This post revisits a FIFI blog post from November 4, 2013.
Ten years ago
On November 4, 2013, Sam blogged about what she described as My New Challenge. At the time, she was doing the Precision Nutrition Lean Eating program to gain muscle strength while maintaining a vegetarian diet. Sam reported that to achieve her goals she needed to build a habit of increasing her daily protein intake.
Taking cues from a Nutrition News post, Sam calculated that she should consume about 144 grams of protein daily, twice the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for her weight. Sam also referenced a post by Tracy about getting enough protein on a vegan diet, who noted that while she eats plenty of protein, tracking intake isn’t great for her.
Today
Ten years later, it looks like the Precision Nutrition Lean Eating program is still around. Tracy is still writing about veganism on her blog, Vegan Practically. Sam still enjoys tracking stuff, such as monitoring her regular sleep schedule.
I’ve been vegetarian (with minimal dairy) for about 8 years now, and I am sometimes asked, “do you get enough protein?” On one hand, this line of questioning seems more about justifying animal-based diets than supporting my health and nutrition. Plenty of research published since 2013 suggests that a) there are many protein-rich plant-based foods, b) there are benefits and drawbacks to both plant and animal proteins, and c) plant and animal proteins are about equally effective in developing muscle strength (Meng et al., 2021).
On the other hand…do I get enough protein? Looking at Sam calculated ratios and Tracy’s intake tracking, I suspect my protein intake does not meet the DRA, even without strength goals. Never have I tracked my protein intake since becoming vegetarian, as I struggle with maintaining habits of any kind. This includes the habit of learning about food, as I am reluctant to wade through complex nutrition research, salesy fads, and sometimes contradictory advice.
In reading Sam’s post from 2013, I realized that the habits of building muscle strength, eating enough protein, and taking the time to learn about nutrition are all distinct but perhaps important challenge goals for me.
Rather than see upping my protein as a means to and end, I could focus on forming one habit at a time. For example, after forcing myself to read around online for this post it appears that some foods I like (like peas, sundried tomatoes, guava, and nutritional yeast) are “surprising” high-protein plant-based foods I didn’t know about. They don’t exactly sound delicious together…but maybe I can try them in a smoothie sometime.
FIFI readers: How important is protein intake for achieving your nutrition and fitness goals? How do you approach this challenge?
I am currently trying to gain muscle and getting my 154g daily is a real challenge! I also really don’t like tracking calories and macros as it leads me to over/under eat. I’m trying to find a way to blend intuitive eating with being mindful of protein (tips welcome!)
Supplementing with protein drinks and bars is helpful but its unlikely I will every sustainably meet 154g every day.