Animal vs Plant Protein
Is there a superior form of protein? Can I still hit my goals on a vegetarian or vegan diet? What is a ‘complete’ protein? Science has the answers, and we will try to make it as simple as possible. If you want to check you’re optimizing your protein intake contact us for a dietary review today.
ANIMAL PROTEINS
Animal proteins are ‘complete’ proteins, meaning they contain all of our Essential Amino Acids (EAAs). Therefore we can put all of our focus on hitting our protein goals.
Typically, we would suggest someone ingest high quality, complete proteins however, there are still wider health factors to consider and a varied, balanced diet is encouraged.
Some examples of Animal Proteins are:
Red meat i.e beef and pork
Poultry i.e chicken
Fish
Eggs and dairy
PLANT PROTEINS
The only plant-based protein that is complete is soy. This means that to get all of our EAAs using plant proteins, those on a vegan or vegetarian diet must combine ‘complementary proteins’, or in simpler terms, combine foods to get all of our EAAs.
Some easy examples of complementary proteins are:
Rice & beans,
Nut butter e.g peanut, cashew or almond & wholewheat bread
Hummus & pita bread.
We do not need to worry about this for every meal though! The stress and planning involved would put many off. Instead, if someone eats a varied, balanced plant-based they will likely get all of their EAAs.
Again the focus on protein should start with the amount, then the quality (all our EAAs or not), followed by the timing of consumption..
SUPPLEMENTATION
Both whey and soy protein powders have been shown to be effective. The main factor for choosing one over the other should be personal preference, as they offer similar results.
While we always advocate a ‘Food First’ approach, supplementation can help us hit our goals.
See our Protein Powder blog for the basics of protein powders.
SUMMARY
Comparing a single source of animal protein with a single source of plant protein (e.g comparing chicken to beans) will suggest that the animal protein is superior as it is a complete protein. However, through a varied and balanced plant-based diet we can still meet all of our protein requirements.
As a rule I would try to avoid being drawn in by the propaganda posts on our social media feeds which often compare single sources of proteins. They are often posted with an agenda ( with pro or anti vegan posts being extremely common) and ignore details such as EAAs, as well as consideration of our overall diets and health.
Our advice:
Ensuring you get enough protein should be your first step, factoring in your personal preferences and lifestyle. Then look at the quality of our protein sources.
MYTHS-BUSTED
You can’t get enough protein on a plant based diet. There are a huge variety of plant-based protein sources, more than we could list in this blog! But beans, nuts and lentils are all good starting points.
You can’t build muscle with Plant Protein. As long as an individual meets their protein requirements and uses complementary or complete proteins they will stimulate Muscle Protein Synthesis. Or, in simple terms, they will build muscle. This is best achieved by combining resistance exercise and adequate protein.