In the last post on the blog, I talked about (and rated) four of the most popular protein supplements out there. In doing that, my hope was that those of you looking to increase your protein intake would find a supplement you are looking for. For those of you that didn’t, this post is meant for you. Vegetarians and vegans especially, I want to help you find something to fill out that protein column in your diet.
Ethical and other concerns aside, my biggest problem with the vegan and vegetarian diet is the lack of sources of quality protein and the reliance on high carbohydrate ingredients (beans, rice, etc) to make up the difference. Say what you will about animal cruelty, but if you think protein quality is the same when comparing brown rice and ground beef, you need to smoke a little less hash and read up on your biochem.
Simply put, all proteins are not created equal. Animal sources contain different amino acid profiles than those present in grain and grown sources, differing in both amino variety as well as quantity. The aminos present in these animal products are often the ones pointed to for their muscle building benefits, namely glutamine and tryptophan. As touched upon earlier, it can be difficult to get significant amounts of these aminos (and therefore more “complete” protein) in vegan/vegetarian diets, even those that are heavily reliant on meat substitutes.
I strongly recommend supplementation for those of you out there who consume animal free diets, especially if your goals fall in line with trying to lose fat or gain muscle. Not to beat a dead horse (especially since the vegans might not like that too much), but one of the biggest changes a person can make to their diet to elicit weight loss is a simple adjustment to their macronutrient profile. Consume a gram of protein per pound of LEAN (subtract the lbs. of fat from your total weight) body mass, use the same number for grams of carbs and fill out the remainder of your calorie allowance with fat grams and you should be good to go and on the way to reaching your goals. Easy Peasy. This becomes tougher when your source of protein has about double the amount of carbs (in beans, for example) or fat (almonds and other nuts).
Vega One is a great product with a decent macronutrient profile that should help those of you who are meat and dairy free
It can be difficult for an individual like myself or larger to reach that protein goal without any meat or dairy, so here is where the need for supplementation becomes apparent. Anything over the basic RDA for protein (as suggested by the USDA… and I’m honestly not keen on taking recommendations from a group that has been taking money from factory farms for decades, but I digress) would require a supplement to be completely honest.
That said, I should preface by saying I collect no money from Vega or any other supplementation company but for those who choose not to include animal products in their lives, I believe Vega offers a just-shy-of-ideal product that can help them reach their goals. My only gripe is the price, but sometimes there is a price we pay for not compromising our ideologies, no? Vega is a company with a good track record and a strong presence in the industry, so they certainly get the TTT stamp of approval, provided you’ve got the cash in your pocket!
Happy Monday,
Tank Top Tony
Tank Top Training 