Transitioning to veganism but need help

[Marco Flores]

Hello, I recently made the commitment to follow a plant based diet and am troubled with the weak selection of protein sources. I've searched the internet for sources but most of them contain so little protein and can even have as much fat in them which I am not looking for. I count my macronutrients and just want to ensue I am absorbing as much protein as possible as I go to the gym regularly. I've already had enough trouble eating enough protein while eating meat and I need to find any low fat high protein vegan foods (if that even exists) they could share with me. Ultimately, this is the most important factor which will motivate me to pursue this lifestyle and any advice would be very much appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Damo]

Hey!

Regarding the gym, are you just wanting to stay active or are you wanting to build mucle? There's a few guys I work with that use protien powered shakes, they're vegan.

There's also tofu and tempeh if you'd rather eat something.

 

[Dale Haynie]

All plants have at least a small amount of protein, even rice. Beans are also a significant source of protein. But generally if you're getting your calorie intake in whole, plant based foods, you can't not get all your protein. Plus you can't process more than 60-70 grams of protein a day.

But like Damo said if you're trying to build muscle you NEED a protein shake. Maybe even twice a day.

 

[Lou]

I've already had enough trouble eating enough protein while eating meat

Just a guess but I bet the problem is not how much protein you get but how much protein you think you need.

When I go to the gym they have these free BodyBuilding magazines. Since they are free and I'm always trying to learn stuff, I typically pick them up and read them. (not cover to cover but I turn all the pages )

I guess the reason the magazine is free is that it is just full of supplement ads. The gym sells a lot of those supplements too. so I bet there is some symbiosis going on there.

From the articles and also from the times I read an article from one of the BodyBuilding sites, I get the idea that bodybuilders believe that the correct ratio of grams of protein to pounds of body weight is over 1. So if you weigh 180 pounds you want to eat 180 grams of protein. And that is a crazy amount. Like 3 chickens or 30 eggs a day. And that is like the minimum recommended by the bodybuilding site.

In Muscles for Life they recommend 1.2 to 1.5 (4 chickens!)
https://www.muscleforlife.com/how-much-protein-build-muscle/

"Most official nutrition organizations recommend a fairly modest protein intake. The DRI (Dietary Reference Intake) is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight or 0.36 grams per pound."
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/how-much-protein-per-day

I think WHO recommends .33.
I think sports nutritionists go with .37 - .50

One study that included bodybuilders suggested .48." For an 180-lb. athlete the 0.48 g/lb. figure is 90 grams (360 calories from protein). For a 3000-calorie diet, that's 12% of calories from protein. And again, vegetables average 22% and beans 28%."
https://michaelbluejay.com/veg/protein.html

So why the big variations? The supplement industry is a billion dollar industry. Their goal is to convince you that you cannot eat adequate amounts of protein without supplements.

The other thing is that a lot of new studies have concentrated on protein absorption and synthesis. It's pretty complicated and I don't fully understand it. but in a nutshell, our bodies can only absorb protein from our food so fast and then that protein can only be synthesized so fast. Any extra protein gets broken down. when protein gets broken down, the by-products are nitrogen compounds. They are toxic. The kidneys have to filter out the nitrogen. This can put a lot of strain on the kidneys. And this is why you sometimes you read about youngish bodybuilders having kidney failure. (The nitrogen isn't good for other parts of your body too. )
https://www.menshealth.com/nutrition/a19525156/how-much-protein-can-your-muscles-absorb/

It varies from person to person but the best ballpark number is about 30 grams of protein a meal. Anything more is just a waste. I've already seen articles disputing these new findings. Strangely they all have ads for supplements on their site.

But 30 grams of protein a meal is not a problem, as long as your protein goal is modest. It just becomes a problem when your protein goal is too high in the first place. Ninety grams a day is more than enough for any normal sized human being. Bigger guys can probably synthesize protein at higher rates.

But my favourite rule of thumb for setting a protein goal is with percents. Protein should make up 10 to 30% of your calories.(just remember that protein and carbs are 4 calories per gram and fats are 9). Twenty percent seems to be the sweet spot. 20% protein, 20% fats, and 60% carbs. If you are an athlete and eat more calories you automatically get more protein (and more carbs). If you are small or sedentary, you eat fewer calories - get less protein. but you need less.

The good news for vegans is that if you eat healthily you almost are guaranteed to get adequate protein from food.
Tofu is like 50% protein, Soy milk is around 30%. Beans average around 30%. But if you are exercising hard and eating a 3000 calorie diet, and have a goal of 90 grams of protein a day, you foods only need to average 12% protein.
https://michaelbluejay.com/veg/protein.html

If you are eating an adequate number of calories you get more than adequate amounts of protein. You don't need supplements.

 

[Vegan_Vizard]

Hello, I recently made the commitment to follow a plant based diet and am troubled with the weak selection of protein sources. I've searched the internet for sources but most of them contain so little protein and can even have as much fat in them which I am not looking for. I count my macronutrients and just want to ensue I am absorbing as much protein as possible as I go to the gym regularly. I've already had enough trouble eating enough protein while eating meat and I need to find any low fat high protein vegan foods (if that even exists) they could share with me. Ultimately, this is the most important factor which will motivate me to pursue this lifestyle and any advice would be very much appreciated. Thanks.

Hi!

I’m a male vegan who trains, I find smoothies help during the day for protein needs.
400ml water
2 scoops of oats
Quarter of a scoop flaxseeds
1 scoop Pea protein
1 banana
1 Tbsp of peanut butter
Blend her up and jobs a good’un