We like the term “plant-based food.” It hasn’t yet been burdened with as many ideas as is common in the diet jungle.
At Glimja, we eat 95% plant-based food. A common question we get is:
“Can you eat plant-based and get enough protein?” Yes, absolutely, if you eat a varied diet and choose well!
Proteins consist of amino acids that act as “building blocks” in the body. Our skin, muscles, tendons, cartilage, even hair and nails, are largely made of protein. Protein helps form enzymes, hormones, antibodies, and new tissues.
Protein replaces old cells with new ones and transports important nutrients in and out of these cells. The human body can produce all but nine of the 22 amino acids that make up proteins. These nine amino acids are called “essential” amino acids, and we get them from what we eat.
Good sources of plant-based protein
There are plenty of plant-based foods that contain protein of the highest quality:
- sprouts of all kinds
- broccoli
- spinach
- buckwheat
- chia seeds
- quinoa
- tofu
- tempeh
- chlorella
- spirulina
- cabbage
- green leaves
- maca
- flax seeds
- beans
- sunflower seeds
- pumpkin seeds
- chickpeas
- almonds
- nuts
- nut milk
- peas
- lentils
- teff
- hemp seeds
- plant-based protein powders
Eat foods from nature
Just because someone is vegan, vegetarian, or an omnivore, it doesn’t automatically make them healthy.
Becoming vegan or vegetarian can sometimes mean replacing meat with processed soy meat or overconsumption of gluten and carbohydrates.
And that’s not good either.
If you want to eat fish or meat, grass-fed or wild-caught is recommended, and to eat it no more than 1-2 times a week.
Eating animal protein every day or multiple times a day is, in our opinion, not the best for health or the environment.
Focus on nutrient-rich, whole foods from nature. Then you can’t go wrong. Health comes from consuming natural food in varied forms of high quality. It’s that simple.
Recipe for a plant-based protein shake
If you need to get more protein, you can try this protein shake as a snack or after training.
- 3-4 dl nut milk/oat milk/hemp milk or another liquid you prefer
- 1 tsp chaga extract powder*
- 1 scoop plant-based protein powder
- 1 dl frozen or fresh berries to taste and season
- 1 organic banana (sweet) or 1 green organic apple (sour)
- 1 pinch of real vanilla powder
*The chaga is of course optional; we added it to provide an adaptogen. If you want, you can instead add, for example, ashwagandha, goji tincture, ginseng, AFA algae, reishi, cordyceps, maca, or holy basil depending on what support you need.
Feel free to read more under our adaptogens category.
