What do I say to someone who says you don’t get enough protein with a plant based diet?
I would say ‘oh can I send you pictures of everything I eat and you could work out my nutrition needs?’ In a genuine way. They’d usually be like fuxk no. But if they aren’t you show them that your diet does.
really depends on the tenor of the conversation but there’s so much information out there that if someone was actually interested in honest discourse you wouldn’t need to respond to that with anything other than, “nah, just look it up.”
Ask them what constitutes as “enough.” If you’re trying to build muscle and are not actively tracking macros (exclude those who’ve already done the math and are going based off memory), there’s actually a fair chance you’re NOT getting enough protein overall. Besides that, I think what is truly “enough” is far lower than many people might think.
Well totally depends if what plant based diet you are having.
As someone that works out and needs a lot of protein, if I switched to a plant based diet, apart from protein shakes (pea protein generally). I would still need to eat a lot of chickpeas, lentils etc to get the intake I need.
I would say I don’t remember discussing how many grams of protein I am targeting in a day. Then probably agree with them as protein in most vegetables with a few exceptions aren’t complete proteins and I’m not eating Hemp Hearts, Spirulina and Beans and rice to hit my protein target
I would remind them that protein deficiency can be an issue in non-plant based diets too, and then reassure them that you are keeping track of your protein intake to ensure that it meets your needs.
In my opinion acting super defensive/attacking them will only result in either a conflict or for the person to be even more convinced that there is an issue.
Why are they telling you? - Is it close friends or family that cares about you?💙 Or is other people simply to tell you they believe what you are doing is wrong?
If it’s the latter I would simply ignore it, why do they have to tell you their option about your food. If you feel good, exercise and overall stay healthy they should not care.
I wish you luck in solving this 🌞
Half of the commenters are so triggered, other half admits they did not get enough proteins at some point
Anybody here building muscles? Are you getting 1g per pound of body weight, as it’s recommended?
Easy conversation in my opinion. You can just say
“You can hit or miss required protein intake in vegetarian and non vegetarian diets. Obviously different foods have different protein concentrations and I would most likely need to eat more than someone eating a steak to hit the same level of protein. But with my diet, I able to get X amount of protein per day.”
Find the official dietitians or nutrition society from your country. They probably have a great resource about how any well designed vegetarian or vegan diet can be perfectly healthy, including providing all the protein you need. Bear in mind as long as 15% of your energy is coming from a variety of protein sources (variety is key in plant based as most plant proteins are incomplete, but together in combination you can get everything you need) then you’ve got all you need to repair and replace body proteins.
To be honest, I wasn’t getting enough protein. It takes a bit of research and effort to make sure you are getting enough. Anyone that blatantly asks is probably being a jerk and not actually concerned for your well being. You should be eating 30mg minimum for optimal health. Great for hair and nails too.
You’re protein needs are less than most think. Have them look up what their bodies protein needs are, and then calculate how much protein they are eating on their current diet. Then they can look at what high protein plants contain per serving. That way they can compare what they need, with what they are getting, and with what they could get from a diet adjustment. They can make their own decisions from there.
Random statements like these are meaningless. First, you can miss out on protein in any diet. Second, you can have too much protein. Third, there are many types of plant-based diets (doesn’t have.to be strict vegan). Only trust the advice of a professional who has trained following evidence based practices and knows how to personalize advice.
You say: “What you probably meant was that you can only get vitamins D3, B12, Taurine, Creatine, Carnitine, Carnosine, Heme iron, and Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)…” and then do a mic drop and you walk away.
Unlike all these commenters trying to come up with some snarky reply, you could just do the normal person thing and consider if there is any validity to the statement. Maybe there is, maybe there isn’t?
You can send them this video or some of the discussed researched articles.
“On average, vegetarians and vegans get 70% more protein than they need every day.”
https://nutritionfacts.org/video/do-vegetarians-get-enough-protein/
Edit: and since they’ve opened the door to question each other’s nutrient intake, you can ask them what they eat to get enough fiber.
I would start with “what do you mean by don’t? Are you saying all plant based eaters eat the same food? Yes many plants based foods are higher in other macronutrients that might make it harder to achieve the same protein goals however there are number of foods very high in protein like x y z, including plant based protein powders which makes the targets easy to achieve in any normal context. Do you have some information that would suggest otherwise?”. I doubt the conversation will go any further or they will accept their newfound understanding.
Ask them to name some plant based sources. When they only name like 3, reply with “Well it’s understandable you’d think that. You don’t know much about plant based diets.
It is dismissive, a slight jab and may encourage them to do some research
Depends on who says it and if I know about any of their ridiculous beliefs, I’ll just throw out something like “wtf do you know? You voted for Trump twice, can you even tie your own shoes or wipe your ass? Leave nutrition to those I’d us that graduated”
Flip it back of them. Ask them how much protein do you need per day or similar. Most people will struggle to respond when they are put in a position where they have to defend/prove their own misguided argument.
Im 6’5 and lift heavy weights 5/6 times a week. I aim for 180/200g of protein a day. How can i get that in a plant based diet? Genuinely looking for answers as its really not convinient for me to eat that amount of beans etc per day, especially if im travelling or in a rush with cooking time. Whereas much easier from meat i find
Beans, tofu and nuts also every single plant based food has the 9 essential amino acids (complete protein). Also there are several athletes and body builders that are plant based. Most of us only need 25-30gr of protein daily so if you eat tofu, beans and nuts throughout the day you get enough.
This is how I would respond
True? However, people who have a plant based diet are aware they need protein supplements, or need to be litigious with meeting protein requirements, and they purposely eat to accomplish those requirements. Whereas, most people who have a meat/diary based diet are truly unaware they are not taking in enough protein. The reasons? I couldn’t tell you all the reasons, however, I am aware animal based fat tricks the body (and mind) into feeling like a meal is balanced, and protein requirements are met. Just because you eat meat, and dairy does not mean you get enough protein, and in general this lulls people into feeling they get enough protein in their diet, without ever checking or calculating protein intake.
Simple. Lentils are 30% protein by calorie. For 2000 calories this is ~150 grams of protein. For 1 gram/kg, you could weigh 150 kgs and still get enough protein from 2000 calories!
Beans are in the 20-25% range, so not far off either.
Finally, if muscle growth is the final target, many plant eating animals are huge.
Just show them a picture of a horse or kangaroo and tell them they’re not looking too deficient on protein. On the other hand, showing them protein rich plant foods that you eat should suffice. It is more difficult to ensure you’re getting adequate protein amounts while plant based but definitely very achievable for most.
Flip it on them..I did research on this for a speech in college. I can source if you’d like, but essentially the research concluded that people who consume the typical omnivorous diet are having too much protein, sometimes by double. Even some vegetarians are having too much.. and here’s the twist: too much protein is linked to a slew of health issues like diabetes, heart problems and more