Protein Education

I haven't felt hungry ever since coming back from the Southwest. That trip really screwed up my diet. I keep skipping meals because I'm just not hungry. Then I started to get worried that I wasn't consuming enough nutrients, especially because I'm not eating meat. So I decided to learn about how to make up for the lack of protein in my diet, so that I can be a healthy Vegetarian (because all roads point that way). Turns out that it's not that hard.

PROTEIN:
Fact #1: Proteins are necessary building blocks for our body.

Proteins are the basic building blocks of the human body. They are made up of amino acids, and help build muscles, blood, skin, hair, nails and internal organs. Next to water, protein is the most plentiful substance in the body. [Text omitted.] There are 20 amino acids that are required for growth by the human body and all but eight can be produced in your body. These eight amino acids, called essential amino acids, must be supplied by food and/or supplements. The other twelve non-essential amino acids are made within the body, but both essential and non-essential amino acids are needed to synthesize proteins. What does all this mean? It means that if you don't supply your body with the essential amino acids it needs, your body may be limited in the amount of protein it can use to build muscle. See http://exercise.about.com/cs/nutrition/a/protein.htm

Fact #2: Eat two types of incomplete proteins (vegetables, fruits, grains, seeds and nuts) to make up for not eating complete (animal) proteins.

Foods derived from animals contain "complete proteins." If I don't eat foods derived from animals (e.g. beef, chicken, fish, eggs, milk), I just need to make sure that I eat two types of incomplete proteins (vegetables, fruits, grains, seeds and nuts or acronym: Very Fruity Gay SoN) instead. http://exercise.about.com/cs/nutrition/a/protein.htm

That's easy to remember. That doesn't seem as complicated as I imagined it might be. And it'll even be easier for me to follow this diet because I have no ethical problems with eating eggs.

(Note: There are also some plant-based sources of "complete" proteins that you can get from Soy bean (soy milk, tofu, tempeh), Hemp, Quinoa, Buckwheat, and Micro algae such as chlorella & spirulina.)

Fact #3: I can calculate the approximate amount of protein you'll need based on your weight.
Based on my weight, I know I need about 50 - 110  grams of protein a day (on the higher end if I exercise). One large egg is about 55 grams. That means that if I eat one to two egg-sized portions of incomplete proteins (vegetables, fruits, grains, seeds or nuts) and otherwise eat what I normally eat, I would be completely nourished without killing animals. The website http://exercise.about.com/cs/nutrition/a/protein_2.htm contains useful information on how much protein we need to be eating to eat healthy, if you're interested.

Easy. Gotta love the internet!

[May 2011 update: If you're transitioning to a Vegetarian diet, please make sure to eat green leafy things like spinach, kale, or dried fruits that are rich in iron. Also, make sure you are getting enough calcium and fats (like omega 3) as well. You may want to supplement your vegetarian diet with vitamin B12. For more info, click here.]