Grow Your Own Plant-Based Protein

Vegetarian and vegan diets have risen in popularity in recent years, but the looming question remains – how do meat-free eaters get enough protein?

Fortunately, a variety of plant-based protein sources are readily available both on grocery store shelves and in our gardens!

If you want to meet your daily protein needs without considering meat or animal products, you have options.

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Before we dive into those sources, first we need to take a look at what protein is, and how it helps your body to function.

Here is what we will cover:

Protein is one of the three macronutrients, along with carbohydrates and fat, that provides us with energy.

Protein is used to build muscle, and to make enzymes and hormones. It offers us four calories of energy per gram.

Protein requirements vary from person to person based on sex, body size, physical activity, and medical conditions.

A general rule of thumb is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. For example, if someone weighed 150 pounds, or 68 kilograms, their estimated daily protein need would be 54 grams.

A more general estimation is to say that 10-35 percent of the calories you eat should come from protein. If you typically eat around 2000 calories per day, your protein intake should be about 200-700 calories or 50-175 grams.

Proteins are made up of amino acids. Our body breaks down the proteins we eat, and then uses these amino acid building blocks to create the proteins it needs.

Some amino acids can be made in the body by rearranging other compounds. Other amino acids can