PROTEIN
Plant-BasedProtein—Sources,Amounts,andHowMuchYouActuallyNeed
The most repeated concern about vegan diets, answered with numbers.
PROTEIN
Plant-Based Protein — Sources, Amounts, and How Much You Actually Need
The average adult needs 0.83 g of protein per kg of body weight per day — about 50 g for a 60 kg person, 65 g for an 80 kg one. Athletes and older adults benefit from 1.2–1.6 g/kg. Almost every whole plant food contains protein: 100 g of cooked lentils = 9 g, a block of tofu = 40 g, a peanut-butter sandwich = 15 g. Combining legumes, grains, seeds and nuts across the day covers every essential amino acid — no 'protein combining at each meal' required.
PROTEIN
Best plant sources
Source: WHO/FAO/UNU 2007; USDA FoodData Central 2024
PROTEIN
Absorption & practical tips
Spread intake across 3–4 meals (~0.3 g/kg per meal) to maximise muscle protein synthesis. Whole soy, seitan, and pea protein isolates rank among the highest quality plant proteins by PDCAAS.
The '20% less usable protein from plants' figure comes from single-food digestibility scores; in a mixed diet the gap is <5% and easily closed by eating ~10% more total protein — which most vegans do anyway.
PROTEIN
FAQ
Q&A
Related questions
- What are the best vegan protein sources?
Lentils, tofu, tempeh, seitan, chickpeas, black beans, edamame, peas, quinoa, oats, peanuts and pea/soy protein powders.
- Will I lose weight going vegan?
Most people do — the average vegan has a lower BMI than the general population — but a vegan diet is not automatically slimming.
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