question about my protein intake...

[mexicanpotato]

I have a very limited diet (due to health issues) and so I basically eat fruit and nuts and drink lots of fresh fruit and veggie juices.

Am I getting enough protein? I eat lots of nuts and in my veggie juices I put spinach. I know the amount needed with each individual varies but in general, is that enough?

Thanks in advance!

[foxytina_69]

probably not. if youre only getting veggies and nuts as a source of protein youre not getting all of the amino acids you need. you need legumes and whole grains too! i got protein deficient just by assuming i was getting enough and not paying attention to it. if you a eat a healthy varied diet than youll get enough protein.

[mexicanpotato]

Yeah, I expected as much...I'll work on that.

Thank you so much!

[foxytina_69]

by the way, welcome to the forum mexicanpotato

[mexicanpotato]

Thanks again! It's good to be here

[eve]

It's also beneficial to have a spoonful of flaxseed oil every day (keep the bottle in the fridge).

[herbwormwood]

Nuts are a good protien source
http://www.vegsoc.org/info/nutsseeds.html
but it is unlikely you will be able to get enough protien just by eating nuts.
Try to vary the nuts so you include a wide variety of them. Also try to introduce some grains such as millet and quinoa, these are good protein sources, and some beans and pulses.
Here is a page about vegan protien
http://www.vegansociety.com/html/foo...on/protein.php
You will see that there are some good vegan protien sources:
Brazil Nuts
Sunflower seeds
Sesame seeds
Hazel Nuts
Wholemeal bread
Whole lentils
Chickpeas
Kidney beans
Wholemeal spaghetti
Brown rice

[hazelbunny]

Been looking at the whole protein question a bit more closely since soya (the obvious solution) does not agree with me.

The biggest problem seems to not be quantity of protein but that most vegan food is missing the essential amino acid tryptophan. As far as I know all essential amino acids have to be present at one time to be able to absorb any of them.

Good sources are limited, but include (apart from soya which has bucket loads): cashews, brazils, acki, sunflower seeds and hazelnuts.


If anyone knows of any other good sources I would be delighted to hear of them!

[Astrid]

As far as I know all essential amino acids have to be present at one time to be able to absorb any of them.

They don't all have to present in one meal, but I guess one should eat varied and try to get them all during the day.

[Korn]

The biggest problem seems to not be quantity of protein but that most vegan food is missing the essential amino acid tryptophan. Good sources are limited, but include (apart from soya which has bucket loads): cashews, brazils, acki, sunflower seeds and hazelnuts.

Hi, according to some quick googling I found that almonds, cabbage, kidney or lima beans, oats, pistachios, poppy seed, pumpkin seed, spinach, wheat, corn and even evening primrose also contain tryptophan (please correct me, anyone, if I'm wrong - I never think about my protein levels but I know they are healthy, so I must be absorbing the protein I need)...

As far as I know all essential amino acids have to be present at one time to be able to absorb any of them.

Not in one meal... that's a 30-40 year old myth.

[hazelbunny]

thanks Korn that adds to the list quite a bit!

[JC]

apparently amaranth is really high in protein. but to be honest, i'm not entirely sure what it is, other than some sort of grain :s

[songlife]

why does nobody ever mention hemp seed protein :P it's really starting to bother me.

hemp seed protein is the bestest! it has ALL your essenstial amino acids, though it's somewhat low in tryptophen, but you can get that from the foods listed above. it's got tons of fibre and everything, it's truly a superfood.

look up hemp seed protein.

[herbwormwood]

Hemp flour is pretty cheap, there is a brand called Yorkshire Hemp which I have used. You can use it as a thickener to stews and sauces etc.

[Reed]

apparently amaranth is really high in protein. but to be honest, i'm not entirely sure what it is, other than some sort of grain :s

Amaranth is an awesome high protein grain that a lot of vegan bodybuilders practically live on. You can pop the seeds like popcorn, or just add them to dishes unpopped for flavor and to improve texture. It's also high in healthy, mono-unsaturated fats, apparently.

I've been meaning to place an order for it in bulk online. Thanks for reminding me.

Anyway, as far as getting your protein in a drink, it's not a substitute for real food, but there are a lot of good pea protein powders out there which are an excellent supplement. I drink a pea protein drink with breakfast every morning.

[null_void]

why does nobody ever mention hemp seed protein :P it's really starting to bother me.

hemp seed protein is the bestest! it has ALL your essenstial amino acids, though it's somewhat low in tryptophen, but you can get that from the foods listed above. it's got tons of fibre and everything, it's truly a superfood.

look up hemp seed protein.

Have you ever tried going into a normal grocery store and asking for hemp seed? They give you very strange looks.

[bradders]

in britain most of the supermarkets sell it in various forms my fave is golden crunchy snack form

[Nyx]

Quinoa has all the essential amino acids and is high in protein (apparently gram for gram with meat). One cup of quinoa is equal to a quart of milk (from the book Vegan living for dummies).

To make this seed (which looks like a grain):

1 cup quinoa
2 cups water (or veg broth)
1/2 tsp salt (optional)
*could add some herbs if you like or seasoning, but try it plain first

Put the ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn it down to a light simmer and cover it. Let it simmer for 15-20 minutes.
Done. Enjoy!