I went a bit nuts at Safeway last night. It was the last day
of their weekly sale, and I knew I had to stock up on a few must-haves. 4 tubs
of Weis sorbet and 4 blocks of Whittaker’s dark almond chocolate later… I left
a happy lady!
I’m really keen to write about omega 3 and essential fatty
acids - I’m concerned about vegans who may not be getting enough, even if they
think they are. But to write about it, I need to get my head around it
properly. There are 4 types/categories of omega 3 (ALA, EPA, DHA, GLA) – and some
are better than others. I will endeavour to get my head around it all ASAP so
that I can share.
PROTEIN
But today I will write about an easier essential nutrient
(although now that I’ve read more, it’s not so easy!). But I shall summarise
what I have learnt.
‘Proteins are digested to release amino acids. There are about
20 different amino acids that, in different combinations, make up the countless
millions of proteins available in nature.
A protein can consist of between 50 and tens of thousands of amino acids, linked together by a kind of ‘glue’ called a peptide bond. There are two broad classes of amino acid: those that can be made by the human body (non-essential amino acids) and those that can only be supplied by food (essential amino acids). [1]’
A protein can consist of between 50 and tens of thousands of amino acids, linked together by a kind of ‘glue’ called a peptide bond. There are two broad classes of amino acid: those that can be made by the human body (non-essential amino acids) and those that can only be supplied by food (essential amino acids). [1]’
In the body the amino acids are used to make new proteins,
converted into hormones such as adrenalin or used as an energy source. Brain
cells, muscle, skin, hair and nails are just some of the body parts that are
protein-based.
The amount of protein you need
in your diet depends on your weight, age and health. As a rough guide, the
recommended dietary intake (RDI) is;
64g for males
46g for females
The following vegan foods provide our bodies with
approximately 10g of protein[2]
4 slices (120g) wholemeal bread
3 cups (90g) wholegrain cereal
2 cups (330g) cooked pasta
3 cups (400g) cooked rice
3/4 cup (150g) lentils or kidney beans
200g baked beans
120g tofu
60g nuts or seeds
300ml soy milk
100g soy meat
3 cups (90g) wholegrain cereal
2 cups (330g) cooked pasta
3 cups (400g) cooked rice
3/4 cup (150g) lentils or kidney beans
200g baked beans
120g tofu
60g nuts or seeds
300ml soy milk
100g soy meat
Apparently spirulina is also an excellent natural source of
protein (this was recommended to me by the naturopath at Evelyn Faye Nutrition
in South Melbourne), however the only information I can find online about
spirulina is through various companies who sell it as a product – I want to
find out non-biased, scientific information on something when it relates to my
health. I don’t want to believe just anything that is fed to me by companies
who want me to buy their product. Wikipedia
has some information on spirulina as a dietary supplement, but anything posted
on Wikipedia I take with a grain of salt…
From reading lots of information, and picking the good info
from the bad, I would suggest the best way to get all your protein requirements
is to eat a variety of food throughout the day.
Now, we’re all aware of the Mr Muscles who grunt, intimidate
you at the gym and who can’t seem to walk around without pretending they own
the world – these ‘men’ (and the occasional ‘lady’)
consume copious amounts of protein powders, shakes and countless other
supplements to bulk up to this size. Most of them also poison their bodies with
steroids, and other toxic substances.
Do not think that if you consume a lot of protein that you
will end up looking like that. Or this!
Protein is important, but I've been a vegetarian for 8 years and never had to supplement. Pretty much everything in a vegan/veg diet has a decent amount of protein, or certain meals compensate for lack of protein in other meals.
ReplyDeleteBut I can highly recommend legumes and quinoa for decent doses of the good stuff.