Boo! Hiss! Scaring New Vegetarians about Protein

It's really disturbing to see a vegan blogger, when asked about becoming vegetarian, still groups foods into "protein" and "non-protein." [See: http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2009/10/ask-kathy-can-i-go-veg-with-my-food.html]  This is such an amazing fallacy.  In a previous post (about the same blogger) I noted many non-legume, soy, and wheat gluten, sources of proteins in plants and grains (all vegetables, fruits, grains, etc., have protein, btw). 

IMHO, she should have told her it's not a big worry, and that a diet full of grains, legumes, and vegetables will be more than sufficient.  But to suggest that there are many non-soy, mainstream options on the Whole Foods shelves? Why not mention any good produce department as well?

Instead, promoting the myth about having to worry about protein is not giving good, reliable, or accurate advice to the would be newbie.  Here's some useful opinions:

"Should I be worried about getting enough protein on a vegetarian/vegan diet?  No, not as long as you're taking in enough calories. Official recommendations suggest that eating 8% of our daily energy as protein will provide an adequate amount. National and international recommendations for protein intake are based on animal sources of protein such as meat, cow's milk and eggs. Plant proteins may be less digestible because of intrinsic differences in the nature of the protein and the presence of other factors such as fibre, which may reduce protein digestibility by as much as 10%. Nevertheless, dietary studies show the adequacy of plant foods, as sole sources of protein as does the experience of healthy vegans of all ages... it is easy to see that plant foods can supply the recommended amount of protein as long as the energy requirements are met. The short answer is: "No, sufficient protein can be obtained by eating a variety of foods..."  [The International Vegetarian Union's FAQ]

"11. How do I get protein on a vegan diet?... "  Protein is an important nutrient required for the building, maintenance, and repair of tissues in the body... As long as the diet contains a variety of grains, legumes, and vegetables, protein needs are easily met."  [Dr. Neal Barnard, PCRM  in "Reversing Diabetes"]

"Myth #1: Plants are low in protein:  Plant foods are generally abundant in protein. For example, lettuce gets 34% of its calories from protein, and broccoli gets 45% of its calories from protein. Spinach is 49%. Cauliflower is 40%. Celery is 21%. Beans range from 23% to 54% depending on the variety. Grains are 8% to 31%. Nuts and seeds are 8% to 21%. Fruits are the lowest at around 5-8% on average.  If you wanted to suffer from protein deficiency, you’d either have to seriously restrict total calories (i.e. starve yourself), or you’d have to eat a really messed up, unbalanced diet like nothing but low-protein junk foods and certain fruits. But in those cases, protein deficiency probably won’t be your biggest risk.

Personally I’ve never met anyone suffering from protein deficiency in the USA, vegan or otherwise. The much greater risk (in the USA at least) is overconsumption of protein."  ["The Great Protein Myth."]

"Often when people consider going on a vegetarian or vegan diet, they are concerned about getting enough protein. Your diet cuts out all meat and dairy so how do people get protein?:  It's important to know that there is no such thing as protein deficiency if you're eating enough calories. If you look at the largest animals on the planet they get all the protein they need by eating green leafy vegetables. I talk about this in the book. Mother's breast milk is 5% protein. We as human beings can only use about 12 percent of our calories from protein. It's the one maco nutrient we cannot store. It's a non-issue as long as you're eating enough calories"  [Vegan Firefighter, Rip Esselstyn, author, "Engine 2 Diet"]

So, I'm hereby calling on Kathy to PLEASE stop with the continued promulgating of the fake and erroneous so-called "vegetarian" or "vegan" protein issue, and to stop emphasizing protein in any diet or from limited sources.  It's so wrong, unscientific, and negligent of dietary reality; it's not helping the cause and is instead, perpetuating an unnecessary anxiety for those considering a healthier, happier, and longer life through a vegan diet.  That they learn the truth is important, and what you wrote misses much of it. If you really care about helping people, then give them the "whole" story, and not just what sounds like corporate "Whole Foods" PR.

Comments

[Auggiedoggy]

Rather than express the protein content of a food as a percentage why not indicate the grams of protein provided in a serving? If you do then you see that vegetables and fruits are incredibly low in protein. To use an example, you say broccoli gets 45% of its calories from protein. One cup of chopped broccoli provides 3 grams. That's a miniscule amount of protein unless you're counting on eating a truckload of the stuff. Comments?

[1/2 cup isn't a lot, I tend to have two cups, approximately, for my serving. In any case, you're assuming broccoli is the only source of protein during a given meal.

As to grams of protein, I use that approach in one of my other posts on the "protein" myth:

http://soulveggie.blogs.com/my_weblog/2009/10/protein-continuing-the-myth-ignoring-other-sources.html

Note that what's generally defined as a serving of broccoli (there is a source link) is 8 grams of protein, the same as a serving of tofu.

Thanks for your feedback... Mark]

[HumbleVegan]

Excellent post!!! I've been a very strict Vegan for over 5 years. I follow the nutritional plan designed by Dr. Alan Goldhamer, Director and Founder of the True North Health Center (http://www.healthpromoting.com) in Santa Rosa, Calif.

[Bravo! Howard Lyman is a big follower of Goldhamer's and gave me a copy of his cookbook. Just fascinating (and ahead of its time). Some of the most unique non-fat, non-salt, non-sugar vegan recipes I've ever seen.]

There is absolutely NO reason to be concerned about getting enough protein or.. (and this one is what just "tickles" me...) the ****quality**** of protein. I can NOT tell you how many "discussions" Ive been caught up in regarding what "low" quality produce protein is!! I just say.. "People... protein is protein.. its all amino acids!" I also dispise the "oh.. well... you must consume tofu or such, if you don't eat animal flesh to get the protein needed.." AaaaH!!! I can't stand the site of tofu or any soy by product.

[I don't mind the occasional meat analog, but do recognize it's a "lower" protein source, nutritionally, and that too many people "lean" on them to accomodate, rather than eliminate, their taste addictions]

"where do you get your protein?" AND "where do you get your calcium?" are the 2 main questions I get all of the time. There is much education to be shared and so MUCH misinformation out there. We truly have our work cut out for us! Thanks the great post!!

[Agreed.... that it was a vegan blogger promoting the protein myth really ticked me off. One would expect better.]

P.S. wanted to share with you that Charlie Lindahl is a member of the Vegan/Vegetarian meetup group I started 2 months ago. He told me about your blogsite and I follow it all of the time :-)

[Thanks... Chuck and I go back to college... delighted that you enjoy the blog]

Would love to know what you think about my blog.... if you get some time :-) I am the HumbleVegan.

thanks!!

[Your blog is very cool and I was impressed! Keep up the good work... Best regards, Mark]

[Mango]

Thank you for clearing up some things, because there is a lot of fanatical stuff going around. Yes, plants absolutely can provide a wonderful source of protein, and yes protein is good for you, because some people are anti all of it. Awesome post!!

[Am flattered... thanks for your feedback... Best regards, Mark]

[Peter]

Unfortunately the protein myth seems to be so ingrained that's it's even prevelant amongst vegans. When I'm asked 'where do you get your protein?' I respond in asking 'how much protein do you think a person needs?'. Few people are able to answer this or even give a rough estimate.

[Yeah, good point. I was going to bring up the recommended totals, but decided not to. I dislike writing about Kathy's often misleading advice so much, but do feel it's important to have someone take her to task for the more horrendous things she says. I opted for a shorter blog post of my words, and longer of others]

I also steer away from the 'fake meat substitutes'. Why the need for such concoctions when nature provdies such a bounty of whole nutritous plant foods?

p.s. An update on my friend Barry who I previously mentioned I have helped in changing his lifestyle to basically a whole food plant based diet (with plenty of exercise) has now lost 15kg in the space of about three months. He now enjoys a wide range of veggies most of which he had never tasted or appreciated before. He eats a minimum of processed foods. In his words 'I'm eating like a horse but still losing'.

[That's fanastic! Thanks for your comments... Mark]