The Ultimate Guide To Consume Up To 100g Of Protein If You Are A Vegetarian (Or A Vegan)
If I told vegetarians that you need to consume 100 gm of protein, you would be shocked, wouldn’t you? ‘Isn’t it too much for my kidney to handle?’ or ‘do I actually need that much?’
Well, the current recommended protein intake RDA is 0.8gm/kg of body weight which is based on the needs of sedentary individuals. This means it is intended to represent a level of intake necessary to replace losses and hence avert deficiency.
However, this intake is not likely to offset the oxidation of protein/amino acids during exercise, nor is it sufficient to increase lean tissue or aid in repairing exercise-induced muscle damage.
RDA guidelines do not reflect the requirements of hard training individuals seeking to increase muscle mass. Numerous studies indicate their optimal requirements are approximately double that of RDA’s recommendation and should be adjusted to at least 1.6 to 1.8g/kg for active individuals.
Related Article: How Much Protein Should I Eat Per Day?
The long-term effects of high protein intake on chronic kidney disease are still poorly understood, and there isn’t significant evidence that can link a high protein diet with kidney issues. 1http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16174292?dopt=Abstract&holding=f1000,f1000m,isrctn, 2http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17369718?dopt=Abstract&holding=f1000,f1000m,isrctn
A study compared normal healthy adults following a normal unrestricted protein diet and compared them with a group of vegetarians who maintained a long-term low-protein diet. 3http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2912408?dopt=Abstract&holding=f1000,f1000m,isrctn21
The results suggest that a high protein non-vegetarian diet does not significantly affect how the kidney functions with regard to ‘normal aging‘ in healthy subjects. However, if you have renal issues, consult your physician before you embark on a high-protein diet.
Now, let’s look at the top sources of protein for vegetarians, which should be consumed on daily basis to help cross the 100g/day intake.
Cow’s Milk
I drink about 1 liter of milk daily. Then, I add one cup of either yogurt or lassi (a fermented dairy drink) to get a dose of healthy bacteria for my gut. Having a healthy gut flora also improves net protein utilization.
Protein in 1-liter milk- 32g
Lentils
Ah, daal(lentils) is one of the most prominent dishes on an Indian menu. Lentils are a decent source of protein. The ratio between protein and carbohydrates is 1:3. Nothing is wrong with this, as one medium-cooked bowl of lentils will provide you with anything between 7 -10g of protein versus 21- 30g of carbs.
There is a slight problem, though, when we add a lot of chapatis to complement it because chapatis contain a lot of carbohydrates, skewing the protein to carbohydrates ratios to around 1: 6. I personally make sure I have two bowls of lentils which provide me roughly 15-20 grams of protein, and I skip eating chapatis if I don’t feel like having it.
I don’t like eating grains much, anyway! You can also substitute lentils with black beans or cow peas, which contain almost the same protein as lentils, making it a nice alternative on days you don’t feel like having lentils!
Protein in 2 medium bowls of cooked lentils- 17g
Almonds & Walnuts
If you check my travel bag, the one thing I always carry, besides some fruits and whey protein, are two small containers of walnuts and almonds. They are my favorite snacking option. These nuts prevent me from eating junk if I run out of healthy options. Twenty almonds (one ounce) and ten walnuts provide me with roughly 10g of protein.
Protein in almonds and walnuts- 10g
Related Articles:
Almonds Benefits For Health | How Many Almonds In A Day?
Benefits Of Walnuts | How Many Walnuts Should You Eat Per Day?
Vegetables
Do they have protein? Absolutely! Protein is 34% of broccoli’s dry matter, offering four grams of protein per cup. Spinach contains five-and-a-half grams of protein per cup. I juice vegetables a few times a week, and one large glass of 500g of vegetable juice contains around 15-20g of protein.
Protein in 1 large glass of vegetable juice- 15g
Whole Eggs
There are a lot of vegetarians who include eggs in their diet. We call them eggitarians. Eggs are my all-time favorite source of protein. In fact, for the last few years, I have had 4-5 whole eggs at least 5 days a week, either boiled or in the form of an omelet.
Occasionally, I eat eggs in raw form (eggnog, topped with cinnamon and nutmeg). However, I prefer free-range eggs since they have higher nutritional content than regular eggs.
Protein in 4 whole eggs- 28g
Related Article: Benefit Of Eggs | Egg Nutrition Facts
Whey Concentrates
Yeah, not isolates. You can read why here. If you are a vegan weight lifter, you need whey! I prefer no more than 20 to 30% of protein from whey sources. I usually consume whey in the form of a post-workout meal. One serving gives me around 20-30g of protein.
Protein in 1-2 servings of whey concentrates- 20-30g
Total protein from whole foods- 102g/day
Total protein from whey concentrate- 20-30g/day
Protein grand total- 122-133g/day
Related Article: 4 Benefits of Whey Protein That No One Told You About
Vegans, Easy! I know you don’t have eggs and milk, which can drastically drop your protein count. I agree that getting 100g of protein daily could be a bit of a struggle for you guys, but here are a few more sources that are completely animal-free.
Quinoa
Protein in 1 cup of cooked quinoa (185g) is 8g, and it is also a great source of iron, fiber and magnesium.
Related Article: What Is Quinoa? | Quinoa Nutrition Facts And Health Benefits
Sprouted-Grain Bread
Ezekiel bread is an excellent example of sprouted bread that contains protein. While most bread contains added sugar, Ezekiel contains none! The sprouting process changes the nutrient composition of the grains significantly. Each slice of bread offers 4.8g of protein and 3g of fiber, which is a pretty good combination.
Nut Butter
One tablespoon of nut butter contains around 4g of protein. So just two slices of Ezekiel bread and two tablespoons of nut butter are capable of giving you about 16g of protein.
Coconut Milk
Coconut milk is rich in lauric acid, which is known to be anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal; it boosts your immune system. Every 100g of milk contains 2.3g of protein. Not bad at all!
Still, want to ask where you can get enough proteins from. Yeah, that’s what I thought 🙂
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About Akash Sehrawat
Akash is a creator of 25+ programs and certificate courses in which more than 200,000 students have enrolled both on Udemy and Fabulous Body's native platform. Akash is also an author of three books that can be found on Amazon. His answers on Quora have gathered more than 12 million views in less than a year.
Nice information
Thank you . I really enjoyed this course. Very informative.
Hi , Akash
I want to ask about the vegan good source of collagen .
2. I want to ask how we can treat severe constipation through just diet
As a vegan, who likes to eat keto, Hemp seed is the main staple in every meal I eat.
Hi Akash,
Prathibha here, two days back i have completed this course.i wanted to know how to prepare a diet chart for people who has pcos, pcod and diabetics.sorry i am very new to this industries.please bare this question.
Meaningfully and nicely explained.
What about paneer?
Also for lentils can you give weight in grams for uncooked?
very informative diploma course on nutrition .It clear many of mine myth regarding the nutrient consumption.
amazing course structure. And superb food options. Thank you for making this course.
Thank You:)
Thanks Vineeta:)
Thanks!
Prathibha, Unless you are a clinical nutritionist, I would suggest you refrain from creating diets for people with medical issues!
Hemp is good!
Hey Shruti, Since the milk is recommended to be 1 liter, paneer and related milk products can be covered in that section.
For uncooked lentils you can check this url: https://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/legumes-and-legume-products/4337/2
hey Neha, Its best to consume 25+gm of fibre daily. For men the requirement is above 40g+. All types of veggies and fruit have good fibre in them and 5-8 servings should suffice. Daal, roti, brown rice, sweet potatoes are also good sources of fibre. If your diet cannot give you enough, I would recommend organic India’s Psyllium husk as a supplement. Collagen is animal-based. I have not heard of vegan collagen, may a few companies would have started to artifically make it? Not sure!
Thanks!
Shivani
4 April 2020
Nice information
Thanks Shivani:)
Hello
If we drink 1liter of milk daily not only protein in that 46g of carbs & 36g fat will be there.so we have to consider in diet list rite. For eg my daily carbs intake is 150g.
150-46=104g. So remaining 104g i should consume in other food rite?? Same as fat.
I Really Enjoying Your Program, The best part is your presentation is awesome Easy To absorb, Thank you so much.
Thank you:)
Yes, correct!
Nice information
Amazing
Akash paji, you are doing a great job. The quality of the course is so knowledgeable and the teaching methods is so simple and easy to understand for anyone, plus the reach as the course fee is in budget for everyone.
Respect
Thank you Suchit:)
Hi Akash
Do you provide clinical nutrition course?
THANKS
Madhavi chekatla
Hey Madhavi,
No I don’t:)
Hi Akash sir.
Good information I am your student and learning nutrition diploma
dear sir
Great knowledge, I`m doing dip.in nutrition . any additional package/program for weight gainer under balance food
thanks
Hiii Akash
Two days back only i have completed diploma in weight loss. I just want to ask you that I did this course for my self and i have pcos and i want to loss weight because I have many reasons (strong). I just want which diet will best in order to lose 12 kg in 4 to 5months
Which brand coconut oil you suggest sir?
Please recommend a protein shake also.
Wanted to ask you if you believe in Dr Jagannath Dixit sir’s diet where he asks to have only two meals?
I drink Herbalife shakes,are they good?
Great knowledge
They are Soy-based which I do not prefer over whey, or pea, or even hemp protein.
Yes, I do believe in eating 2 main meals a day, as I too for many years have been doing the same. However, I do include very light snacks in addition to these meals. There are a lot of brands you can check out Amazon and read reviews. Look for virgin, cold pressed. Flex protein is a good comp. for protein but now they purely focus on vegan-based protein shakes.
Hi Akash,
Firstly, thank you so much for giving us this valuable information in a very simplistic way. I am definitely much informed than i was before, thank you.
Query: If I haven’t tried any protein supplements before, and I was to start with Plant based protein, is it advisable to take 2 scoops a day in order to achieve 100gm per day goal?
Yes, absolutely go ahead…:)
Thanks!
Your knowledge is too good
Thank you:)
Nice information, The way you speak and teaches shows the confidence in you sir. This confidence makes me motivated and allows me to concentrate more on my learning.
Thank you
Thank you:)
As mentioned above,you have suggested coconut milk.How much coconut milk or almond milk can be consumed in a day by a individual if we dont prefer raw cow milk.
Thank you.
Hey, This really depends on your diet. But an average intake of 250-300ml may suffice.
please put more light why no soya as now a days everyone is emphasing on soya chunks for high protein content. please share your thoughts on it
Hi Latika,
Soy is a highly genetically modified crop and hence it is not recommended by us.
It also has some compounds that hinder the absorption of other nutrients.
If one plans to consume soy products only for the sake of the protein in it, there are the other options which are still better for our health in the long run.
Regards,
Kunal,
Team Fabulous Body