Fact Or Myth: Vegetarian Food Does Not Provide Enough Protein

Protein is the most essential food for your body as it helps in the development of muscles and tissues. It also nourishes and repairs bones. All in all, protein is a support system of your body that helps in building energy and strength. 

From plants to animal products, humans have explored diverse sources of proteins. Although, it is believed that vegetarian diet is deficient in protein. Let’s find out if it’s a fact or a myth with the help of Sweedal Trinidade, Chief Dietician, P. D. Hinduja Hospital and Medical Research Centre, Mumbai. 

Why Is Vegetarian Diet Considered Inadequate Protein Provider? 

Most of the foods rich in protein include meat, fish, poultry and dairy products. Of all, vegetarians can only consume dairy. As a result, it is believed that vegetarian diets are deficient in protein. 

Citing studies, Trinidade said, “There is a gradient increase in protein intake from vegetarian to meat eaters, however it is not low enough to promote protein deficiency especially in vegetarian diet that includes dairy except for the cases where an individual follows a restricted diet avoiding dairy, pulses and lentils in adequate amounts. It can be said that a well-balanced vegetarian diet gives enough proteins.” 

According to Trinidade, on an average, human body requires nearly 0.8g/kg - 1g/kg body weight per day depending on the physiological status and medical condition if any. She said, “Protein requirement per day is highly individualised,” adding that the requirement of protein an individual needs daily is possible through vegetarian diet as well. 

Also read: Chana Masala Is More Than Just A Protein Powerhouse: Here's How Its Mix Of Spices Can Boost Your Health

Veg Foods That Provide Protein

Sweedal Trinidade helped Only My Health list down some vegetarian foods which are great sources of protein.

Dairy

Dairy products provide high quality protein, they include milk and anything made out of milk like yoghurt, paneer, cheese, butter, ghee and so on. One glass of milk contains nearly 8 grams of protein. 

Soya

Soybean is a good source of protein for people who are lactose intolerant or vegan. 100 gram boiled soybean contains around 16.6 grams of protein. It is good for digestion, improves blood circulation and aids sleep disorders. Soy milk, tofu, tempeh, soy chunks, nuts and granules are a few foods made of Soya.

Pulses And Sprouts  

Pulses like green gram, red lentils, chickpeas, horse gram, black gram and so on are packed with proteins. Pulses when sprouted, they provide even high quality protein. Sprouts are a good aid for digestion and help in curing constipation.

Nuts And Seeds

Adding nuts like cashews, walnuts, peanuts, almonds, pistachios to your daily diet will provide you with high quality protein. According to USDA (US Department of Agriculture), 100 grams of walnuts contain 15.2 gram protein. Pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, chia seed, sunflower seeds and sesame seeds are a few examples of seeds that contribute to being plant based sources of protein beneficial for both vegetarians as well as vegans. Around 16.5 grams of protein is obtained from 100 gram chia seeds. 

Vegetables and Fruits

Vegetables like cauliflower, spinach, broccoli, asparagus, sweet corn and green peas are found to be pumped with proteins. 25 gram raw spinach contains 0.7 grams of protein. Plant based protein providers include fruits like avocado, guava, jackfruit, pomegranate, apricots, blueberries, kiwi, peaches. A 100 grams of Guava has 2.6 grams of protein. 

Cereals

Cereals protein contains endosperm storage protein which is low in amino acids according to a study by ScienceDirect. Although they do not provide high quality protein, they are a source of protein. Cereals include wheat, rice, barley, millet, oats, maize and so on. 

Also read: Protein Deficiency: 8 Initial Signs That Will Show You Have Protein Deficiency

Determining Protein Quality

While explaining the quality of protein, Trinidade said, “The quality of protein is determined by ‘Digestible Indispensable Amino Acid Score’ or DIAAS that allows calculation of the amino acid quality of food proteins based on ileal digestibility and not the digestibility in entire the gastrointestinal tract. Also, the values for each amino acid are hence calculated. Milk has a high DIAAS score followed by soya, pulses, and cereal.”

She further said, “However, it is not just the protein content but also the amino acid profile that matters. Example in cereals lysine is missing, which is the limiting amino acid for cereals, while the limiting amino acids for pulses are methionine, cystine and tryptophan; hence a combination of cereal and pulses in right amount can improve the DIAAS also score the protein content and digestibility. Some of the combinations that improve DIAAS scores are aloo matar chapati, dal rice, idli sambar etc.” 

Conclusion

Considering the above concepts, Trinidade concluded, “It can be very well said that a vegetarian diet well planned can give adequate proteins.”