Almost all plant foods contain protein, making it difficult for someone following a plant-based diet to be protein deficient. As long as you are consuming enough calories you will be getting enough protein. Of course, some foods are more protein-rich than others. Some good sources are peas, beans, lentils, almonds, cashews, sesame seeds, tofu and other soya products.  Most of us eat more protein than we require. The problem today is that we get too much protein.

If you are still worried, ask yourself the questions – where do the cows and goats get their protein? How many people do you know who suffer from protein deficiency? We have been conditioned to think that we can get more or better proteins from animal products. Protein excesses cause diseases like osteoporosis, kidney stones, gout etc.

Protein is a food for growth and repair and the amount found in human milk is enough for a newborn. The human baby doubles its weight in six months and triples it in one year, after which the rate of growth decreases. Human milk contains 1.5 to 2.7% protein. Therefore, if we get 3% of our calories coming from protein, we should have enough. The amount of protein in human milk is similar to the amount in fruit juice. Grains, nuts, and seeds provide much more protein than fruits do! Therefore, it is unlikely that someone consuming enough calories is ever going to suffer from protein deficiency.

Since it is improbable not to get enough protein there’s no need to count how much you’re getting. However, if you need a guide, some nutritionists say that you should get 1g of protein for every kilogram you weigh.