A vegan diet excludes all animal foods, including many concentrated sources of protein, such as eggs, meat, poultry, seafood and dairy products, and you might be concerned about getting adequate protein when you choose to follow a vegan diet. However, it is possible to meet your needs for protein even when you are eating only plant-based foods.
Protein Quantity
Many plant-based foods provide protein, and you can get enough protein in your diet by making sure to include a few sources with high amounts. Beans, lentils, soy and nuts are all good sources. Sedentary people need about 0.4 g of protein per pound of body weight per day, and strength-training athletes might need as much as 0.8 g of protein per pound of body weight per day, according to Iowa State University. A 150-lb. athlete needs about 120 g of protein per day.
Protein Quality
Proteins are made up of individual amino acids. In addition to getting enough total grams of protein, you need to get each of the essential amino acids from your diet each day so that your body can maintain muscle mass and other body tissues. Animal products provide complete proteins, which means that they have each of the essential amino acids, according to Iowa State University. As a vegan, you eat only plant proteins, so take care to get complete protein from soy, or eat a variety of incomplete plant proteins each day.
Soy Protein
Soy products are good sources of protein for vegans because they are among the few plant-based sources of high-quality, or complete, protein. You can get soy from tofu, soy-based meat substitutes such as veggie burgers or vegetarian chicken, roasted soybeans and soy milk and yogurt. Get 5.5 oz. protein foods per day, such as from nuts, beans or soy, and include 10 oz. per week of soy or soy products to meet recommendations for a 2,000-calorie, balanced vegan diet, according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Incomplete Proteins
Many plant-based foods, such as beans, lentils, grains, nuts and seeds, provide incomplete proteins. You can get the amino acids you need by combining partial proteins, such as having a bean burrito on a corn or flour tortilla, beans and rice or a peanut butter sandwich, according to the University of Michigan. Have 13 oz. equivalents of beans and 15 oz. equivalents of nuts and seeds per week, and 6 oz. equivalents per day of grains, to meet recommendations for a protein-sufficient, 2,000-calorie vegan diet recommended in the 2010 Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
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