LA PROTEINA: el dilema de la alimentación a base de plantas Parte 2

PROTEIN: The Plant-Based Diet Dilemma Part 2

The benefits of a plant-based diet are numerous and much of it has to do with the quality of nutrients obtained through it, protein content, amount of fiber, energy balance and homeostasis of foods that are also low in calories.

Many people feel that this dietary system has given them their life back, as it has been associated with a decreased risk of developing cancer, diabetes, obesity, heart disease and other chronic diseases.

In the last newsletter we learned that virtually all plant foods contain protein, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and legumes or grains. So the term incomplete protein doesn't really apply. Not only that, whole foods contain all 9 essential amino acids making them complete proteins .

The thing is that no food is the same in its structure and that is why its percentage of amino acid content varies. Protein sources from animals may have a higher amount of certain amino acids such as methionine and lysine, but that is easy to fix in a plant-based diet by consuming enough calories and the right amounts of amino acids.

The myth of “food combining” to achieve complete protein was born in 1971 in a book called “ Diet for a Small Planet ” by Mrs. Frances Moore Lappé, but by 1981 she herself clarified that in trying to dismantle the myth that meat was the only source of high-quality protein, she created another…

By 1988, the American Dietetic Association published a document stating that there was no basis for combining foods and that supplementing foods in meals was unnecessary.

How much protein do you really need ?

The average man needs 56 grams of protein per day.

The average woman needs 47 grams (unless she is pregnant or breastfeeding. In that case it would be 71 grams)

The average calculation is that if you are a sedentary person you need about 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of weight. Very active people or athletes need double that amount.

However, problems arise when people consume a low-calorie diet (less than 1,200 calories a day), or diets based exclusively on processed foods.

It is also sometimes difficult to keep track of how much food and protein you are consuming on a plant-based diet, but for example, to get an idea

Food Amount Protein content
Hemp seed Two tablespoons 5 grams
Chia seed Two tablespoons 4.4 grams
Flax seed Half a cup 23 grams
Sunflower seed 1/4 cup 6.46 grams
Sesame seed 1/4 cup 6.36 grams
Tahini (sesame cream) 1 tablespoon 2.6 grams
Pumpkin seed 1/4 cup 9 grams
Moringa 1 tablespoon 2.7 grams
Spirulina algae 1 tablespoon 4 grams
Chlorella algae 1 tablespoon 3 grams
Fermented soybeans 1/2 cup 10 grams
Kefir 1 cup 11-14 grams
Brazil Nut 6 walnuts 4.1 grams
Raw almonds (soaked) 1/4 cup 8 grams
Raw cashew nuts 1/4 cup 4 grams
Pistachios 1/4 cup 3.7 grams
Chopped chard 1 cup 3.9 grams
Chopped kale 1 cup 2.2 grams

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