Whether you’re new to the world of vegan eating or you’ve been living a plant-based lifestyle for a while, you’ve probably been asked “how do you get enough protein?”
Let us help you answer that question, so you don’t have to.
All About Amino Acids
Our body converts protein into branch-chain amino acids (BCAA) to be used to repair and rebuild muscles. A complete protein source is one that provides certain amounts of all essential amino acids: histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine.
Essential amino acids need to be consumed in diet. While not all plant-based sources of protein contain all essential amino acids in the proportions your body needs, eating a variety of foods, like almonds, nuts, and whole grains or taking a protein shake like ARM Protein, can provide a complete amino acid profile.
Give Me the Numbers
So how much do I need? Individual needs vary but you can use the below general guideline to calculate daily protein needs (in grams of protein per kilogram of body weight).
- Adult Men and Women: 0.8 g/kg/day1
- Endurance-trained athletes: 2 to 1.4 g/kg/day1
- Strength-trained athletes: 4 to 1.8 g/kg/day1
Want to try this conversion out yourself? Let’s say you’re a 130 pound woman who is training for a marathon.
Convert pounds into kilograms by dividing by 2.2. 130 divided by 2.2 is 59 kilograms.
For your level of training, a minimum of 1.2 grams per kilogram per day is required. 59 x 1.2 grams = 70 grams of protein per day.
That’s as simple as three meals with 20 grams of protein each, and two snacks with 5 grams of protein each. Check the labels of your favorite foods to see how many grams of protein each serving contains.
And for an easy way to add 20 grams of protein to your day, add a serving of ARM protein shake to your diet as a snack or meal!
References
Lemon, P. W. (1995, June). Do athletes need more dietary protein and amino acids? Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7550257
National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference. Accessed on 5/22/2020 from: http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/