Is Protein A Problem Nutrient For People On Vegetarian Diets?

If you are currently following, or have followed, a vegetarian diet, you have probably been asked the question, "Where do you get your protein?" This is understandable. By definition, a vegetarian diet excludes most sources of animal protein, and foods such as meat, fish and eggs are generally what come to mind as sources of protein. However, what most don't know is that almost all foods contain at least some protein, and with a little creativity and versatility, satisfying your protein requirements without eating animal foods is a cinch.

Protein Requirements

Before discussing how to satisfy your protein requirement on a vegetarian diet, it helps to know exactly how much you need. The Institute of Medicine recommends you consume 46 g of protein if you are an non-pregnant woman. During pregnancy and lactation the requirement is 71 g. Men should consume 56 g per day. Each 1 g of protein contains 4 calories, and on a 2,000-calorie diet, 46 g of protein supplies 184 calories, which is 9 percent of total calories.

Protein Content of Selected Foods

While it is true that such foods as fish and chicken derive the majority of their calories from protein, many vegetarian foods are surprisingly high in this important nutrient. Leafy green vegetables, such as spinach, kale and broccoli, derive 40 percent or more of their total calories from protein. Legumes and grains are also high in protein, as are nuts and seeds. If you at a diet of only lemons, you'd derive 16 percent of your calories from protein, which would fulfill your protein requirement.

Examples

Fulfilling your daily requirement of roughly 50 g of protein isn't difficult on a vegetarian diet, and you don't have to confine yourself to lemons. Protein-rich foods you may wish to incorporate into your breakfast include oatmeal, which has nearly 6 g per cup. A lunch that includes 1 cup of broccoli with 1 cup of white beans provides nearly 25 g of protein. A dinner featuring potato salad and brussels sprouts would add more than 12 g of protein to your tally, bringing the total for the day to more than 40 g, not including snacks.

Protein-Rich Snacks

Nuts and seeds are healthy vegetarian snacks that are also high in protein. Pumpkin seeds are more than 20 percent protein, and walnuts and cashews derive more than 10 percent of their calories from protein, helping you fulfill your requirement. Dairy foods including yogurt and cottage cheese are also high in protein. A1/2 cup of cottage cheese contains 14 g. If you don't eat dairy products, then tofu and other soy products are an option.