The other day I went to a 100% plant-based pub in Brighton. I was really impressed how far vegan cuisine has developed over the last couple of years; delicious, beautifully served plates of mouth-watering food. But… looking at the dishes, I couldn’t find one that had more than 10-15g of protein. I need 30-40g. And no, I’m not a bodybuilder. I’m not a professional athlete doing two workouts a day. I’m a regular perimenopausal woman whose needs are ideally 40g of protein per meal.
Okay, you might be completely baffled now for a couple of reasons.
A. First, you might not be aware what the daily protein intake recommendation is. For a long time, I didn’t know it myself. I mean, we women, we have so much on our plate, cooking dinner is enough of a chore most of the time, now you tell me to count my macros...? I was not interested to know this mostly because I was overwhelmed by the barrage of dietary information. Eat this, don’t eat that…
B. Second, there is a lot of misleading information or reports based on outdated statistics. You might have heard that the daily recommendation of protein for women is around 46g… per day. The British Heart Foundation gives ‘excellent’ advice: “A protein portion should fit into the palm of your hand.” Seriously? What does it even mean?
Now, if 46g per day was correct, then I guess we can just about scramble that amount on a plant-based diet without paying too much attention to what we eat. Or can we?
If you take into consideration that women on a carnivorous diet are likely to be consuming a less-than-optimal amount of protein per day (and 46g is on the lower range!), then I’m a little bit worried for the plant eaters…
Why is that? I think there could be a few reasons. But in general, we women, we are big on snacks. I’ve spoken to a lot of women who live off snacks without eating a proper meal throughout the whole day. (No ladies, a sandwich and hummus with carrots is not a meal). Our preference is for snack foods and chocolate, especially around the time of our period. Men, on the other hand, are more likely to long for a tender piece of steak.[i]
And when you go to a restaurant or buy a ready-made meal, you are more likely to look for the calorific content, maybe fat content, but never really for protein. Am I right?
So, this brings me back to the question:
Can plant eaters get enough of protein? Of course, they can. But only IF THEY PAY ATTENTION to what they eat. You cannot just ditch meat and that’s it. You must find ways to make up for the nutrient content. I hear a lot of dietitians and even doctors saying how unhealthy a plant-based diet can be. And you know what, after experiencing some health challenges myself, I am keen to agree. I love my vegan community, the spirited activists, change makers and leaders. But if you lead, you cannot just leave people hanging halfway. As much as ethics are hugely important, we must address the logistics of switching to a plant-based diet in a healthy, sustainable (health-wise) way.
We must think about:
The plant protein sources.
The way to cook them.
The fact that meat substitutes are optional as an interim but not desirable long-term.
That it might take time to change their gut flora to digest some of the plant-based protein (and fibre).
Proteins are essential for virtually every one of your cellular functions. We need protein to maintain the structure of hair, bones, and connective tissue; for enzymes that digest food; for antibodies that keep the immune system functioning; for muscle strength and muscle mass; and for energy. They are also important for neurotransmitters which are responsible for mood, sleep, and cognitive functions.
I already talked extensively why under-fuelling is one of the cascade of symptoms during perimenopause onwards. But now, let’s look at protein specifically.
1. Foods rich in protein contain amino acids to help prevent and treat depression and anxiety. (Please refer to my blog post: Anxiety in perimenopause? What can we do about it. for more details on that)
2. Protein alongside fibre and fats help to slow down the digestion of carbs and delay their absorption into the blood. This helps to prevent spikes in glucose levels after eating. Consistent high blood sugar levels (‘hyperglycaemia’) is a road to and the sign of diabetes.
3. An adequate intake of dietary protein is important for prevention of bone loss and in slowing down osteoporosis.
Older adults may become protein malnourished due to an inadequate intake of protein and a reduced ability to use available protein,
because of age-related changes in metabolism, immunity, and hormone levels and sensitivity[ii]. Therefore, as we get older, there is a greater, need for protein.[iii] Unfortunately, people tend to eat less, not more, protein as they get older.
And as for those who are trying to lose some weight, again a high protein diet is the way to go. A study published in 2021 involved 60 obese women between the age of 20-45. All subjects followed a low-calorie diet. The intervention group however, ate a diet higher in protein.
After eight weeks, the high protein group had a greater weight loss, reduction in body mass index and waist circumference. [iv]
As we get older, let’s say from perimenopause onwards, women become very anabolically resistant therefore we need more protein than before. So once again, the dose has to be around 40g post-exercise and we also look at regular doses of 30-40g across the day every 3-4 hours, especially at mealtimes just to keep those amino acids signalling up and protein synthesis going.
So, let’s get down to business.
How do we introduce more plant-based proteins into our diet in an easy, smart, and convenient way?
a) We are going to start by simply listing them first.
1. Seitan
2. Tofu & tempeh
3. Lentils
4. Beans
5. Nut & seed butters (peanut, almond, cashew, pumpkin)
6. Nuts & seeds
7. Quinoa
8. Chia seeds & flax seed
9. Oats
10. Green peas
11. Pea pasta, mung bean pasta
12. Soy milk & other milks
13. Hemp seed
14. Protein powder
b) Then you’re going to circle the ones that you like to eat NOW. This above list is not exhaustive so please go ahead and add your bit.
c) Before you decide on which new protein sources, you’re going to introduce next, I’ll need you to spend a week writing down your own food diary: write down all the meals (and snacks and drinks) that you consume for a week. Yes, I know. Sounds like a lot of work. But unfortunately, if you don’t measure, you don’t know where you stand. Maybe you do not need massive changes, maybe your protein intake is spot on and all you’re going to do is to give yourself a big pat on the shoulder. (if that’s the case, well done, a lot of us don’t arrive at that conclusion.)
d) Next, via learning how to put together simple dishes you will start introducing some sources of protein that perhaps you are not used to so much right now.
e) At the same time, you’ll start gradually learning the protein content of your meals so that it becomes second nature and eventually you will not need to keep counting!
There are many ways to cheekily sneak in all the above into your meals. From adding ground lentils into your sauces and soups, adding beans into your cakes (yep, I know!), fortifying your smoothies, energy balls, substituting regular pasta with mung bean or pea pasta, sprinkling them onto your buddha bowl.
The sky is the limit really. Once you get the gist of how to, you’ll be creating your own recipes, I’m sure!
[i] Are Food Cravings More Common in Women Than Men?
[ii] Physiopathological mechanism of sarcopenia
[iii] Evidence-based recommendations for optimal dietary protein intake in older people: a position paper from the PROT-AGE Study Group
[iv] Effect of different protein diets on weight loss, inflammatory markers, and cardiometabolic risk factors in obese women
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