How to get enough protein, without meat
ONE of my son’s eighth-grade friends recently became a vegetarian. He joins the approximately 4% of youths in the US (up from 2% 10 years ago) who eat meatless.
As much as my boys respect his choice and recognise his passion for the environment that spurred the decision, neither of them truly understands it.
Although my sons eat plenty of vegetables, their most requested dinners include sausage, pork or ground beef. In fact, their favourite meal is grilled pork tenderloin with bacon and corn relish. We call it “pig on pig”.
We eat it with loads of green vegetables and rotate fish, chicken and quinoa on other nights. But I won’t lie: I make it a lot.
The boys asked how their friend could put on enough muscle, possess enough energy or be such a good athlete without meat. I told them that meat can be very good for growing children and athletes, because its protein helps to build muscle, repair tissue, provide energy and balance mood – but it is by no means necessary.
If he’s eating enough vegetarian sources of protein, iron and B vitamins, their friend will perform just as well. In fact, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ position on vegetarian diets is that “well-planned vegetarian diets are appropriate for individuals during all stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, and adolescence, and for athletes”.
There are many athletes who have risen to the top ranks of their sports while being meat-free, including tennis legend Martina Navratilova, football hero Joe Namath, 1998 Heisman Trophy winner Ricky Williams, Olympic track star Carl Lewis, baseball slugger Prince Fielder and tennis icon Venus Williams.
In 2011, Venus Williams was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease that caused her to step off the court for a period. She attributes her strong return to tennis to her mostly vegan diet and better lifestyle choices such as rest days.
Football player Ricky Williams said that going meat-free “changed my game, and it changed my body. I had tons of energy”.
There is no doubt that meat provides protein, but so do beans, eggs, nuts, yoghurt and even broccoli. The following non-meat foods contain plenty of protein:
Nuts and seeds: walnuts, cashews, pumpkin seeds, pistachios, sunflower seeds, almond butter, hemp, chia and flax seeds.
Beans and legumes: black beans, white beans, lentils, chickpeas, hummus and green peas.
Grains: quinoa, brown rice, oats, millet and barley. Soy: tofu, edamame and tempeh. Fruits and veggies such as avocado, dark leafy greens and broccoli. Dairy (milk, yoghurt, cheese) and eggs. Here’s a surprise: raw cacao nibs provide 4g of protein (plus antioxidants, vitamins and minerals) per 28g serving.
According to the Institute of Medicine, we should all consume between 10% and 35% of our daily calories from protein. This really is not that much and can be easily achieved with the nonmeat foods listed above.
There are many benefits to eating a wellbalanced vegetarian diet including cost savings, loads of fibre (which aids in digestion), less saturated fat (good for the heart), and a wider variety of vitamins and minerals proven to reduce diabetes, cancer and heart disease.
People can reduce their carbon footprints by cutting back on meat just once a week.
According to the UN, the meat industry generates nearly a fifth of the man-made greenhouse gas emissions that are accelerating climate change worldwide.
And about 6 813 litres to 9 463 litres of water go into making 453g of beef, far surpassing the amount needed for vegetables and grains.
I don’t eat a lot of meat myself; in fact, my 13-year-old son loves to tease me for eating so many vegetables. I am doing just fine, even though I eat more vegetarian proteins than “pig on pig”, and so will his newly-vegetarian friend. – The Washington Post