Vegan and Vegetarian Dietary Considerations

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Vegan and Vegetarian Eating

I am writing this article because I have an ambitious client, let’s call her Rose. Rose is a marathon runner and wants to improve her nutrition to have more energy on her runs, to be heathier with her son, and to generally feel better. As a single mother, Rose finds that she needs some guidance to healthier food choices and she struggled (is drastically improving) her candy stress eating. Recently she decided that she wanted to eat only fruits and vegetables 3+ days per week. I hope this article can be a guide for anyone that wants to go meatless 3+ days/ week, vegetarian, or vegan.

Let me start with, PLANT BASED DIETS ARE AWESOME! They’re higher in vitamins and minerals and they contain phytonutrient.  Vitamins and minerals are small molecules that allow our cells and tissues to function properly, without them we can enter a disease state. Phytonutrients may be as important as vitamins and minerals. Although there is no evidence to suggest we will enter a disease state without them, there is clear evidence to show that our health improves and diseases symptoms can be reduced if we consume them. Plant based diets tend to have heathier carbohydrates and fats, be lower in sodium and cholesterol, and have fewer processed foods. But, there is a big difference between a eating a generally plant based 7 days per week like I do and eating vegan, vegetarian, and/ or 3+ days meatless.

Being vegan, vegetarian, and/ or 3+ days meatless is probably healthier long term these diets do have two setbacks vegan being the most extreme to vegetarian to meatless 3+ days. The first and simplest to address is vitamin B12, this vitamin is almost exclusively found in protein. Vitamin B12 is required for the proper function and development of the brain, nerves, blood cells, and many other parts of the body. But B12 is added to fortified grains and cereals or an over the counter supplement can take care of our daily needs. The second setback, which I want to spend most of this article addressing, is protein.

As a 120lbs marathon runner, Rose needs about 75g of protein per day. Protein is important because it is the building blocks of our body and because of regular wear and tear we need to replace it, that replacement is at a higher rate with athletes or people that exercise regularly. A 120lbs person that exercised less regularly would need close to 55g of protein. What are proteins made out of? Are all proteins made equally?

Proteins are made out of amino acids. The human body is composed of 20 amino; nine of which cannot be produced by the body. Amino acids are found in different quantiles in different foods. Animal proteins (chicken, beef, fish, eggs, and Greek yogurt) contain a sufficient quantity of all amino acids to be considered a complete protein. Whereas vegetable products have some amino acids they tend to be missing one or two in sufficient quantities they are incomplete protein. Vegetable protein also lacks the quantity of protein found in animal products. Therefore vegetable proteins need to be combined so that they create a complete protein.

Amino acid composition of chicken

Amino acid composition of beans and rice

One ounce of chicken thigh has 7.7g of protein. A typical serving size of protein is 3-4 ounces; therefore one serving of chicken thighs is 23-30g of protein.

One serving of cooked brown rice is 1 cup; one cup of brown rice has 5g of protein. One serving of black beans is one cup; one cup of black beans is 15g of protein. If combine this would be 20g of a complete protein.

This brings up several points:

1) combinations of plant-based protein should be eaten in the diet to get all essential proteins

2) these combinations do not need to be eaten in the same meal.

Vegan and Vegetarian Combinations to Create a Complete Protein​

Practical Considerations

This brings us to a practical consideration, the volume of food needed to get the correct amount of protein. Most people will find that getting 3 servings of animal protein every day is relatively easy whereas eating 4 servings of legumes, nuts/ seeds, and rice is harder because it is a LOT more food just to get a sufficient amount of protein. This does not include green leafy vegetables, other vegetables, or fruit.

If you are vegan, vegetarian, or meatless 3+ days/ week or considering, getting enough protein is very attainable. But it takes some planning and discipline; do not leave getting enough protein up to chance. The more animal proteins are removed from your diet, the more important this is that you plan your meals around plant based protein.

Thank you Rose for inspiring me to write this article.