How much protein you need on a vegan diet has been a controversial subject. There have been several myths floating around in recent years. For example:
- Protein combining. This meant eating foods with complementary amino acids profiles at the same time. Debunked.
- Protein from plants is less digestible. This may be slightly true - but not enough to make a significant difference.
So what is true?
What is protein? Biochemistry 101
Let’s straighten out a few facts first.
Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. A protein is just a load of amino acids joined up in a line. When we digest protein we break it up into all the separate amino acids and use those to build our own proteins - like our muscle fibres.
There are 21 different amino acids. 9 of them are essential for humans - meaning we need to eat them. The other 12 we can make ourselves from the 9 essential ones by changing a few molecules here and there.
This is the same for all animals. Every animal can make some amino acids themselves - but never all. Animals get their essential amino acids from food - by eating either a combination of plants or other animals.
So, how much protein do I need?
How much protein you need depends on your age, physical activity level and weight.
Let’s see how much protein you need!
How much protein do I need if ...
... I’m vegan?
Plant-based foods are considered a lower quality source of protein compared to animal-based foods because most are not ‘complete proteins’. A complete protein provides all the essential amino acids in significant amounts.
Soya beans are the only complete protein in a vegan diet. Quinoa, hemp and chia seeds come close.
Most plants are low in one of the essential amino acids:
- Rice is low in lysine and threonine.
- Maize is low in tryptophan.
- Wheat is low in lysine.
- Beans (except soya) are low in methionine or tryptophan - or both.
A lot of emphasis has been placed on eating complete proteins in the past. However this is not important because we can gather the amino acids from a variety of plant foods to get everything we need.
Vegans need to eat the same amount of protein as anyone who isn’t vegan. There is no difference. A varied plant-based diet can easily supply plenty of the right amino acid building blocks for human growth and muscle development.
Vegans need to eat the same amount of protein as anyone who isn’t vegan.
... I’m an adult?
The official dietary recommended value (DRV) for adults of all ages is 0.83 g/kg body weight protein - enough for either a ‘high quality’ protein diet (i.e. meat) or a ‘mixed quality’ protein diet (i.e. plants) [1].
Actually meat-eaters usually eat much more protein than is required. Available data suggest an average intake of 0.8 to 1.25 g/kg body weight per day for adults.
Example:
I weigh 55 kg so I would need to get 0.83 x 55 = 46 g of protein in a day.
... I’m pregnant or breastfeeding?
Pregnant and breastfeeding women need more protein. You should add 1, 9 and 28 g per day to your normal daily amount for the first, second and third trimesters respectively. If you’re breastfeeding add 16 g per day for the first 6 months and 13 g per day after the first 6 months [1].
Example:
If I were in my third trimester of pregnancy I would need 46 + 28 = 74 g/day protein.
... I do a bit of exercise?
The above numbers are averages for entire populations - to avoid deficiency. NOT to promote optimum performance. If you exercise recreationally or play sports several times a week you probably don’t need extra protein. But everyone has different needs.
Aiming to eat a little more won’t hurt - and could help promote recovery. Go for a bit above 0.83 g/kg/day rather than below - somewhere between 0.8-1.2 g/kg/day. But don’t worry about it too much.
Go for a bit above 0.83 g/kg/day rather than below - somewhere between 0.8-1.2 g/kg/day.
... I’m an endurance athlete?
Athletes need more protein. Fact. You need extra amino acids to repair micro damaged muscle - leading to training adaptations and improved performance [2].
If you are training for 8 to 40 hours a week you’ll need around 1.6 g/kg/day. Ultra marathon runners may even need up to 2.5 g/kg/day during very demanding training [3].
Example:
I run about 5 hours per week. I aim for 1.2 g/kg/day. 55 x 1.2 = 66 g/day of protein.
How much do you think you need?
... I want to build muscle?
The optimum amount of protein to build muscle while doing resistance training is 1.6 g/kg/day.
Studies have found that this amount of protein each day increased muscle size and strength during periods of prolonged resistance training. However, no further benefits are found with higher protein intakes (>1.6 g/kg) [4].
There are no benefits to having more than 1.6 g/kg protein per day on muscle size or strength.
How do I get enough protein?
If you are concerned about your protein intake - don’t be. Nearly everyone meets their protein intakes without even trying - including vegans and athletes.
But when you get your protein is important - especially if you’re an athlete or trying to lose weight. It’s not enough to have all your protein in one or two meals. Your body needs small frequent doses of protein.
This means including at least ONE source of protein to your breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. Which is easy when you get the hang of it!
Tips to increase your protein intake
Try adding:
- Soya milk to smoothies
- Hemp seeds on your porridge
- Peanut butter to a piece of fruit
- Lentils to a pasta sauce
- Tofu to a stir-fry
- Tempeh to sandwiches
- Chickpeas to a salad
- Nuts to your breakfast bowls
- Chickpea flour to pancakes
Can you think of any others?
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- https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.2903/j.efsa.2012.2557
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6628334/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31699159
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28698222
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29722584
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27466602
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32245197
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