Plant Based Protein: The Issue and a Solution

Many people today are looking for a plant based diet that avoids the potential hazards of consuming processed or chemically laden meats. 

Plant based diets are very healthy and when done properly can provide everything that you need for optimal body composition, heath and fitness. 

I tell my clients that while I don't strictly use a plant based diet ( I like my steak), I am not opposed to anyone doing so as long as my main nutrition criteria is met. That criteria for everyone is that you must consume the right amounts, of the right macronutrients, at the right times in order to attain your goals and maintain optimal levels of health and fitness. 

I have trained many, and currently train clients who are vegan or vegetarians. With their nutrition coaching, I have come across a reoccurring issue with all of them. Nobody that I have trained, or currently train, who are following a plant based diet, can get in the necessary amount of protein each day, to meet their goals. 

Why is this such an issue? Many leading plant based gurus will tell you that you can easily meet your nutritional requirements with a plant based diet. Well I call BS on that due to very simple math. 

I am going to outline the issue with an example food. Baby kale and spinach leaves are something that I eat weekly as part of my nutrition plan. This container that I buy weekly has 2 servings in it with a total of 6 SIX grams of protein. Now say that I am going plant based and I am using this to get my protein requirement in. Remember this is just an example. 

How much protein do I need anyhow? Well that depends on who you talk to and what scientific study that you read. To keep things simple we will use the USDA recommended daily allowance for protein. And that is .8g per kg of body weight. ( Multiple studies have shown this to be woefully inadequate for even sedentary people). But we will use it to keep the math easy.

I currently weigh 215lbs ( a fat ass I know). That comes out to about 97.5 kg. So to find out my USDA RDA for protein I multiply body weight 97.5 kg x .8g of protein and I get 78g. So we will say that I need 78g of protein a day. 

Well I like my spinach and kale, so I'm going to use that for my protein (for example purposes). So I divide my protein RDA of 78g / 6 g of protein in my spinach and kale container and I come out with about 13 containers. 

Ok cool, so I only need to eat 13 containers of kale and spinach leaves, each day, to get my protein in. Easy breezy right? Hell No! Are you kidding me? I can barely eat one container over the course of a week. And that is even with smoothies. It ain't gonna happen. 

So the plant eater gurus would say well that is not accurate because you would be eating many other plant based foods and that would crank up your protein intake. Ah yeah a little but nowhere near enough to get 78g in a day. You would literally need to eat truckloads of leaves every day to meet your total nutritional needs. You gotta remember that you need a specific amount of calories/grams from protein, fats and carbs, every day, to reach your goals. 

So for me and my clients, it is a major issue. It can be done but it is hard. So I started looking for solutions. And I found one.

Designer protein has come out with the awesome, Organic Pro 30 protein powder, that is vegan approved, GMO free, gluten free and Kosher approved. It is 100% plant based and has 30g of protein per scoop. 2 scoops is 60g of protein.

Now that 78g of protein that I need isn't so unattainable. I can have a bunch of well balanced, normal meals that are plant based and somewhere during the day, have a smoothie with 2 scoops of Organic Pro 30. And just like that-problem solved! And I don't need to eat a truckload of leaves. 

This is a viable way for vegans, vegetarians or plant based diet people to get in their needed protein while remaining 100% plant based. I think it is a solution that can help everyone. I have started using it myself to get in more protein while rotating sources from plant based to animal based protein. 

I though this was such a great product that I contacted Designer Protein, with praise for the Organic Pro 30 protein powder. They were very happy to hear my enthusiasm and they gave me a special link to offer you a 20% discount on any of their products. 

So if you are struggling with your plant based diet and you are not making the progress that you want with your fat loss and fitness goals, this stuff will help for sure. Give it a try and see the difference that it will make. Plus you get to save 20% off of buying it in the store. 

Get Your 20% off discount code here.

Every person that I have trained in the last 10 years has said one thing during a week when they made the most progress. I asked them all "what did you do differently this week"? They all answered, I increased my Protein intake. Boom!

Grab the code and get yours today! Progress awaits you!

Eric Dempsey

MS, ISSA Specialist in Fitness Nutrition