Does Your Plant-Based Diet Have Enough Protein?
Yes, you can get enough of this super-nutrient from eating more of your favourite plant foods — and score some health benefits too. Here are three simple steps to add more protein to your plate with the plant-based diet. A plant-based diet can boost your immunity, make your heart healthier, and help you live longer, research shows. And it can also provide you with all the protein you need.
“You just have to be a little more mindful in your planning,” says Dawn Jackson Blatner, R.D.N., the author of The Flexitarian Diet and a Shape Brain Trust member. “The key is to eat a variety of foods to get the optimum amount of protein, plus the vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients your body requires,” she says.
Follow these simple steps to hit your protein goals with a plant-based diet, whether you’re trying a Meatless Monday or are transitioning to a full-on vegan diet.
“Active women need 0.55 to 0.91 gram of protein per pound of body weight a day, according to the American College of Sports Medicine,” says Blatner. Meanwhile, men need around 56 grams of protein per day. Go for the higher amount if you’re doing intense training. “That will help you repair, build, and maintain muscle,” she says. If you start to feel hungry between meals or irritable, jittery, or headachy, you may need to add more plant-based protein to your day.
Excerpted from Augustman
