Copyright 2007 - 2009 Martha Theus and 21st Century Vegetarians
PROTEIN INFORMATION
If you are worried about getting enough protein on a vegetarian diet, I can tell you that it is not a problem as long as you replace animal sources with vegetable sources that are nutritious and protein rich. We use a lot of "mock meats" that accomplish this purpose, but if you do not prefer them, you can still get sufficient protein even if you follow a raw diet.
I recommend you do your own research to satisfy your concerns. I have included a chart and a few resources below to get you on the right track!
RESOURCES
This is a chapter from our cookbook that includes data on vegetarian protein requirements and a side-by-side comparison of a typical meal for us vs. the Standard American Diet (SAD).
A good place to find out about plant based protein.
Nutrition.gov provides easy access to the best food and nutrition information from across the federal government. It serves as a gateway to reliable information on nutrition, healthy eating, physical activity, and food safety for consumers. The page on vegetarian nutrition has a lot of protein information.
Excerpt: Being vegetarian does not mean your diet will be lacking in protein. Most plant foods contain protein and in fact it would be very difficult to design a vegetarian diet that is short on protein. Excess dietary protein may lead to health problems. It it now thought that one of the benefits of a vegetarian diet is that it contains adequate but not excessive protein.
This the is Los Angeles based online vegetarian resource. In addition to protein information, there are recipe, restaurant, and book reviews.
Basic information from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) about vegetarian nutrition.
Protein information and vegetarian recipes from About.com.
More links regarding protein, nutrition, and recipes from About.com.
I am dedicating an entire page to this subject because I have found that vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike are absolutely obssessed with this issue. I am not claiming to be a medical or nutritional expert, but I am an expert at raising a healthy family. As you can see from our pictures, especially of my kids who have been vegetarian since birth, we are not lacking strength, stamina, or good health. In fact, it's just the opposite because not only do we get perhaps MORE protein on a daily basis than the average meat eater, but we are getting a much higher quality, more easily assimilated protein from plant sources.
My family and I eat a variety of products from various parts of the plant kingdom, that are extremely high in protein. Many are listed at Vegetarian Products, and many are things you probably eat everyday such as nuts, and certain grains and legumes.
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