“Where do you get your protein?”

From beans, lentils, tofu, nuts, seeds and grains — and it is enough.

The short answer: from beans, lentils, chickpeas, tofu, tempeh, soy milk, peanuts, nuts, seeds and whole grains.

Is it enough?

Yes. A 2019 review of the research on protein in vegetarian and vegan diets concluded that protein-rich plant foods — legumes, nuts and seeds — are enough for adults to get all the protein they need, and that worries about missing amino acids have been “substantially overstated”.

The NHS gives the same practical advice: eat some beans, pulses or other protein foods every day.

Making it easy

• Put a protein food in every meal: lentils in a soup, beans in a stew or a wrap, tofu in a stir-fry, peanut butter on toast, soy milk with breakfast.
• Snack on nuts and seeds.
• If you are older, have a medical condition, or train hard, a dietitian can help you check your needs.

Saying it at the table

“From beans, lentils, tofu, nuts and seeds. People worried about this for a long time, and the research says it’s plenty.”

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