If you’re a vegan, then you’ve probably wondered what you should be doing nutrition-wise. Is it a good idea to be eating protein powder?
Most of the common proteins – such as whey and casein – are based on dairy products, so while they’re OK for vegetarians they are decidedly not vegan.
There are, however, some sources of protein that vegans can use. Soy protein is a common one, as is pea protein.
If you are a vegan who eats a healthy, balanced diet, and who does not get a huge amount of exercise, then you might not need protein powder. Vegan subscription boxes are another good easy option.
Vegans that aren’t well educated in nutrition sometimes need to supplement protein to make sure that they’re getting enough for day to day life but those who eat well should not have any difficulties. The challenge comes for vegans who do a lot of strength training, because this is much more intensive and it is harder for them to sustain the kind of muscle growth that they will want.
Soy protein is OK for women, but it is estrogenic, and this means that men might not want to eat it in quantity. Pea protein, however, is suitable for both men and women. Some people criticise it for not being as bioavailable as other protein sources but this should not be an issue unless you are really struggling to manage macronutrients to a very fine level – such as for cutting for a bodybuilding show.
For the average performance athlete and even a vegan bodybuilder, pea protein is a good choice and it will help them to get the nutrients that they need at the time that they need them. The Vegan Life website recommends this as well.
It still, of course, pays to watch your diet closely and try to stick to good high quality protein sources.
