Not so hard to get your protein on a plant-based diet

How to get your protein

From “On becoming a vegetarian” (Carolyn Herriot in her column On the Garden Path in Common Ground, August 2011):

It seemed to me from conversations at dinner parties that people were anxious about getting enough protein in a vegetarian diet, but I assured them this was not a problem. 

Our bodies are composed of 20 percent protein by weight and adequate protein is important for tissue growth and repair, metabolic functioning and the formation of disease-fighting antibodies.

Protein molecules are composed of building blocks called amino acids. There are 22 known amino acids, most of which are synthesized in the body. However there are eight that cannot be synthesized and they are referred to as essential amino acids.

All eight essential amino acids must be present at the same time and in the right proportions for protein synthesis to occur. Grains, beans, nuts, seeds and dairy are valuable sources of these essential amino acids and, when combined, ensure an adequate intake of amino acids for complete protein synthesis.

One of the three combinations below--along with fresh vegetables from the garden--means you can quit worrying about getting enough protein in your diet:

1.Grains combined with beans;

2.Grains combined with dairy products;

3.Beans combined with seeds.

Carolyn Herriot is author of A Year on the Garden Path, a 52-Week OrganicGardening Guide and The Zero MileDiet: A Year-round Guide to Growing Organic Food (Harbour Publishing). She grows ‘Seeds of Victory’ at the Garden Path Centre in Victoria BC.