Enough protein?

[dwyermd]

In order to get enough protein should we eat beans and similar things 3 times a day? Have any Mc dougallers not ingested enough protein after starting the progrom? thanks
md

[JeffN]

In order to get enough protein should we eat beans and similar things 3 times a day? Have any Mc dougallers not ingested enough protein after starting the progrom? thanks
md

Protein is something you need not worry about. As long as you are eating enough calories, eating real foods and getting in a variety of the recommended foods from the recommended food groups, you will automatically get in enough protein and all the amino acids you need, even if you never ate beans.

In fact, if you follow those guidelines, it is impossible to create a diet that is protein deficient.

If you have any concerns, you can do a simple experiment and enter foods into a nutrition analysis program and see this for yourself.

I am more concerned with the people who get in too much protein on a typical American diet, or a high protein diet, than the amount of protein on a healthy plant based diet.

In Health
Jeff

[Jaggu]

How much is the daily protein requirement? Earlier I thought rice didn't have protein, but it seems like even rice has protein. Lentils and beans are high in protein and that is where Vegetarians can get most of their protein. Is that correct?

[Burgess]

How much is the daily protein requirement? Earlier I thought rice didn't have protein, but it seems like even rice has protein. Lentils and beans are high in protein and that is where Vegetarians can get most of their protein. Is that correct?

Jaggu, a suggestion: Systematically read through Dr. McDougall's newsletters. They provide a wealth of information.

For protein, try a close study of this: http://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2007nl/apr/dairy.htm

For unusual medical reasons, I can eat only fruit, vegs, and roots (potatoes, and so forth). I eat no beans, peas, or grains, which are the main sources of protein for most people here. Nevertheless, I still get around 50 grams of protein/day. That is more than I need.

If you follow the general guidelines for wholesome eating, fretting over individual nutrients is unnecessary.

[JeffN]

How much is the daily protein requirement? Earlier I thought rice didn't have protein, but it seems like even rice has protein. Lentils and beans are high in protein and that is where Vegetarians can get most of their protein. Is that correct?

All plants are made up of protein (along with all the essential amino acids), carbohydrates (along with fiber), vitamins, minerals and fats. All.

The DRI is .8 grams/kg based on a healthy body weight.

This is roughly around 56 grams for adult men and 46 for adult women, which has a "buffer" built into it.

It is virtually impossible to create a diet that is deficient in protein if you were to follow the guidelines here and consume enough calories, eat a variety of foods and limit all junk/refined foods.

In Health
jeff