Protein in a Vegan Diet

When I first decided to make my switch, I was reluctant to tell anyone. As soon as people starting to find out, I chose to be pretty open about all of it. I've recently wrote a post on different questions that I was frequently asked, but one of the top on the list was, "How do you get your protein?!"

There's plenty of information out there about how vegans actually get their protein. People tend to think that we need tons of protein every day, but that just is not true. According the Pyhsicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, Americans are taking in twice the amount of protein they really need.

Too much protein?!  You've probably never heard of that. I hadn't heard of it either, but after doing more research, I was shocked to find that "too much protein" can lead to all sorts of problems, including osteoporosis, cancer, kidney stones and kidney disease, to name a few. According to Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, animal protein accelerates cancer and atherosclerosis, while plant protein does not.

Here's a few links that may help you better understand protein in a vegan diet:
The Vegetarian Resource Group: Protein on a Vegan Diet
Engine 2 Diet: Can I Get Enough Protein Eating the Engine 2 Plant-Based Diet?
Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine: The Protein Myth
Mayo Clinic: Healthy diet: End the guesswork with these nutrition guidelines
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Nutrition for Everyone: Protein
Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn: Q&A
LIVESTRONG.com: Daily Protein Requirements

Looking to go vegan? Check out these related posts below!

Where to Begin
Kitchen Overhaul

5 Tips for a Healthy Vegan Diet

Pinterest Plant-Strong Board
Top 5 Reactions to "I'm Vegan"
5 Tips for Eating a Plant-Based Diet (Anywhere)
Veganism in a Nutshell (video)
5 Things I've Learned Through Veganism
Foods That Kill