How to Get Protein in Vegetables

Humans need protein to survive and stay healthy. And, while meat, poultry, fish, eggs and dairy products are protein-rich, many people limit the amount of meat they eat or have eliminated meat from their diets entirely. Some people, known as vegans, have eliminated eggs and dairy products, as well. Whether or not your diet consists of plant foods alone, you can get enough protein from vegetable sources. Here's how:

Instructions

1. Eat vegetable-based foods that are higher in protein. Foods such as nuts, seeds, beans, legumes and the products made from them (peanut and nut butters, tahini, tofu, etc.) have more protein than you'd get in most other vegetables. Be sure your intake of these is sufficient to help ensure an adequate protein intake--particularly if you're vegetarian or vegan.

2. Ensure that a significant part of your diet includes "complete" proteins--proteins which contain all eight to 10 "essential" amino acids (those your body can't produce). Complete proteins allow your body to use the amino acids you get from your diet for tissue growth, repair and maintenance. Some vegetable sources of complete proteins are soybeans and other soy products (tofu, soy milk, miso), buckwheat, spirulina and the grain quinoa (pronounced keen'-wah).

3. Mix complete proteins with incomplete proteins to get the most from the amino acids present in the incomplete-protein foods. When you do this, the "leftover" amino acids in the complete-protein foods combine with those in the incomplete-protein foods, complementing and turning them into complete proteins. Vegetarians can get this effect by mixing milk, cheese, yogurt or eggs with vegetables. Both vegetarians and vegans can mix soy products, buckwheat, spirulina or quinoa with their vegetables. And, omnivores can mix small amounts of meat, fish, poultry or any of the foods listed above with their vegetables.

4. Combine incomplete proteins from various vegetables with one another to get complete proteins. By eating vegetables whose mix of amino acids complement one another at the same meal or fairly close together, you'll provide all the amino acids needed for health. For example, combining grains with legumes or certain seeds creates complete protein. This step usually isn't critical, however, if you conscientiously follow the next step.

5. Add a wide variety of vegetables to your diet each day. This will ensure that you get all the amino acids needed for health. Don't ignore entire groups of protein-rich vegetable products that can help provide complementary proteins without conscious effort. This is the easiest way to ensure that your protein intake is adequate when you get it exclusively from vegetables.