I am at work and a coworker seemed very concerned that I would not get enough complete protein if I am vegetarian(no eggs, no dairy). She said "soy is complete but too much is bad (what ever that means) for you. You have to eat a very calculated diet to get enough complete protien without meat eggs or dairy". I want to get preggers soon and that really set her off. "please at least drink whey protein shakes when you are pregnant". I told her i would think about it just to shut her up. So what is the real deal?? I thoguht that if i just ate a wide variety of protein sources it would balance out. is there such a thing as too much soy?



Megan

Your coworker is talking out her arse. Protein deficiency is extremely rare. You are right - if you eat a wide variety of protein sources you'll be fine. Would you trust someone who, when faced with someone who doesn't eat dairy, is to offer them dairy? Which is what whey is. The silly woman!



ETA: Why is it these people's business anyway? I certainly don't run up to my coworkers shouting "Drop the doughnut or you bum will fat!" or whatever. Why do they feel the need to comment on our diets?

It won't hurt you to know what your what the recommended amount per day is for protein, and from where to get it. The "just eat a balanced diet and don't worry" line of thinking is somewhat stupidifying, in my very personal opinion. Plus, knowing more about protein puts you on the offensive, and will enable to shut up coworkers talking out of their arses.

thanks for your replies! What about "too much soy"?



Megan

Soy, like everything else, is fine in moderation. I wouldn't advise you to eat a pound of chickpeas everyday either Variety and balance, just like you said.



And just FYI, your co-worker's thought on "complete protein" sound very close to the old thought that that proteins needed to be combined to achieve "complete" protiens. This theory went out 30 years ago.



Hope that helps!

There has been a bit of controversy about soya. Soya has proven to be a very versatile food, and is being used to substitute/replace many other foods such as meat and dairy. This means that soya has made a lot of powerful enemies, whose goal is to try and undermine soya by funding "research" that aims at finding evidence that soya is unhealthy, will make your kids gay, grow boobs on men etc. and thereby take back their market shares.



On the other hand, people are eating a lot of soya these days, and the amount of soya in some people's diets (especially some vegan's diets) is higher than what people have consumed historically. Therefore we can't claim that we know this level of consumption is safe based on historical evidence. What we can claim, is that a moderate consumption of soya has proven to be safe. (Because some Asian populations have consumed a moderate amount of soya for hundreds of years, and no negative consequences have been observed.)

Whenver someone starts down that tiresome protein argument I simply stop them and say 'so how much protein do you get per day?' and they never know. And then I ask 'so tell me, how much protien does someone need on a daily basis?' and they never know. And then I'll say 'you really don't know much about protein needs and sources at all, do you? Perhaps you may want to do a bit of research and get back to me.' That usually shuts them up.

^^^ Exactly. And it helps if you know the answers to those questions, just in case they try and bull**** you.

Bugirll,

Some of my friends already gave me the similar future worries as your coworker, or they are worrying about how can I find a boy whom can accept a vegan girl like me or such...But, I believe I'm doing right things....I totally agree with the suggestions from Beachbnny, MrFalafel and Indian Summer.

Enjoy your days!

Protein combining was a popular theory back in the 70's I believe. It is now believed that as long as you are eating a variety of proteins/carbs throughout the day, your body will compose the necessary amino acids. (That is, the food doesn't all have to be in your stomach at the same time!) If people start questioning my protein intake (doesn't really happen much), I tell them that I need approximately 44g of protein in a day, and rattle off how much is in what and then ask them how much THEY need in a day and no one has ever known.



As far as soy goes -- less processed is better (edamame, okara, tofu, tempeh is better than soy protein isolate), and moderation is key! I use rice milk, not soy milk, and make tofu for dinner once a week and don't eat too many processed foods. I don't worry about my soy intake.



Whey is often not even considered vegetarian because of the rennet used to create "curds and whey" is often animal derived.

Try Quinoa! It's got a lot of protein and tastes great

you can always ask "Which amino acid are you most concerned about?" That shuts most people up.

Quinoa is definitely something to include in your diet, high in fibre, iron and a complete protein amongst other things. Amaranth is another 'wonder grain' that is also a complete protein.



Other great vegan protein sources are soy, hemp, lentils, peas, beans, pumpkin seeds, flax and seitan. Chlorella algae also apparently has a very good amino acid profile. Foods such as nuts, brown rice and wholemeal bread also contain a resonable amount of protein. If you include these foods alongside plenty of fruit, veggies and wholegrains, as well as drinking plenty of water and getting exposed to sunlight then you should have nothing to worry about.



I believe the UK Vegan Society produce literature on raising vegan children and adequately meeting nutritional requirements.



Finally, this guy is a long-term vegan, do you really think he is deficient in protein?



http://www.veganbodybuilding.com/?page=bio_avi