7 benefits of plant protein
Do plants contain protein?
Yep.
Read on for 7 benefits of choosing plants as your go-to source of protein.
1. Rich in fiber
✅ 1 serving of Jenny’s smoked five spice tofu contains 18 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber.
Compare that to 1 egg which contains 6 grams of protein and 0 grams of fiber.
No contest.
Jenny’s organic smoked five spice tofu
2. No heme iron
Heme iron is found in meat, fish and poultry.
❌ Heme iron can cause oxidative stress, DNA damage and inflammation. High levels of heme iron in the diet have been linked to cancer, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.
[source]
I can’t recommend eggs, but to their credit, eggs, like plants, contain non-heme iron.
Lentil soup
3. Lower cholesterol & saturated fat
✅ 1 serving of Jenny’s smoked five spice tofu contains 0 milligrams of cholesterol and 1.5 grams of saturated fat.
Compare that to 1 egg which contains 187 milligrams of cholesterol and 1.6 grams of saturated fat.
What’s the issue with dietary cholesterol?
❌ Too much cholesterol in the bloodstream can cause fatty deposits to build up in our arteries. These deposits can narrow our arteries, leading to heart attack or stroke.
[source]
I understand there’s some controversy in the media on whether or not dietary cholesterol matters. I’m not willing to take the risk of finding out later that the pro-cholesterol minority was wrong.
Does your diet contain cholesterol on a typical day with no consequence to your health? I’d love to hear from you on this.
Saturated fat
Tofu and eggs tie on saturated fat.
For a 0 saturated fat option, go for beans. You can’t lose with beans. 🫘
Black beans nutrition label
4. Cost
The price of eggs has been all over the news for months, and months, and months. The death of thousands of factory farmed chickens from bird flu is the latest to blame for the cost of eggs. 136,327,394 poultry affected as of 1/17/2024.
What’s still cheap & doesn’t have bird flu?
Beans 🫘
Refried pinto beans, Yellow Bird hot sauce, Bragg’s nutritional yeast on fresh sourdough bread
5. No cooking required
Most of us don’t eat raw meat. We have to cook and season meat to make it taste good.
Many vegetables don’t require cooking or seasoning to make them palatable. You’re busy? There’s some time back!
Higher protein veggies include green peas, spinach, collard greens, sweet corn, mustard greens, lima beans, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts.
Some on this list require cooking, others don’t. I like eating farmer’s market corn-on-the-cob raw. I like it lightly boiled too.
Cauliflower
6. Animal friendly
98% of the animal products in grocery stores come from factory farms (CAFOs)
If 98% of animal products come from CAFOs, and >2% of the packages for meat and dairy products in grocery stores say “cage free,” well, the math isn’t mathing.
Image by @jinen on Unsplash
7. Less water and land use
Livestock production uses a large amount of land, but it only produces a small portion of the world’s calories and protein.
Reducing meat and dairy consumption can significantly reduce the amount of land needed for agriculture.
Animal agriculture has negative environmental impacts, including greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, water use, and water pollution.
Concerned about almonds and water usage? Skip them! There are so many other plants.
Image by @lucabravo on Unsplash
POV
If I was eating animal products, I’d do so for the taste, not because I need them to thrive. Plant-based is now a part of my identity. I love that part of my identity. My body’s better. My mind’s better. Anything else would feel like going backwards.
All vegetables contain protein, carbohydrates and fat.
Eat vegetables in volume —> meet your protein needs.
If you have a smaller appetite or you’re an athlete, be aware of your protein needs, and use a food tracking app like Cronometer to ensure you have a plan for meeting those needs.
Related reading:
Thanks for reading!
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Eat plants. 🥦 Hydrate.🚰 Move.🤸 Prioritize sleep. 🛌
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