Re: protein- how much is enough?

Well, here's some thought.

Human milk, the food for infants during their most crucial growth period, never reaches more than about 8% protein.

The US RDA for protein for an adult is 45 grams per day. This is about 220 calories worth of protein. If you are taking in 2000 calories per day, 220 calories is 11%.

Fruits and vegetables have anywhere from 3% to 8% of their calories from protein. It's not a lot, but it's enough. But if you're concerned about more protein-rich sources, there is an easy rule you can follow.

The general rule as a vegan is to either eat soy products, which contain complete proteins (i.e. all eight essential amino acids), or combine other groups (like beans/peas/lentils is one group, and rice/wheat/oats is another) to get the eight essential amino acids. You don't need to eat beans and rice at every meal. Just eat from each group regularly, and you'll be OK.

If you consume dairy products, you'll be getting more than enough protein, and they all provide complete proteins.

You can get more complete information from here:

http://www.vegsoc.org/info/protein.html

=-John-=