It’s not as easy for vegetarians to get enough protein as it is omnivores (those who include meat and fish in their diet).  This is especially true when it comes to weight loss as many plant-based sources of protein also come with a sizeable dose of carbohydrate, making it more of a challenge to get enough protein in, whilst controlling energy intake.

Proteins are the building blocks of the body and a very important part of our diet.  A balanced diet should include a daily intake of around 1g of protein for every kilo of body weight as an absolute minimum.  For optimal health, this should be nearer 2g for every kilo of body weight, based on a “healthy” body weight.  If you are overweight, base your calculations on your healthy TARGET weight.

This is a DAILY target as our bodies cannot store protein in the way they can store fat for later use.  We must consume protein every day, preferably at every meal.

This and the previous guide will help provide vegetarians and vegans with an overview of some useful sources of protein.