several plants, including barley, soybeans, wheat, lentils, millet, and spelling. There are as many as eight grams of protein in 68 grams of this bread. You can have all nine essential amino acids in this bread. This is not the case in other bread, though, because of their mixture or other reasons.
Lysine is one of the most common essential amino acids, and sprouting grains and legumes in the bread is high.

Spirulina

This is not a plant but an alga. It is one of the main food for people who are on a vegetarian and vegan diet. You can find spirulina in the form of tablets. Spirulina can come as a powder. Therefore, you can easily add it to smoothies, granola bars, soups, and salads.
In seven grams of Spirulina, you can find more than four grams of protein. B vitamins, copper, iron, and antioxidants are also other substances you can find in Spirulina.

Hemp Seeds

Hemp seeds are coming from the hemp plant, which is called Cannabis sativa. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) can be found in hemp seeds but in minimal amounts. You might not know this, but THC is one of the main compounds of marijuana. Of course, you are not going to experience the same feeling as marijuana. Concerning protein, hemp seeds can be considered an excellent source. Besides having all essential amino acids, hemp seeds have essential fatty acids, linoleic acid, and alpha-linolenic acid. Thirty grams of hemp seeds which is equivalent to three tablespoons, have nearly 10 grams of protein. It is also full of phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, and zinc.
You can have hemp seeds in your vegan yogurt or salad.

Chia Seeds

Chia seeds have a special ability, and that is adsorbing liquid and forming a gel-like structure. That's why there are nice choices for making pudding. Also, since they are free from pectin, you can use them in pectin-free jams production. You can eat chia seeds with smoothies and food that are baked.
The amounts of protein in chia seeds are not as impressive as others. In fact, there are only four grams of protein in 30 grams of them. omega-3, calcium, magnesium, and selenium are all found in Chia seeds.

Nutritional Yeast

It is one of the by-products of Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
It is essential in the food industry for different processes, especially the production of bread.
Eight grams of protein can be found in 15 grams of nutritional yeast.
Zinc, magnesium, coppers, manganese, B Vitamins, including B12, are some other materials of this type.

Rice And Beans

The amount of the amino acid called methionine is very high in rice. In contrast, beans are full of lysine. That is why most experts believe that you should have rice and beans at the same time. There are 12 grams of protein in 239 grams of rice and bean separately.

Pita And Hummus

This is another source of protein that originally comes from the middle east. They have all nine essential amino acids. One of the problems of pita is that it is shallow in the amount of lysine. However, hummus is going to compensate for that because it is rich in lysine.

Vegan Protein Products From Amazon

There are many tablets and pills you can find on the internet. A big group of them are tablets or pills for people suffering from a lack of protein. Lack of protein can cause severe conditions for humans and must be avoided. One thing you could do is to eat vegan food filled with essential amino acids.

Another way of receiving enough protein is from supplementary tablets and pills. Here, I am going to introduce some of the best vegan protein products on the market. So, next time somebody says vegans don’t receive enough protein, I will strongly disagree and ask them to increase their knowledge about protein in vegan foods.

It is from the brand PROTEIN WORKS.
It is a famous product since there are nearly two thousand rating comments on Amazon.
It comes in a pack of one-half, one, or two kilograms.
You don’t need to be worried because no animal protein is in. In fact, the protein blend in the product has soya, pea, hemp, sunflower, and brown rice.
The flavour tastes like vanilla.
As it is clear, it is for people who are vegan or have a gluten-free diet.
The format is powder.
Every serving has nearly 25 grams which are great for athletes.
Since it has meagre amounts of fat, you can throw it in your shake and drink every time of the day.
No GMO has been involved in the process of producing this product.
In addition to vanilla which is its main flavour, it has choc hazelnut heaven too.

Roots ‘n Shoots Vegan Protein Powder Shake with Added B12 500g (Cacao/Chocolate) | 4 Premium Plant Proteins | Gluten-Free | Sugar-Free | All Natural Ingredients

This is another vegan protein product similar to the previous one.
This product is from the brand ROOT'N SHOOTS.
It comes in four tastes, including berry, cacao, vanilla, and salted caramel. They both cost 18.88 euros.
The main protein in the product is produced from pumpkin, sunflower, rice, and pea.
In addition to protein, the product has iron, zinc, fibre, and magnesium.
It also has vitamin b12.
The product is sugar, dairy, and gluten-free with very low-fat concentrations. Also, no GMO is involved in the production.

Optimum Nutrition ON Gold Standard 100% Plant Protein, High Protein Vegan Powder, Chocolate, 19 Servings, 684g, Packaging May Vary

The product is from the brand Optimum Nutrition and costs 18.95 euros.
The flavour is my favourite! Which is chocolate.
The protein inside the bottle is made from pea and rice. Also, it has fat-reduced cocoa powder, thickeners, L-Ascorbic acid, and sodium chloride.
The product is gluten-free. The amino acid profile is complete.
This product has been certified by the Vegan Society.

I can continue the list, but I don’t want to bother you with writing too much. For the sake of the article, here is a short list of other famous vegan protein amiable on Amazon. We only mention five products. You can explore more.

Maximuscle Plant Max | Vegan Protein Powder Sports Supplement Shake for Muscle Growth and Development | Banana Fudge, 480g – 16 Servings

It is from the Maximuscle.
It costs 16.34 euros.
The protein is all purely vegan coming from pea and brown rice.
In addition to protein, it has high fibre, vitamin b12, and Iron.
There are two flavours available, including banana fudge and chocolate.

Vegan Protein Powders (28 Servings, 1kg) – All Natural Vegan Protein Shake High in Iron & Zinc with Fruits, Botanicals & Plant-Based Protein Powder, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Lactose-Free (Vanilla)

It is from the brand Wyldsson.
The product comes in two flavours, including vanilla and chocolate.
The protein inside the box was pea, pumpkin, and sunflower.

Vegan Protein – Vanilla Biscuit – Plant Protein from Soy Sprouted Rice, Peas, Flax Seed, Amaranth, Sunflower Seed, Pumpkin Seed – 600g Powder with Natural Vanilla Biscuit Flavour

It is from the brand Alpha Foods.
The flavour is vanilla.
The protein comes from soy, flaxseed, pea, and xylitol.

Conclusion

People have changed dramatically. Now, they care about their environment and the welfare of animals. That's why every day, more people are becoming vegan. Veganism is, now, a lifestyle that can keep you healthier. However, there are some rumours out there on the internet.

They say vegan food is free from protein and people's body needs protein so much. However, this is not true at all. In fact, much vegan food has all the essential amino acids your body requires. Here, in this article, I try to introduce some of these compounds. There are some plants you have to know. In addition, you can go to Amazon and order vegan protein in the shape of supplementary food. Many thanks for reading until the end.

I trust you enjoyed reading the article about How Vegans Get Protein. Would you please stay tuned? There are more blog posts to come very shortly.

JeannetteZ

Your Opinion Is Important To Me

Ideas? Thoughts? Questions? I would love to hear from you. Would you mind leaving me your questions, experience and remarks about How Vegans Get Protein in the comments section below? You can also reach me by email at Jeannette@LivingTheVeganLifestyle.org.

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