By far, the most common question I hear is:
“If I don’t eat meat, or a lot of meat, where do I get my protein?” Sound familiar?
Let’s get down to the chase — the protein hunt. I’m a simple type of girl so I ask a simple type of question. I don’t work out complicated – Complexity overwhelms me and the last thing I need is to be more confused. This is a scary idea.
Just for the sake of smiles and laughs, let’s enjoy our protein and see if my common sense speaks to yours.
8 very simple questions about protein:
#1 Common sense protein question: “Do elephants eat hamburgers?”
As you know, protein is for growth, among many other things. Like muscle growth. Have you ever heard of an elephant, giraffe, monkey, cow or horse eating hamburgers, chicken, fish or even protein shakes to get enough protein to grow big and mighty muscles? No, of course not.
If elephants can eat plant foods to get plenty of protein, we can too with our relatively little muscle and body.
#2 Common Sense Protein Question: “Do elephants have to mix and match plant foods to get a ‘complete protein’?”
Oh, yeah, right. I can only see it now. Phil makes sure he only eats the right plant foods to get the right combination of proteins. i don’t think so.
My brain says: If they don’t have to mix and match, then neither do we.
#3 Common Sense Protein Question: “But aren’t we different from elephants?”
Good question. Yes, elephants are a little different from us. No, duh, say the kids. But here’s the logical point:
If a small variety of plant foods can provide the right amount and quality of protein necessary for the growth and maintenance of large mammals like the elephant, then it makes no sense that plant foods, and a much greater variety at that, could provide people with enough protein to grow and maintain. Our relatively small muscles, bones, tissues, and organs and their preservation?
Logic says yes. What does common sense tell you?
#4 Common Sense Protein Question: “At what time in life do humans need the most protein?”
Well, you can’t get around the fact that elephants and humans can be compared–that could be a big leap–elephants to humans. That seems fair. So I’ll tell you what – let’s just talk about people – small, as in children.
Our little ones tell the whole protein story. See for yourself.
Again, what is the purpose of protein?
I got it! growth. When do we grow more? Ages 0 to 2. Right?
What is the best food for children between 0 and 2 years old? Mamas milk.
How much protein do you think is in breast milk? 15%, 25%, 30% protein? Guess again.
This might knock your socks off, but human milk only contains 4.5% to 5% protein — that’s it.
If 4.5% to 5% protein is plenty of protein to meet the growing needs of children, then the same amount of protein, and even less, is plenty for us adults. We have stopped growing.
#5 Common sense protein question: “How much protein is in an orange?”
hang on. The shock factor is coming. Orange contains 8% protein. Stop! Isn’t that incredible? An orange with 8% protein?
Remember, fast growing babies only need 4.5% to 5% protein. At 8% protein, oranges not only have enough protein, but also an abundance of protein.
What about other plants?
Spinach: 49% protein
broccoli: 33%
broccoli: 26%
Romaine lettuce: 36% (imagine that much protein in that watery, green stuff!)
Maize: 11%
Kale: 22%
Cucumber: 24%
Potatoes: 11%
carrots: 10%
Cantaloupe: 9%
Grapefruit: 8%
Berries: 7%
Tomatoes: 16%
Almonds: 13%
Pumpkin seeds: 17%
Brown rice: 8%
Oats: 15%
Kidney beans: 26%
It seems to me that we get a lot of protein from eating plants.
We don’t “have to” eat animal protein, which also comes with a lot of fat, cholesterol, extra calories, excess weight, excess disease, and excess heartache. In fact, we don’t even have to eat beans, tofu, or any other protein-rich plant foods to get enough protein.
Fruits and vegetables have a lot. Interesting, don’t you think?
#6 Common Sense Protein Question: “But isn’t meat protein superior to plant protein?”
In a word, “no.” This is a whole myth that has been around for almost 100 years. No matter how baffling our brains are, meat protein is not superior to vegetable protein. Amino acids, or the building blocks that protein is made of, are exactly the same whether they come from a plant or an animal.
Protein is protein is protein is protein no matter where it comes from. If we eat enough food (not a problem in the US), we get enough of the “right” protein – even if the food sources are just plants.
#7 Common sense protein question: “But don’t I need more protein for strength and energy?”
Well, back to our elephant friend. Where do elephants get their strength and energy from? Not from eating cows or protein bars, that’s for sure. Elephant energy comes from plants – that’s all.
Our best source of energy doesn’t come from protein at all – it comes from the carbohydrates found in whole, unrefined plant foods, like fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables capture the energy of the sun and then generously pass it on to us.
The basic energy we have (or don’t have) today comes from the plant foods we ate (or didn’t eat) – yesterday; Not the so-called energy protein bar or chip (or dark liquid drink) we ate today.
#8 Common sense protein question: “How much protein does the World Health Organization recommend?”
good thinking. The World Health Organization recommends, not exactly by chance, the same amount of protein as human breast milk: 4.5% to 5% protein. Remember that oranges contain 8% protein.
Is the protein haze starting to lift a bit? There are plenty of real experts who, way and smarter than me, would agree:
Plants provide plenty of protein for superior health and fitness – it’s that simple. Bingo Bango.
You may choose to eat beef, chicken, fish, and protein drinks, but you don’t have to. Aren’t we lucky to get the gift of choice? The unlucky thing is that many of us forget that consequences follow choices—sometimes immediately and sometimes many years down the road.
Good choices generate good results; Bad choices, especially bad choices day in and day out, generate terrible consequences.
It’s your body and your life. You have incredible power to feed your body and life or power to exhaust your body and life.
Will your next bite feed you or drain you? It’s your choice.
