Protein or notein?
What’s the recommended protein intake for teenage boys and girls?
This is the typical amount of protein you should have if you’re aged 15-18 years old. That’s about the same as a chicken breast, 34 cashew nuts or two cups of cooked lentils.
Protein is the thing that your body’s most likely to miss if you give up meat, but what other nutrients do we need to keep an eye on?
You don’t have to worry so much about getting your calcium if you’re only going veggie, but if you’re thinking of signing up with the vegans and ditching all animal products then you’ll have no dairy - so keep an eye out for other sources of calcium.
If you’re a vegetarian you need to be savvy about where animal-based ingredients might sneakily be hiding. Which things aren’t as veggie-friendly as they seem?
Yep, from crushed beetles in your sweets to suet in your toothpaste, animal products are in a lot of the stuff we use everyday.
Protein isn’t just found in savoury foods - some fruits are particularly high in protein. But which combo has the most?
The banana has a pretty average protein content with about 1g per 100, but the guava packs a whopping 2.6g per 100 - only 0.3g less than spinach!
If you go vegan, it’s not just about what you put in your mouth - you’ll also have to re-think how you dress. What’s off-limits?
Silk is a massive no-no for vegans. It comes from fibre woven by worms that are often steamed or gassed by manufacturers. Wool is a bit of a grey area, but you can usually buy cruelty-free brands.
Iron (most commonly found in red meat) is essential for Haemoglobin production, but what lesser-known benefit comes from getting plenty of iron in your diet?
There’s no magic bullet for keeping depression at bay, but good levels of iron mean you’re less likely to feel so tired - which can help keep the gloom away.
If you’re a vegan you need to make sure you’re getting enough Vitamin B12 to avoid anemia and nervous system damage. What food will give you what you need?
Vitamin B12 is super-important, but the kicker is that the best sources of it are animal-based. You can get a little bit from eating fortified products like breakfast cereal, Marmite and Tofu - but you’ll have to eat quite a lot!
Protein is important and it’s harder to come by if you’re not eating meat - so you need to know your stuff. Which of these vegetables has more protein?
Spinach and kale are the current greens of choice but gram for gram the humble pea has almost twice as much protein as spinach. So give peas a chance!