Vegan protein is as misunderstood as the Sasquatch! From hair dressers to lawyers, dietitians and doctors, when I admit to being a vegan, the standard response is a furrowed brow, concerned eye contact and the question “What do you do about protein?” If I’m lucky, I might even get a pat on the shoulder or a squeeze of the elbow.

What is the biggest misconception since people thought the world was flat? Meat is protein and protein is meat. Since everyone says so, including your doctor, your mom, Carl Atkins and Uncle Sam. It’s the Truth, by popular demand!

If you haven’t purchased The China Study, consider investing in this page turner. It offers the most extensive survey of global nutrition ever conducted. More than 8000 statistically significant associations exist between various dietary factors and disease.  The correlations and conclusions are scientifically reputable, reproducible and revolutionary: People who eat plant based diets are the healthiest, and societies that eat more animal-based foods suffer more chronic diseases.According to the respected authority in the World Health Organization, research indicates we only need about 5 percent of our diet to be from protein; they recommend consuming no more than 10 percent. Plants (grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds) not only provide more than enough protein, but also fiber, antioxidants, enzymes, vitamins and nutrients free of harmful fats and cholesterol that promote disease.

And though the USDA dietary guidelines, which are written by and crafted for the meat and dairy industry, lead you to believe that no diet is complete without meats, milk and eggs, ask yourself how steer, buck, bison, pigs and poultry meat end up full of all the nutrients you need to survive…(they don’t eat meat, eggs or milk cows to feed their babies…)

Consider the following info found inThe China Study, Chapter 11, Principle #3, p230.

NUTRIENT COMPOSITION OF PLANT AND ANIMAL-BASED FOODS (PER 500 CALORIES OF ENERGY

When you examine the evidence, I’m not sure how anyone can refer to a vegan diet as “restrictive”. On the contrary.

But nutritional needs are not simple, and deficiencies can be present in every diet. But the Standard American Diet (SAD), full of processed, even if fortified, grains, low quality meat and dairy contaminated with hormones, antibiotics, pesticides and preservatives has NOT ONE benefit over a diet of a wide variety of fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains. There is no competition.

One of the cleanest  and highest quality sources of protein are sprouts, perfect for daily consumption. They have high amounts vitamins A, B, C, E, K, contain more calcium than cow’s milk and contain all of the essential amino acids. Like the “incredible, edible egg”, they are a complete protein only without all the cholesterol. They are a superfood, and can be added to almost everything. Click here and learn how to grow sprouts in your kitchen.