“And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.” Genesis 1:29. In the beginning, God, in his infinite wisdom, provided Adam and Eve with a vegan diet, which was enough to supply them with all the nutrition they required. Man did not require meat in his diet to ensure proper nutrition. However, when sin entered into the world, mankind included meat in his diet. However, this was not according to God’s original plan. Over the centuries, meat has become more and more tainted, and is now the cause of many of man’s diseases and reasons for a shortened lifespan.
As health reformers, we all accept that a non-meat, vegetarian diet is necessary in order for us to honour God, and be in accordance to His will in taking care of our physical being. However, the Spirit of Prophecy advises us that one day, because of all the diseases that animal foods contain, we must give up all animal-based sources of food, including dairy and eggs. Many people who are considering switching to a vegan diet are concerned that it does not provide adequate amounts of protein.
God would not have given man a diet that left him with deficiencies. So, let us look at disproving the myth that a vegan diet is not sufficient to provide us with all the protein that our bodies require.
What is protein?
Protein is a nutrient needed by the human body. Its role is as building blocks for blood, skin, cartilage, muscles, bones, hormones, enzymes. Protein is made up of over 20 amino acids. Our body can make all the amino acids we need except for 9 “essential” amino acids. These are called essential amino acids, because they need to be provided to us by the protein in our food. If we do not have all 9 essential amino acids in our diet, our body cannot use the protein we eat, and we become deficient.
Animal vs. vegetable protein
Animal-based sources of protein contain all the 9 essential amino acids that we need, and are considered “complete” proteins. The concern has been whether a vegan diet can provide all the 9 essential proteins needed by the body as plant-based proteins do not all contain the 9 amino acids that we need from our food. Many plant sources of protein contain certain amino acids in smaller quantities than our bodies can use. These are called “limiting” proteins. Most plant based proteins are “incomplete” proteins for this reason. But, if we are deficient in even one amino acid, our bodies can’t use the protein that we eat.
The benefits of vegan proteins are that they are low in fat, contain no cholesterol, and are good sources of folate, calcium, zinc, potassium, iron, magnesium, Vitamin B complex, and rich in anti-oxidants which assist in preventing age-related illnesses. Unlike animal protein, vegan protein is also a good source of complex carbohydrates and fats, the two other main nutrients that our bodies require. They are also high in fibre and contain Omega-3 fatty acids.
So, how can a plant-based diet provide all the essential amino acids that we require?
In the past, science taught us that, in a vegan diet, we need to be very careful to eat combinations of protein foods at each meal to ensure we get all the essential amino acids so that our body can create the proteins that we need, otherwise we would develop a protein deficiency. But, now science has proven that this is untrue. Our bodies are able to “store” amino acids over the course of a day or so; thus we are able to put together the amino acids from all sources to make complete proteins during that time.
So, how do we ensure that we eat all the needed proteins over the course of a day?
Each plant has its own unique amino acid profile. By eating a variety of plant foods with incomplete proteins, we can easily get enough protein to supply our bodies with all the amino acids that we need. Therefore, we will ensure that foods that are low in one amino acid will be balanced by another food that is sufficient in that amino acid. Therefore, strict protein combining is not necessary; it is more important to eat a varied diet throughout the day.
Which foods are considered vegan proteins?
First of all, there are two plant-based foods that DO provide all the amino acids we need. These foods are soy and quinoa, and are known as “complete” proteins. We have no concern about getting variety in our diet if we eat these two sources of protein. But, we don’t need to eat soy and quinoa on a daily basis to ensure we get a proper combination of amino acids. And, in fact we miss out on a lot of nutrients that other protein foods contain if we limit ourselves to these two foods in our diet.
There are many vegan sources of protein. Not only are the “traditional” vegan proteins good sources of protein, but almost all foods except sugar and fats contain protein, including grains, vegetables, and fruits.
Legumes
The group of foods considered the main source of vegan protein is the legume family. Legumes include beans, peas, and lentils, of which the soybean is a complete protein. Some examples of foods in the legume group are: chick peas, peanuts, peas, green beans, black beans, navy beans, kidney beans. Soy can be found in many forms such as soy milk, tofu, tempeh, TVP (textured vegetable protein products), and soy cheese. Soy is a versatile protein source and can be added to many dishes in its various forms.
A Bit About Soy
Because of soy’s high levels of protein, soy products are a great source of vegan protein. In fact, 40% of the soybean is made up of protein. Soybeans also are made up of essential fatty acids (20%), fibre, iron, calcium, Vitamin C, thiamine, folic acid, magnesium, potassium, zinc, and manganese.
There have been concerns that soy can be harmful to one’s health, because of the presence of isoflavones, which are estrogen-like compounds. Many people avoid soy based on these fears. However, recent studies done in countries that use high levels of soy in their diet have proven that soy is not harmful to health, but in fact soy is actually beneficial. The estrogen-like properties of soy are not a concern, as they are not the same type of estrogen that is present in the human body, therefore high levels in soy do not cause health problems. In fact, in countries that use a lot of soy, including China and Japan, studies show that there is a lower incidence of breast and colon cancers. Also, there is no decrease in fertility, no negative effects on the fetus during pregnancy, or in the growth and development of children. For women in menopause, soy can assist with decreasing the symptoms that women usually experience.
Nuts and Seeds
The second group of vegan proteins are the seeds, nuts, and nut butters. This group includes foods such as all tree nuts (walnuts, almonds, pecans, pistachios, cashews, pine nuts, Brazil nuts), seeds (pumpkin, sesame, flax, sunflower, chia) and the butters made from nuts, such as almond butter. Quinoa, which is classified as a seed is in this category, and is a complete protein.
How much protein do we need in a day?
North Americans are obsessed with protein, they feel they need large amounts of protein in their diets. However, in reality, we need much less protein than we think. Protein is an essential nutrient, however we only need small amounts of it in our diet. Only one calorie out of every ten that we eat in a day needs to come from protein. People who eat meat and animal products typically consume about 120g (grams) of protein daily. This is far more than we need, and high protein diets can cause damage to the body in many ways, including kidney damage, osteoporosis, and some cancers.
The Recommended Daily Allowance of protein is 0.8-1g of protein per kilogram of body weight. For a 70 kg (160 lb) male, the daily protein need is between 56-70g of protein.
How easily can we include this amount of protein in our diet?
In the legume group, 1 cup of most cooked beans and lentils contains around 15g of vegan protein. 1 cup of cooked soybeans contains around 30g of protein. And 1 cup of firm tofu contains about 40g of protein.
In the seed/nut group, 1/4 cup of most nuts can range anywhere from 5-10g of protein. 2–3 tablespoons of seeds will provide around 8g of protein, with the exception of flax seeds, which provide around 4g. Flax seeds are a very good source of Omega-3 fatty acids, which is a reason to include it in your diet regularly. Also, 2 tablespoons of most nut butters contain approximately 8g of protein. 1 cup of cooked quinoa provides 18g of protein.
Foods from the other vegan food groups also contain protein. Most whole grains contain 6g of protein per cup. Vegetables contain 4g per serving, and each serving of fruits contain 1g of protein.
Because of all the other vegan food sources that contain protein, we only need 2-3 servings of foods from the protein group in a day.
The key to a vegan diet rich in all the essential proteins is variety. Eating protein foods from each of the food groups: legumes, seeds and nuts, whole grains, vegetables, and fruits will provide the vegan diet with adequate amounts of protein that contain all the essential amino acids.