The Veg Project - thoughts on nutrition

I completed my first week. It was tough. My body must have been adjusting to the different way of eating. At first I was constantly feeling deprived of something. But I wonder if that's just because I was used to eating a certain way. I think the main difference I was reacting to was eating less protein every day.


Here are a few interesting facts about protein.


Although many plant products have protein, very few have the complete proteins that contain all of the amino acids our bodies need to thrive. One of the challenges true vegetarians face, especially vegans, is getting all of their required protein. It takes a lot of research and knowledge to cover all of the bases with plant products alone. Soy and tofu are great products for this- otherwise, animal protein is really the only source of complete protein that contains all of the necessary amino acids. This is why we are omnivores. (Look at our teeth- they're formed via evolution for both grinding plants and tearing meat.)


As I mentioned above protein is great and necessary. But from a balanced nutrition standpoint, our American diets are full of way too much protein. Do you really need to eat a 24 oz Delmonico steak for dinner after having had a turkey and swiss hoagie for lunch? If you're anything like me, your vegetable intake for that day extended to the lettuce and tomato on the sandwich and the small side salad that came with the steak. Seriously, though- you're only supposed to eat something like 50-60 grams of protein a day.



The CDC has some great information on types of protein, sources of protein, and required daily amounts. There's also tips on combining plant products to equal the complete protein you get from animals. Here's the link:
www.cdc.gov/nutrition/everyone/basics/protein.html