Where do you get your protein?

It's the first question I get asked when I say I'm vegan, and the short answer is, "from plants." But that's not what people really want to know, is it? I think they are really asking, "Do you have to eat a lot of weird stuff and slimy tofu?" They are also so conditioned by the advertising media to think that it's difficult to get enough protein that it seems like a big concern. But in reality, too much animal protein is killing Americans and it's easy to get all you need from a plant-based diet. And you don't have to eat anything "weird."

Do you know what protein deficiency looks like? It's called kwashiorkor and you see it in third world countries experiencing famine. Children with stick-like arms and legs and distended bellies suffering from malnutrition have protein deficiency. If you are getting enough calories (and not all from junk food) you are probably getting enough protein. Remember the idea that vegetarians had to combine types of foods to get complete proteins? It's a myth. The ADA busted that myth in 1988, and even the author of Diet for a Small Planet, who came up with the idea in the first place, reversed her position on that long ago. Plants have all the amino acids needed to provide all the protein an active person needs to thrive.

So, where do I get my protein? I get it from vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds, and fruits. I get it from FOOD.