Veganism, Protein, and Treats – Oh My!
My dad and doctor are protein obsessed. They think by me being vegan I am not going to get enough protein. If you really look at how protein is distributed in food – it’s really hard not to get enough protein. But, if you are a vegan and really worried about getting enough protein. I’d like to share what I found.
NutriBiotic Rice Protein – I prefer the chocolate but it really doesn’t taste like much. It goes good in a glass of rice milk and has 12 grams of protein per serving – I usually put two heaping tablespoons in one glass for 24 grams of protein goodness at breakfast time.
NuGo Protein Bars – I like the chocolate chocolate chip the best. They are vegan and pretty good. 10g of Protein per bar.
Primal Strips – I like the Texas BBQ ones. For some reasons the Teriyaki tastes like dirt to me. The Hickory Smoke is okay but is more soy-like than the Texas BBQ. The only drawback on the Primal Strips is that the package is hard to open so you’ll probably need scissors and it has a lot of sodium. But, it’s 10 grams of protein a strip and that’s awesome.
Tofurkey Jerky – It’s awesome. It has 12 grams of protein per ounce but again high salt content.
Okay, this has nothing to do with protein, well, they have like 3 grams of protein per ounce but I want to share this finding with you. Gone Nuts! Living Intentions are awesome raw nuts. I found them at this little vegan store. A little costly but they are really good. I haven’t tried all the flavors but so far my favorite is Maple. The Teriyaki are pretty awesome too. Well, I like them, my dad doesn’t.
Another thing that has nothing to do with protein but sugar – Yummy Earth is some awesome lollipops. I only have tried the Pomegranate drops and they’re great.
That’s all I have to share for now. Do you have any vegan protein or yummy finds? Leave a comment and share please! Thanks! 🙂
Actually, the entire thing is a bit misleading. Protein is made up of amino acid arranged in a linear chain. 20 or so. 8 are deemed essential. That means you cannot synthesize these and have to retrieve them from what you ingest. The others the body can synthesize so they are non-essential.
What food marketeers never tell you is that your body cannot use protein as ingested. It takes a huge amount of energy to digest protein. During this process, it breaks down into individual and branched chain amino acids (BCAA’s). Only in that form, can it pass through your intestine into the bloodstream. Once in the blood stream, BCAA’s and individual AA’s are then rechained to form a protein molecule for when the body needs it. You should note that there is NO DAILY VALUE for protein. Even the FDA says so – http://www.fda.gov/Food/LabelingNutrition/ConsumerInformation/UCM078889.htm
Proteins are broken down in the stomach during digestion by enzymes known as proteases into smaller polypeptides to provide amino acids for the organism, including the essential amino acids that the organism cannot biosynthesize itself.
The food marketing people create a scare about protein and ignore these facts. For a food to be labeled as containing protein, it must contain all amino acids. This basically keeps foods that have only 10 amino acids from being able to label themselves as having “protein”. Takeaway – you can get protein by just eating a well balanced diet. The FDA in the US itself states “Current scientific evidence indicates that protein intake is not a public health concern for adults and children over 4 years of age.”
That is a lot to ponder isn’t it? We’ve been grossly mislead by the beef, dairy and meat industry lobbyists.
Duane Chaos – living the veggie life!
Thanks for the comment. That’s a lot to ponder! I remember reading “Diet for A New America” and the author explained that you had to work at it to not get enough protein just by naturally eating a balance diet. Awesome you’re veg. 🙂
Odd- I had a dream last night that my mom was trying to get me to eat meat, as ‘I would never get enough protein.’ Strange, since a vegetarian/vegan diet is chock full of beans & legumes, usually. Besides, I think the average American takes in wayyyyy too much protein.