Protein – why we need it and some great vegan sources
It is essential to get sufficient good-quality proteins in your diet as they help to build and maintain muscles and bones. They also help regulate your hormones and antibodies, thus supporting your immune system. There are many excellent vegan protein sources, such as:
- Beans, including kidney beans, haricot beans, borlotti beans, and butter beans
- Tofu and soya products including vegan burgers and sausages
- Lentils
- Chickpeas
- Nuts, including cashew nuts, almonds, walnuts, peanuts, pistachios, pecans, hazelnuts, and brazil nuts
- Seeds including chia seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, and linseed
- Non-dairy milk, cheese and yoghurt alternatives, including soya-, almond, cashew, oat-, and coconut-based alternatives
- Mycoprotein, used in Quorn products
- Microalgae-derived proteins
- Grains such as rice, buckwheat, barley, and quinoa
Vegan Protein Quality
Proteins are made up of amino acids, and there are 20 different amino acids that can form the constituents of any given protein. We all need a regular supply of all 20 of these amino acids. However, our bodies are able to synthesize 11 of the amino acids on their own, without any dependency on diet. The names for these 11 amino acids are alanine, arginine, asparagine, aspartic acid, cysteine, glutamic acid, glutamine, glycine, proline, serine, and tyrosine, and they are known as the nonessential amino acids.
The other 9 amino acids can’t be produced by our bodies and so we need to get them from the foods we eat; they are known as the essential amino acids, and their names are histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine. Each of these amino acids performs a specific role in helping to maintain our health. For example, histidine and lysine can support our immune function, threonine helps to maintain skin quality and prevent bleeding, and tryptophan contributes to the production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that helps regulate our mood and appetite.
Most plant foods don’t contain all 9 of the essential amino acids, and in such cases the protein provided is known as incomplete protein. However, there are a few exceptions: plant foods that provide, on their own, all 9 amino acids. Examples of these complete vegan protein sources include soya products, quinoa, buckwheat, pistachio nuts, chia seeds, and hemp seeds. Generally, however, it is a good idea for vegans to regularly consume multiple different plant proteins, to ensure a good intake of all the essential amino acids.
Another aspect of plant protein is its digestibility, and some plant proteins are more digestible than others, meaning that a greater proportion of the protein will be assimilated. For example, cashew nut protein is 90% digestible, peanut protein is 69% digestible, green lentil protein is 63% digestible, and red kidney bean protein is 55% digestible.