Hi, I posted this info on another thread. There is a myth that only certain foods have protein in them, like eggs and meat, but actually almost everything we eat has protein in it- even broccoli and romaine lettuce!
Just wanted to say that almost everything has protein in it and in our country the myth of getting a lot of protein is just that a myth. As a breast feeding momma you need only about 55-60 grams of protein. If, when you are eating more whole grains and veggies, you are not feeling full that is probably due to lack of fat. Protein doesn't make us feel full it is the fat that does that. Also, if you were feeling weak maybe it is because you need to eat more often. Grains and veggies go quicker through the body than meat does. So, chances are that you are getting enough protein if you are eating enough calories and eating a whole foods and varied diet.
these next few parts are from the book Becoming Vegan:
For vegans on predominately whole foods diets, a figure of .9 grams of protein per kg body weight is suggested. This breaks down to if you are 135 pounds you need 55 grams of protein. If you are 15o pounds you need 61 grams.
The building blocks for protein consist of 22 different amino acids. Of these, nine must be supplied in the diet and are known as essential amino acids. The remainder can be formed in our bodies from these ESSA's and other dietary components. Proteins are scored using a method called PDCAAS (Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score). This score is arrived at by measuring the amounts of different amino acids in one gram of a particular protein and comparing that with teh amounts of these amino acids per gram of protein required for growth and good health by a person 2 years or older (if it's good for 2 year olds it good for us). Soy, milk, and eggs all have a digestability rate of 1. Look at it like this 1 cup of tofu has 40 grams of protein. Someone who needs 50 grams of protein could meet it with eating 11/4 cup tofu. One medium egg contains 5.5 grams protein so someone who needs 50 grams a day needs to eat 9 eggs to get all the protein including all the EAA's like tofu. Also, someone would have to drink 6 cups of 2% cows milk to get all the protein and EAA's.
People often assume that plants (meaning veggies and grains) are lacking in some Esential amino Acids because that is what they have been told. Plants, though are the source for ALL essential amino acids. So, animal meat doesn't have it naturally, they get it from eating plants and grains). We don't need meat to get all the EAA's that our bodies (and animals bodies) need to grow and be healthy.
Here are some foods have protein that we would never think about:
raw bean sprouts - 3.2grams (1 cup)
broccoli - 2.6 (1 cup raw)
corn - 2.7 (1/2 cooked)
baked potato - 2.8
mushrooms - 1.7 (1/2 cup)
kale - 2.2 (1 cup)
lentils - 17.9 (1 cup)
Soybeans - 28.6 (1 C)
seitan - 15.9 (1/4 cup) non soy
tofu- 19.9 (1/2 C)
tempeh- 15.8 (1/2 C)
cranberry beans - 16.5 (1 cup)
pine nuts - 8.2 (1/4C)
almonds - 7.4 (1/4C)
pumpkin and sunflower - 8.5 & 8 (1/4C)
millet - 4.2 (1/2C)
brown rice - 4.5 (1/2C)
whole wheat flour - 4.1 (1/4C)
banana- 1.2
apple - .3
orange - 1.2
berries - .4 (1/2C)
vegan burgers - 11-13 (1 burger)
vegan weiners - 9.1-10.9 (1 weiner)
For comparrison:
2% milk - 4.0 (1/2C)
beef - 10.6 (2oz.)
chicken - 15.3 (2 oz.)
salmon - 15.5 (2 oz.)
I am sure you know this but by eating whole foods you not only get that protein and it's EAA's but you also get other things like iron, calcium, vitamin b's and so on.
I hope this helps a little. Good luck and I would definately reccomend the book Becoming Vegan even if you aren't going to go vegan it is a book full of nutritional guidelines and gives you pertinent information on what nutritional value foods have.
