Thursday, November 1 marks world vegan day and November is world vegan month. The Vegan Society describes veganism as ‘a way of living which seeks to exclude, as far as is possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose’. This means they do not eat anything related to animals be that dairy, eggs, honey, meat and fish and have a plant-based diet. They also do not wear or have products using leather or are tested on animals. One of the common questions a vegan is asked is where they get their protein from? With that question in mind Louise Palmer-Masterson, founder of multiple award-winning restaurant Stem + Glory, debunks some of the myths surrounding vegans and protein. “In truth, everything we eat has a protein element to it. So, as long as your plant-based diet is varied, it will most likely contain all the protein you need, including the full spectrum of amino acids. “Almost every food source contains an element of protein - including all vegetables. Peas, kale, broccoli, mushrooms, asparagus are particularly good protein sources as, of course, are beans, lentils, nuts and seeds. “Animal-based proteins contain all nine essential amino acids, which makes them complete proteins, but it is not actually necessary to eat one food that contains everything. Combining plant foods results in complete protein and gives exactly the same result nutritionally.” What are the essential amino acids we need? “These are histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan and valine. To give some examples of successful combining, grains are lacking in lysine, beans are high in lysine therefore combining these two foods gives a perfect amino acid balance. “So, grains and legumes are therefore known as complementary proteins. ‘Rice and beans’ is fairly commonly known as a complete meal. But lesser known is that nuts and seeds together with legumes are also complementary proteins. So, let’s hear it for hummus, this vegan staple is a complete protein - chickpea (legume) + tahini (sesame seed). “You don’t need to eat your full spectrum of amino acids at the same meal. The liver can store essential amino acids, so as long as you eat a varied, plant-based diet that regularly includes all the aminos, you’ll be getting everything you need. “Some plant sources are actually already complete proteins - soy, quinoa, chia, hemp and amaranth - but rather than focus on just those, it is far better to simply eat a combination of vegetables and plant proteins. “Bear in mind that meat eaters and lacto vegetarians eat vegetables, legumes and grains too, so it is kind of irrelevant that their proteins are complete.” How much protein do we need to eat daily? “In the western world we eat far too much protein – which is actually detrimental to health and wellbeing. Men should get 56 grams and women need 46 grams of protein daily. Most people eat almost double this. “Your average pork chop contains approximately 20g of protein. This is exactly the same amount of protein as 1/2 cup tofu, or 1 cup cooked beans. Add your tofu or beans to vegetables, a sprinkling of seeds or nuts and you’ll be up to more than 30g - over half your RDA. In fact, it is actually easy for vegans to eat more than their RDA of protein without even trying. In the course of trying to ‘get enough protein’ many vegans are actually getting more than they need. “I am a firm believer in fresh, tasty plant-based foods with a decent proportion served raw, with a sprinkling of nuts or seeds at every meal is the way forward. If you like tofu and tempeh then great, if not then beans and lentils are great too. If you don’t like either then you’ll probably get enough from vegetables, grains, nuts and seeds.” What happens if you eat too much protein? “Eating too much protein is a factor in weight gain since surplus turns to fat and we are generally far too protein-focused. Protein deficiency is rarely seen in affluent populations, and generally only seen in populations where ALL food is scarce. “Simply put, where food is abundant, all people, regardless of their dietary choices, will be getting more than enough protein, and all the aminos they need.” For more on Stem + Glory, visit www.stemandglory.uk For more on Vegan Society, www.vegansociety.com READ MORE Pizza Express is giving away free dough balls to celebrate World Vegan Day How Brighton’s independent vegan shops are staying ahead of the curve Vegan baby led weaning - one mum’s Instagram journey Worthing’s first vegan eatery to open its doors Gallery: Your top vegan/vegetarian food outlets in Brighton