Vegan Protein Sources

My brother has recently cut back on his animal protein intake and asked me what were good alternative sources of protein. After writing him back I thought maybe it would be good to post it here. It's nothing you can't find on the internet or in a book, but it's a good reminder to me of all of the plant based foods that are rich in protein.

In terms of protein intake, the RDA recommendation is that 1 out of every 10 calories you consume should come from protein and exactly how much that is depends on your weight. You should be consuming approx. .5 grams per pound that you weigh so half your weight. However, Dr. T. Colin Campbell in his book, The China Study, says that Americans tend to get way too much protein in their diets and that it should be closer to about 50 - 60 grams/day, rather than the 100 gram/day consumed on average by Americans.

A common fallacy is that you need to combine proteins at each meal to make them complete. Just make sure you eat a variety of foods (fruits, veggies and grains) and you will get all your amino acids, which are what make up proteins. Soy beans are a complete protein by the way so you can eat tofu/edamame/soy milk if you are concerned you aren't eating a balanced diet and therefore not getting all your amino acids.

Ok, now on to foods...
Asparagus, broccoli and tofu are about 40% protein as a % of calories, watercress is 83% so these foods are very high in protein as a % of calories.

Beans - here are the protein amounts per 1 cup serving:
Soybeans - 28.5g
Lentils - 18g
Split peas - 16.5g
Navy beans - 16g
Black beans - 15g
Chickpeas..aka garbanzos - 14.5
Peas (fresh) - 9g

Nuts - here are the protein amounts per 100 gram serving:
Peanuts - 24.3g
Pistachios - 19.3g
Cashews - 17.2g
Almonds - 16.9g
Pine Nuts - 14g
Brazil Nuts - 12g
Walnuts - 10.6g
Pecans - 9.2g
Hazel Nuts - 7.6g
Macadamia Nuts - 7g
Coconuts - 3.2g
Chestnuts - 2g

Seeds - per 100 gram serving:
Pumpkin - 29g
Sesame - 26.4g
Sunflower - 24g

Also, green leafy veggies are especially high in protein as well.

Most of the information from this e-mail came from The Idiots Guide to Vegan Living by Beverly Lynn Bennett and Ray Sammartano. This is a fantastic book for anyone looking into a vegan lifestyle.