animal vs plant protein

Our bodies don’t store protein, therefore we need to get enough from what we eat daily.

• Some people believe that you can’t get enough protein from only plant sources, but this is not true.

• It might be easier to get your protein from animal sources but plants provide so many benefits that our diets should be made up with an abundance of plant foods.

🐖🐟🐄There are 20 amino acids, some are classified as essential and some are non-essential.  Your body can produce non-essential amino acids but we need to get essential amino acids through our diet.  We need all amino acids for optimal health.  Animal protein such as fish, meat, poultry are considered complete protein because they contain all the essential amino acids the body needs. 

However, studies suggest that diets high in animal meats are more often linked to disease, especially red meat and processed meat.

🥦🥜🍝Not all plant- based proteins are complete proteins, because they lack one or more of the essential amino acids.  However, because plant foods contain varying amounts of amino acids, you can get enough of each essential amino by eating a variety of plant foods. 

Vegetarians tend to have a lower risk of stroke, cancer, and death from heart disease and they have lower cholesterol. 

Plants also provide many other benefits that you cannot get from other foods, like phytonutrients, antioxidants and fiber. 

🥦🥜🐟🐄The average man needs about 56g of protein per day and the average woman about 46g. 

Protein source examples in grams:

• Salmon, 3oz, 17g

• Chicken, 3oz, 26g

• Tofu, 3oz, 7g

• Beans, 1 cup, 15g

• Hemp seeds, 1oz, 10g

• Quinoa, 1 cup, 8-9g

• Lentils, 1 cup, 18g

I’m not saying we all need to be vegetarian, you should do your research and do what works for your body.  I do however feel that all of us need to include a variety of fresh plant foods into our diet daily for optimal health. 💕

Sources:

• The Whole Foods Diet, John Mackey, Alona Pulde and Matthew Lederman

• www.healthline.com