That familiar question that vegans around the world receive on a far-too-regular basis: “where do you get your protein from?” Wouldn’t it be nice if the common misconception, that vegans find it hard to get enough protein from plants, could be laid to rest at last? As a registered nutritionist specialising in vegan nutrition, to me the facts are clear – it’s extremely easy for vegans to get more than enough protein, even without any conscious eff ort. But it’s still difficult to persuade the masses. That’s because everywhere we turn, we’re bombarded with adverts, billboards, and off ers in the shopping aisles for products that contain added protein.
Diets like Atkins, keto and paleo, and the numerous celebrities endorsing them, claim that eating loads of protein with little carbohydrate will help people lose weight, feel amazing, and look like the models they hire for the adverts. Then there’s the world of fitness, where athletes with incredible muscular physiques also attribute their impressive success to diets that are very high in protein.
You can see why we face an uphill battle. Most people, through a combination of culture, tradition, advertising and the media, have been led to believe that we must try to increase our uptake of protein. So when many people look at veganism, they wonder if it’s possible to even survive without eating meat or animal products. Well, I’d like to arm you with the facts to reassure you that a vegan diet can, in fact, help you to thrive, and to hopefully be of use the next time someone asks you where you get your protein from.