Perhaps one of the biggest misconceptions in nutrition is how much protein you really need each day. According to Harvard Health Publishing, the recommended daily dietary intake for protein is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. So for a woman who weighs 68 kilograms (about 150 lbs), she should be ingesting 54.4 grams of protein each day.
Keep in mind that the 0.8-to-1 protein-to-weight ratio is the minimum amount of protein one should be getting on the regular. For people who are more active on a day-to-day basis, or who may have a health condition, the recommendation may vary, and that’s something only your doctor or nutritionist can tell you.
Nutritionally speaking, not all proteins are created equal, either. High-quality proteins — also known as complete proteins — contain all the essential amino acids that the body needs for growth and metabolism, according to a study published in the Journal of Sports Science & Medicine. Incomplete proteins are missing one or more of these amino acids. It’s animal products that are often pointed to as the best sources for complete protein, but for vegans, there are still a number of foods that can make up a healthy, nutritionally balanced diet, and which debunk the myth that vegans aren’t getting enough protein.
Keep scrolling for five of the best sources of vegan protein.