Vegan Nutrition with Jill Nussinow, MS, RD

Jill Nussinow is a Registered Dietitian, culinary educator, cookbook author, speaker and consultant and all around proponent of a plant-based diet. She teaches vegetarian and vegan cooking at Santa Rosa Junior College in California and other places around the US. She has a son who is almost 15. One of her greatest joys is sharing her enthusiasm for vegetables and pressure cooking with anyone who will listen.

I have been a vegetarian for a couple of months now and I am having a hard time finding a variety of protein source. I eat soy products and beans but other than that I am not sure what to eat. I don't want to eat a lot of soy due to the research I have read about over consumption. Could you please give me some advice on protein sources that are available? Thanks

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Almost all foods contain protein. Unless your diet is made up of mostly fruit, sugar and fat sources such as mayonnaise and oil, you are likely getting more than the minimum recommended 40 grams of protein each day. Most people need about .4 grams per pound of body weight. So, if you weigh 150 pounds, you only need 60 grams.

Since you already eat beans and they are nutrition powerhouses, I'd recommend that you eat at least 1/2 to 1 cup or more daily. If you take a look at the heirloom beans at www.ranchogordo.com or www.Purcellmountainfarms.com you can find enough beans and other legumes to eat a different one daily for months, without repeating them. (I'm not recommending this but it might be fun. It's best to choose a number that you like and rotate them through your menu. Beans freeze well so you always keep them on hand, or use canned ones.) Most beans weigh in at 12 to 15 grams of protein per cooked cup.

Seitan, wheat gluten, is the protein part of wheat is a very concentrated protein source.

Quinoa, pronounced keen-wa, is a good source of easily-digestible protein. It's a gluten-free grain (actually seed head of a grass) that cooks in less than 20 minutes. Use the way that you would rice, as a side dish and for leftover grain salads.

While nuts and seeds, and their respective butters, contain protein, they also pack a wallop of fat, so watch how many you eat.

Eating the daily recommendation of at least 9 servings of vegetables each day will also help you reach your protein goals.

Don't become obsessed with getting enough protein, as few people are deficient. It's equally as important to consume a varied and, more importantly, delicious diet that satisfies you.

To keep protein in perspective, you might want to read The China Study by T. Colin Campbell, Ph. D.

Jill Nussinow is a Registered Dietitian, culinary educator, cookbook author, speaker and consultant and all around proponent of a plant-based diet. She teaches vegetarian and vegan cooking at Santa Rosa Junior College in California and other places around the US. She has a son who is almost 15. One of her greatest joys is sharing her enthusiasm for vegetables and pressure cooking with anyone who will listen. Her cookbook The Veggie Queen: Vegetables Get the Royal Treatment and her new DVD, Pressure Cooking: A Fresh Look, Delicious Dishes in Minutes are both available on her website www.theveggiequeen.com.

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Visit Jill's website TheVeggieQueen.com and her blog theveggiequeen.blogspot.com.

Disclaimer: The advice given here is for eductional purposes only. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease without consulting with a qualified health care provider.
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