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Originally Posted by taitouwah  i wonders where do all the vegetarian get their source of protein from? do they just never include protein in their diet or reduce it ? |
Virtually all food contains protein, except for fat and sugar. I am on a special medical diet that requires me to calculate how much I eat of a certain amino acid - amino acids are what make up protein, so essentially, I am on a diet that severely restricts my protein in-take. There are people who tell me I can eat a lot of vegetables and fruit, because they don't have much protein. These people are ignorant of the protein content in fruits and vegetables. They have way too much protein for me to be able to eat them without calculating (to also make sure I get enough calories in a day without exceeding how much protein I can eat)
As a person who weighs, for example, 53 kg, or about 112 pounds, you only need c. 50 grams of protein per day. This is information from my doctors and dietitian.
Now look on the nutritional labels of food you buy and eat, and you will see how easy it is to get enough protein in a day without eating any meat, or even without eating dairy or soy products. There are types of beans that have in excess of 20 grams of protein per 100 grams. Cashews, 15.3 grams protein/100 grams, peanuts, 25.7, peanut butter, 22.6, almonds, 20, the list goes on and on. Compare these with meat: beef, 22 grams of protein/100 grams, liver 20 grams, bacon 13.4, chicken 21.5, turkey 22.*
You don't need meat to get protein.
*This information has been obtained from a list provided for dietitians for medical purposes by "Livsmedelsverket" of Sweden. I have the list to help me manage my diet. The list contains all typical foods, but no brand name products.