When we compare calories to protein content per one hundred calories, steak only has 5.4 grams. Broccoli has 11.2 grams of protein and romaine lettuce has 11.6 grams of protein. Calorie for calorie, PLANT FOOD has almost twice as much protein as meat. Sure we have to eat a greater volume of plant food, but that is a good thing—the more plant foods we eat, the more nutrients and FIBER we’ll get.
Not so with animal protein. Before muscle or tissue can be built up in the body, protein has to be digested and split into AMINO ACIDS. There are twenty three different amino acids, fifteen that the body makes on its own and eight that cannot be made by the body and must come from our diet alone. When a food contains all eight of these amino acids (known as the essential amino acids) it is called a COMPLETE PROTEIN.
These eight essential amino acids are found in abundance in fruits, vegetables, seeds, sprouts and nuts. Some examples of great plant-based food sources of amino acids are all nuts and seeds, spinach, kale, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, summer squash and asparagus.
For those of us eating real plant food (greens, other veggies, sprouts, fruit, seeds and nuts) in abundance, protein deficiency is not a problem. Also you can supplement your diet with hemp protein, chlorella, hemp seeds and other concentrated forms of PLANT PROTEIN if you are interested in getting a larger dosage of protein.
My favorite workout at the gym is lifting weights. To get the protein to recover I make a plant based smoothie afterwards. Recipies coming soon :)
