All products featured on Vogue are independently selected by our editors. However, we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links.
Since becoming a vegetarian five years ago, protein has become a bit of an obsession for me. Passionate about health and nutrition, I know just how essential it is for maintaining good muscle mass (which begins to decline from the age of 30), to regulate satiety, and to nourish cells. Dr Emilie Steinbach, a neuroscientist specializing in neuro-nutrition who holds a PhD in Integrative Biology, writes more of its importance in her book Votre santé Optimisée. “[Proteins] enable us to function, they are essential for development, tissue growth, structure, repair, and communication between the different entities in our ecosystem.”
Consuming the appropriate amount of protein also has the power to boost boost beauty and longevity: Protein intake encourages collagen production and is essential for muscle formation. Protein also supplies the body with amino acids, which help your body to produce keratin—that’s what gives you strong hair and nails.
I’ve done a lot of research to make sure I’m in line with my ethical values, while making sure I eat enough protein every day. So how do I manage to easily hit 80 grams of protein every day as a veggie? See blow.
How do I calculate my optimal protein intake?
The calculation is simple: the World Health Organization recommends eating 0.83g of protein per kg of body weight per day for a healthy adult. “This can be increased to 1.2 or 1.6 grams if you’re looking to increase your muscle mass, or more if your doctor has recommended it—for example, for athletes, pregnant women, the elderly,” Dr. Emilie Steinbach tells Vogue. According to this metric, someone who weighs about 165 pounds, for example, should eat 60 grams of protein per day.
However, Dr. Steinbach advises not to exceed 2 grams per kilogram per day (especially in the case of kidney disease), as “excess protein could be converted into carbohydrates and thus lead to weight gain.” Taking into account my weight of 54 kilograms and my daily workouts, I make sure I eat 80 grams of protein a day. (That’s 1.5 grams per kilogram of body weight).
It’s worth noting that my diet is mainly plant-based, but that I also eat animal proteins like eggs and dairy products pretty much every day too. For me, it’s how I know I’m getting enough so-called “complete” proteins, and all essential amino acids. Still, some skilful combos with plant proteins ensures it’s always an easy task for me.
One major component of all my meals is cereals and pulses, which I incorporate throughout the day. They’re all store cupboard essentials, easily paired, and found at your local supermarket and all over the world: Rice and lentils or rice and black beans, hummus and bread, rice and peas, couscous and chickpeas...The combos go on! Of course, some plant foods are richer in protein than others. I listed them in the notes app on my phone when I gave up meat, to make sure I remembered them when shopping and get to include them in my diet with ease. Below, I’m breaking that down.
My four golden rules for eating more protein
30 grams of protein at breakfast This is a commandment exulted by all health and wellness experts, and underlined by Dr. Emilie Steinbach: “A higher-protein breakfast improves the feeling of satiety and reduces hunger and appetite, and therefore cravings, throughout the day, even late in the day. To achieve all of these benefits, protein intake would need to be between 25 and 35 grams and account for 40 per cent of the total calorie intake of breakfast.”
To hit this target, I generally incorporate two to three eggs into my breakfast—one egg equals 6 grams protein. Often, I place them on two toasted slices of Nordic, rye, or spelt bread (that makes 5 to 7 grams of protein), hummus (2 grams of protein), and sprouted seeds on top (fenugreek is my go-to). Other days, I’ll do an omelette with either chia seeds, hemp seeds, or brewer’s yeast, and vegetables.
My snack breaks are a key way boost my daily protein intake. A handful of almonds (21 grams of protein per 100 grams) accompanies a precious square of dark chocolate—or two, or three…
When I eat a banana, I add peanut butter (25 grams of protein per 100 grams) and sometimes put it on a slice of toasted bread with chia seeds on top. I also occasionally have sheep’s yoghurt, skyr, or a smoothie in which I incorporate chia seeds or spirulina powder.
I sprinkle seeds and powders everywhere! I even carry a small glass jar containing a mix of hemp seeds (30 to 35 grams of protein per 100 grams) and brewer’s yeast (you may be surprised to know it’s very high in protein: 46 grams per 100 grams), which I take with me to restaurants to sprinkle on my salads. I even take it with me on vacation!
At home, my kitchen cupboard contains a whole range of seeds and powders: Hemp seeds and brewer’s yeast, but also chia seeds (20 grams of protein per 100 grams), sesame seeds (18 grams of protein per 100 grams), pumpkin seeds (19 grams of protein per 100 grams) and flax seeds (18 grams of protein per 100 grams). When I’m out, I’ll add them to my starters—like salads, raw vegetables, or soups—as well as in my smoothies and yoghurts. Their taste is very mild, but they add an appetizing extra texture. Stronger in taste, spirulina is one of the most important sources of vegetable protein, with no less than 57 grams of protein per 100 grams.
Before each meal, I ask myself: What will be my main source of protein? Tofu, kidney beans, eggs? Whichever high protein food I choose becomes the starting point for my meal planning. For dinner, I prefer an exclusively plant-based protein source to ensure a lighter meal and better digestion.
Shop Vogue s favorite protein powders below.
.jpg)
