I’m often asked by clients interested in a vegetarian diet, but not quite convinced, “How would I get my protein?” Read this interesting by Kardena Pauza, the author of my recommended vegetarian recipes resource.

Title: The Truth About Vegetarian Protein
By line: By Kardena Pauza
URL: http://www.healthyeatingforhealthylivingtips.com/veggie-meal-planner

The Truth About Vegetarian Protein

The most common question people ask me about my vegetarian diet is,“How do you get enough protein?” You have a toned body and how do you build muscle without eating meat?”

Well, while I agree it is important to have protein in your diet, there are two things to know.

1.   We really DON’T NEED as much protein as most people think.

2.   It’s actually quite easy to get all the protein you need from a plant-based diet.

It’s amazing how many people are concerned about a lack of protein, but in our Western culture, almost NO ONE needs to worry about suffering from a lack of protein.

We’ve been brainwashed by supplement companies and magazine ads into thinking we need one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight, but science has NEVER shown that level of protein intake to be needed.

In fact, what we really see is people eating excessive amounts of protein and sometimes so much that they get fat and very ill!

Like I said, getting enough protein has not been a concern in our country, we see very few cases of protein deficiencies and the few cases typically are in poverty stricken areas.

Typically in this situation there is an overall deficiency of calories and most nutrients not just a lack of protein.

But as long as you follow a whole food meal plan giving you at least 1600 calories, you will easily get enough protein.

According to the World Health Organization (W.H.O) you need to consume a minimum of 10% of your daily caloric intake from protein to be healthy and build lean muscle. The

World Health Organization is the leading authority on human health and is dedicated to improving the quality of people’s lives around the world.

The only places the W.H.O discovered minor protein deficiencies were in underdeveloped countries that did not have access to a variety of foods and protein and consequently these people had a lack of over all nutrients not just protein. The W.H.O is attempting to deliver more legumes to these areas to balance their diet and insure they get enough protein.

Countries that eat a sufficient amount of calories and variety don’t see protein deficiencies. A variety of foods everyday is what will give you a well balanced diet.

Let’s take a look at an example as we review protein needs. As I mentioned in the above paragraphs, the recommended amount of protein for a vegetarian is a minimum of 10% of your daily calories.

EXAMPLE:

If you are eating a 1,600 calorie diet, 10% of that would be 160 calories. Each gram of protein has 4 calories, so that calculates out to 40 grams of protein per day. This is easy to do!

All you need to do is eat a ½ cup of lentils you are getting about 10 grams of protein and a hard boiled egg has 7 grams of protein. You are 1/3 of the way there!

Of course, it’s still easy to do if you are vegan. Oatmeal has about 7 grams of protein per serving, hemp bliss has 5 grams of protein per cup, and quinoa and spelt pasta have 10-15 grams of protein per serving.

Here’s ANOTHER WAY to determine how much protein you’ll need.

The recommended amount of protein is 0.49 grams per pound of bodyweight (NOT 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight like steroid-using bodybuilders suggest).

You can also determine your minimum amount by taking your bodyweight and multiplying it by .49. Example- If you weigh 130 pounds x .49 = 63.7 grams of protein.

However, if you are overweight and use this formula, you will dramatically OVER-estimate your protein needs. Therefore, you can use your target weight when doing this calculation. So if you are 160 pounds but want to be 130 pounds, just use the 130 pound target weight in the calculation.

These 2 methods give you slightly different amounts of protein so you can see there is no exact measure but at least gets us in the minimum acceptable range.

For our purpose of weight loss I have found that up to 20% of your daily calories from protein will help you increase your metabolism, curb your appetite, and help you build lean muscle. But you don’t need more than that.

For more tips and information, visit the website below (watch for the special offer):

http://www.healthyeatingforhealthylivingtips.com/veggie-meal-planner

One more broccoli recipe, still quick to prepare, and with great nutritional value.

Gino D’Acampo’s Flamenco Eggs with Bellaverde® Broccoli

Difficulty: Moderate Preparation Time: 10 mins Cooking Time: 10-15 mins Servings: 4

INGREDIENTS:

Here’s another great recipe for those of you  who are developing a taste for broccoli

Gino D’Acampo’s Bellaverde® Broccoli with Mint, Goats Cheese and Pine Nuts

Difficulty: Easy  Preparation Time: 5 mins  Cooking Time: 4 mins  Servings: 4

INGREDIENTS:

• 400g bellaverde® broccoli

• 1 garlic clove
• 6 fresh mint leaves
• 60ml/4tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 30ml/2tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 100g/4oz goats cheese
• 45ml/3tbsp pine nuts, toasted, salt and freshly ground black pepper

        METHOD:

1. Wash the bellaverde® and trim the base of the spear. Cook in a saucepan with salted boiling water for 4 mins until just tender. Drain and then rinse in cold water to cool slightly, then, drain again.
2. In the meantime finely chop the garlic and the mint together and place in a large bowl. Pour in the oil and the balsamic vinegar and mix until well combined.
3. Add the warm bellaverde® to the bowl with the dressing. Season with salt and pepper and toss all together until evenly coated. Place on a serving plate.
4. Crumble over the goat cheese and scatter over the pine nuts and serve.

Energy(kcal)	249
Protein (g)	9.3
Fat (g)	22
Of which saturates (g)	4.8
Carbohydrate (g)	3.7
Of which sugars (g)	3.2
Fibre (g)	2.8
Salt (g)	0.32
1 of your 5-A-DAY A third of your GDA of Vit C

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As promised, and with kind permission of Bellaverde®, here is another great recipe to give you a different way of eating broccoli.

Gino D’Acampo’s Zesty Bellaverde® Broccoli and Courgette Spaghetti

Difficulty: Easy Preparation Time: 10 mins Cooking Time: 18 mins Servings: 4

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 courgettes, trimmed
• 200g bellaverde® broccoli
• 450g/1lb dry spaghetti
• 90ml/6tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 25g/1oz walnut pieces, roughly chopped
• zest of a lemon
• a pinch of dried chilli flakes
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 60ml/4tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese

METHOD:

1. Coarsely grate the courgettes then place them in a clean tea towel and squeeze dry. Meanwhile, wash the bellaverde® and prepare by trimming the base of the spear. Chop in diagonal slices about 3cm long with the leaves.
2. Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the courgettes and fry for 7 mins on a medium heat.Fry for 7 mins on a medium heat. Stir occasionally. Add in the bellaverde®, chilli flakes, walnuts and lemon zest and continue to cook for a further 3 mins. Season with salt and stir
3. In the meantime cook the pasta in a large saucepan of salted, boiling water for 8-10 mins or until just tender and ‘al dente’. Drain in a colander.
4. Add the spaghetti to the frying pan and toss all together onon a medium heat for 30 secs.
5. Serve immediately with Parmesan cheese on top.

Energy(kcal)	641
Protein (g)	21
Fat (g)	26.2
Of which saturates (g)	4.8
Carbohydrate (g)	85.7
Of which sugars (g)	5.8
Fibre (g)	5.3
Salt (g)	0.19
1 of your 5-A-DAY A third of your GDA of Vit C