by Jack Norris, RD | Last updated: January 2016
The most important thing to be aware of regarding protein in vegan diets is that you need to
get enough of the amino acid lysine. Make sure you read the section on lysine below and check out
the high-lysine foods. Beyond that, there is evidence that erring on the side of more protein (1.0 to
1.1 grams of protein per kg of healthy body weight per day for adults) is a good idea, and especially for
people 60 years and older.
Protein is important for maintaining muscle and bone mass, for keeping the immune
system strong, and to prevent fatigue.
People not familiar with vegan nutrition often assume it is terribly hard to get enough
protein on a vegan diet, and that's if they even think there is any protein in plant
foods at all (how they think vegans survive is an interesting question, though many of them
probably don't think we do). On the other hand, once "educated", most vegans have the diametrically
opposite view, considering it impossible for someone not to get enough protein on a vegan diet.
The truth lies somewhere in the middle. It is easy to get enough protein on
a vegan diet if you eat multiple servings of high-lysine foods (legumes, seitan, amaranth, quinoa, pistachios, and pumpkin seeds)
each day. But there are many vegans who are probably not eating enough high-lysine foods.
Legumes include soybeans and their products (tempeh, tofu, soy milk, soy meats, etc.),
beans (garbanzo, kidney, pinto, etc.) and their products (falafel, hummus, refried, etc.), peas (green,
split, black-eyed, etc.), lentils, and peanuts.
Vegans who do not eat enough calories to maintain their weight also need to pay special attention
to making sure they are getting enough protein.
Proteins are made out of chains of amino acids. Some amino acids can be made by the
body (generally from other amino acids), but some cannot. The ones that cannot are known
as "essential" or "indispensable."
Twenty amino acids are used to build protein, but they are not the only amino
acids which are not building blocks
of protein, but the discussion here is limited to the protein amino acids.
Because some amino acids are essential, the RDA for amino acids should be as important
as the RDA for protein. But because the RDA for protein takes into account the RDA for
amino acids, the amino acid RDA is rarely mentioned. The essential
amino acids are found in fairly consistent amounts in average Western diets and the RDA for
protein is calculated with typical diets in mind.
Proteins in the human body tend to have a consistent percentage of the essential
amino acids. The percentages of essential amino acids in both animal and soy
products closely mimic those found in human proteins, and they are, therefore,
considered complete or high-quality protein.
Non-soy plant proteins have a lower percentage of at least one amino acid, although
all legume products are pretty close to soy.
Some people are
under the false impression that all non-soy plant foods are completely devoid of at
least one essential amino acid. The truth is that all plant proteins
have some of every essential amino acid (see Table 3). As a general rule, legumes are lower in the
amino acid methionine while most other plants foods are lower in lysine.
In an effort to make sure vegetarians were getting enough of all the amino acids,
in the early 1970s in her book Diet for a Small Planet, Frances Moore Lappe popularized the idea
of combining plant proteins at each meal in order to get a "complete" protein.
By mixing beans and grains, you can make sure that you are getting both methionine
and lysine at each meal.
It is now well known that our livers store the
various essential amino acids and so it's not critical to combine different protein
sources at each meal. The 2009 American Dietetic Association's
"Plant protein can meet requirements when a variety of plant
foods is consumed and energy needs are met. Research indicates that an assortment of plant
foods eaten over
the course of a day can provide all essential amino acids and ensure adequate nitrogen
retention and use in
healthy adults, thus complementary proteins do not need to be consumed at the same
For more information on which foods have "complete" proteins,
blog post,
Before getting into a somewhat technical discussion about the protein needs of vegans, let's just cut to the
chase - the RDA for lysine is more important than for protein. If you meet lysine requirements on a vegan diet,
you will most likely meet protein requirements.
Per serving, legumes and seitan are the foods highest in the amino acid lysine. Tofu, tempeh, soy meats, lentils, and seitan are the highest, followed
by other legume foods. Quinoa, amaranth, pistachios, and pumpkin seeds are also decent
sources of lysine.
It is very hard to design a vegan diet that meets lysine requirements for a person who does not
exercise daily without including legumes, seitan, quinoa, amaranth, pistachios, or pumpkin seeds without having too many calories.
It is much easier to do for regular exercisers whose calorie requirements are higher - the low
lysine foods will add up to provide enough. While many vegan, raw foodist athletes appear to thrive
on the diet many raw foodist non-athletes str it might be the case that part of
this is due to the athletes eating more calories and thus meeting lysine needs with low lysine
Table 1. US RDA & Vegan Recommendations
Protein&RDA(g/kg)a
Lysine RDA(mg/kg)a
7 - 12 mos
4 - 13 yrs
14 - 18 yrs
.80 - 1.3b
pregnancyd
Table 3 below allows you to put in your ideal body weight (IBW), an explanation of which is in the
table footer, click the submit button, and the table will give you the RDA for lysine (for an adult). You can then
see how much lysine is in typical vegan foods and what it takes for you to get enough. Table 1 (left) lists
the lysine RDA for all age groups.
Many recent papers have suggested that people over 60 years old are better off with 1.0 to 1.3 g/kg of protein
per day (, , , and many more). Most of this
research is supported by or connected to people who have done work supported by animal agriculture
trade organizations (, , and many more).
Their argument, based on some research, is that older people are less efficient at
maintaining muscle and bone and therefore need more protein. These arguments are convincing enough that,
despite their support from animal agriculture, it is probably a good idea for older people to get more
protein. Because of this, Table 1
gives a range of recommendations for higher lysine and protein needs for those 60 and older.
Aside from lysine, how much total protein do vegans need?
Until recently, we thought this was a pretty straightforward answer: vegans
either need to meet the RDA or possibly 10% higher due to plant proteins being harder to digest.
The RDA for protein is supposed to cover the needs of 97 to 98% of the population. It is currently
set at .80 grams per kilogram of healthy body weight per day. In addition to the RDA, there is also an
Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) for protein, and it is .66 g/kg for adults 19 to 50 years old
(). The EAR is supposed to be how much protein the average person requires.
The RDA for the normal population is based on nitrogen balance studies, especially a 2003 meta-analysis
of them (). Nitrogen balance studies are used because
nitrogen is a component of protein that fat, carbohydrate, and alcohol do not have. The studies are
done by measuring how much nitrogen someone eats and then subtracting how much they lose through urine, feces,
hair, sweat, etc. If they lose more than they eat, then they are in negative nitrogen balance
and need more protein. If they lose as much as they eat, they are considered in nitrogen balance and
that is determined to be the ideal protein amount to eat.
With all the commotion regarding vegans and protein for the past 40 years, one would think we would
have a plethora of nitrogen balance studies performed on actual vegans. Guess how many we have? None.
The Food and Nutrition Board, who sets the RDAs, says, "[A]vailable evidence does not support
recommending a separate requirement for vegetarians who consume complementary mixtures of plant
proteins[.]" But what is that available evidence?
There have been two studies looking at nitrogen balance using a vegan diet (on people who are typically
not vegan).
A 1965 study had two parts (). In the first part, eight young men were fed
a vegan diet of .50 g/kg of protein per day, with the amino acid profile matching that of milk. With
some small exceptions, they did not stay in nitrogen balance. No surprises there. In the second part
of the study, they increased the protein to .75 g/kg using .25 g/kg of soy protein per day and the
subjects were, for the most part, in nitrogen balance. This indicates that .75 g/kg might be enough
protein for vegans, especially young men, but it might require .25 g/kg of that protein to be soy
(or at least legumes).
A 1967 study found that protein for people eating a vegan diet (for a 3-week period) was 2.6%
less digested than the protein in a non-vegetarian diet (). The diets in this
study averaged .91 g/kg of protein per day (my calculations based on weights and heights given), of
which .55 g/day were legume protein. On the vegan diet, 9 out of 12 of the participants were in
nitrogen balance.
A 1986 study fed young adult males a near-vegan diet (except for 41 g of dried, skim milk) for 90
days, using 1 g/kg of body weight per day (). Some of the protein was from
beans, but it is not clear how much. Only one out of the eight subjects showed a negative nitrogen
Table 2. Plant Protein Studies
Legume Protein(g/kg)a
Protein(g/kg)a
1965, Doyle
amino acids matched milk
Subjects not in nitrogen balance1965, Doyle
amino acids matched milk
100% in nitrogen balance1967, Register
75% in nitrogen balance1986, Yanez
small amount
7 out of 8 in nitrogen balance2000, Caso
12% lower albumin synthesis than controls2000, Caso
at least .25
normal albumin synthesis1999, Haddad
normal albumin levels2011, Andrich
lysine intake 79% RDA
muscle mass similar to omnivores
In addition to nitrogen balance, protein needs can be measured by the rate of albumin synthesis. Albumin is
a protein in the blood that responds to different amounts of dietary protein.
A 2000 study of healthy men showed a 12% reduced rate of albumin synthesis when eating a diet of
63% plant protein compared to 26% plant protein (each for 10 days and equal amounts of total
protein) (). When 18 g/day of soy protein was added (increasing the plant
protein percentage to 78 and total protein from 78 g/day to 96 g/day), albumin synthesis returned to
normal. I have estimated the grams of protein per kg of healthy body weight per day in this study
and they were eating about 1.09 g/kg without the soy, and 1.34 with the soy an increase of 23% (7). We do not know if that much protein was required to return albumin synthesis to
normal, and it is possible that 10 days was not long enough to see if someone's albumin synthesis
would become more efficient on a primarily plant-based diet.
The synthesis of two other proteins, prealbumin and transferrin, were also reduced on 63% plant
protein. The fact that transferrin, an iron transport protein, decreased is interesting. Lysine
supplements have been found to increase iron absorption so it's likely these subjects were not
getting enough lysine.
On the other hand, a 1999 cross-sectional study on vegans found them to have significantly higher
serum albumin levels than non-vegetarians (). The vegans were eating 1.04
grams of protein per kg of body weight (based on a BMI of 22). They were eating approximately .36
g/kg of legume protein. The authors stated, "Although serum albumin may not be a sensitive indicator
of protein nutriture, the higher concentrations suggest that the diets of the vegan participants
were adequate in protein."
A study out of Boston published in 2011 but performed using data collected during the 1980s,
found that vegan and non-vegan, middle-aged women had similar levels of muscle mass despite
differences in protein intake of 1.0 g/kg/day for vegans and 1.3 g/kg/day for omnivores (14). However, the muscle mass was not measured directly - rather it was estimated
using formulas based on creatinine clearance (a byproduct of muscle metabolism). The researchers
believed the formulas to be accurate, but since they have not been validated on vegans it should be
viewed with some uncertainty. At 30 mg/kg/day, the vegan women did not meet the RDA for lysine which
is 38 mg/kg/day. However, the study showed the vegan women to be consuming only 1511 kcal/day vs.
1866 kcal/day for the omnivores, yet their body mass indexes were very similar at 20.0 and 20.7
respectively. This could indicate that food intake for the vegans was underestimated, possibly due
to a lack of data on vegan foods.
So where does all this research leave us? The results are compiled in Table 2. It is not obvious
what they indicate for the protein needs of vegans, but an estimate is that vegans might benefit
from 1.0 to 1.1 g/kg of protein. What is really needed is nitrogen balance studies on actual
The Institute of Medicine, who sets the RDAs, does not recommend higher protein intakes for
athletes. However, in a 2009 joint position paper on nutrition and athletic performance, the
American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), the American Dietetic Association (ADA), and Dietitians
of Canada recommend higher protein intakes for athletes. They say:
Endurance athletes - "Nitrogen balance studies suggest that dietary protein intake necessary to support
nitrogen balance in endurance athletes ranges from 1.2 to 1.4 g/kg/day."
Strength athletes - "Recommended protein intakes for strength-trained athletes range from approximately
1.2 to 1.7 g/kg/day." and "The amount of protein needed to maintain muscle mass may be lower for individuals who
routinely resistance train because of more efficient protein use."
Vegetarians - "Because plant proteins are less well digested than animal proteins, an increase in intake
of approximately 10% protein is advised. Therefore, protein recommendations for vegetarian athletes approximate
1.3–1.8 g/kg/day."
In 2010, a group of researchers from The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto wrote a paper suggesting
that the methods for determining the DRIs for protein (which includes the RDA) were underestimating protein
needs (). One of the authors, Dr Paul B. Pencharz, was a member of the Panel on
DRIs for macronutrients and a member of the Joint WHO/FAO/United Nations University (UNU) Expert Consultation on
Protein and Amino Acid Requirements in Human Nutrition. They write:
The current recommendations for protein intakes in adults are primarily based on the reanalysis of
existing nitrogen balance studies [1,12]. The nitrogen balance technique has inherent methodological
limitations, which lead to an underestimation of the requirement estimate. Furthermore, the application of a
single linear regression analysis to identify zero nitrogen balance is not appropriate because the nitrogen
intake response relationship is not linear. On the basis of these concerns, we reanalyzed published nitrogen
balance studies using two-phase linear regression analysis. We also applied the IAAO method to determine
total protein requirements in adults. The mean and population-safe intakes based on the reanalysis were
determined to be 0.91 and 1.0 g protein/kg/day and 0.93 and 1.2 g/kg/day, respectively, based on the IAAO
method. These new values are approximately 40% higher than the current recommendations, and therefore,
there is an urgent need to reassess recommendations for protein intake in adult humans.
They say that the inherent methodological errors in nitrogen balance studies are that nitrogen intakes are
overestimated and nitrogen loss is underestimated, leading to false nitrogen balance at lower protein levels.
The IAAO method referenced above is described in this excerpt:
[The IAAO method is] based on the concept that when one indispensable amino acid (IDAA)
is deficient in the diet, then all other amino acids, including the indicator amino acid (another IDAA, usually
L-[1-13C]phenylalanine), will be oxidized [5]. With increasing intake of the limiting amino acid (or
total protein), oxidation of the indicator amino acid will continue to decrease, reflecting increasing incorporation
into protein. Once the requirement is met for the limiting amino acid, there will be no further change in the
oxidation of the indicator amino acid.
In other words, this group of researchers considers the average protein requirement to be .91 - .93 g/kg/day and
the amount to cover 97% to 98% of the population (equivalent to the RDA) to be 1.0 - 1.2 g/kg/day.
Erring on the side of more protein
is probably a good idea for vegans.
A 2015 report from EPIC-Oxford analyzed the dietary intakes and blood levels of amino acids in various diet groups in adult men (). The study included 98 men for each diet group (vegan, lacto-ovo, pesco, and meat-eater). The authors say, "[T]his is the largest study to date of amino acids in the circulation or in the diet by habitual diet group, and on average participants had followed their diet for several years."
The study didn't compare the intakes of the various diet groups to the US RDA for amino acids, but I have done so in Table 4 below.
The paper didn't include the weight of the participants, but it gave an average Body Mass Index of 22.1 kg/m2 for vegans. If we assume an average height of 175.3 cm for a British male (), the average weight of the vegans was 67.9 kg, and we can thus calculate an average RDA based on a weight of 67.9 kg.
Table 4. Percentage of RDA of Essential Amino Acid Intakes in Adult Vegan Men
Amino Acid
Intakeg/day
Percentage of RDA
Isoleucine
Methionine+Cysteine
Phenylalanine+Tyrosine
Tryptophan
Vegan men met the RDA for all essential amino acids.
This study bolstered the idea that lysine is the limiting amino acid in vegan diets, with vegan men surpassing the RDA by the lowest amount–9%. Methionine, the amino acid of second most concern, surpassed the RDA at the next lowest level of 33%.
The 95% confidence interval for lysine was 2.69-2.95 g/ with the lower margin coming in at 104% of the RDA. The people on the lower end might have been the people who weighed less (and thus had a lower RDA than the average vegan).
The RDA for protein and amino acids is the same for women as it is for men (based on a percentage of their body weight). Male vegans in EPIC-Oxford were found to eat 10.7% more protein than female vegans (62 vs. 56 ). If you assume female vegans don't eat the same percentage of high-lysine foods as men, their average lysine intakes would be only 98.7% of the RDA.
Given that women have a lower percentage of lean body mass on average, it might seem curious that they have the same RDA for protein (and amino acids). In determining the RDAs, the Institute of Medicine says (Ref , p. 644):
Although the data indicate that women have a lower nitrogen requirement than men per kilogram of body weight, this was only statistically significant when all studies were included, but not when the analysis was restricted to the primary data sets. This difference may be due to differences in body composition between men and women, with women and men having on average 28 and 15 percent fat mass, respectively. When controlled for lean body mass, no gender differences in the protein requirements were found. However, in view of the uncertain significance of the difference between the genders, the same protein EAR [i.e., Estimated Average Requirement, a foundation for the RDA] on a body weight basis for both men and women is chosen.
Another consideration is that the vegans in the UK may eat lower amounts of protein than those in the U.S. Adventist Health Study-2 found an average protein intake of 71 g/day for men and women combined, considerably more than in EPIC-OXford (). It seems safe to assume that Seventh Day Adventist woman are likely getting plenty of lysine and other amino acids.
Finally, according to the authors, "[T]he validation of the [food frequency questionnaire] showed that protein intake was particularly difficult to estimate."
In comparing blood levels of amino acids between diet groups, vegans had lower levels of lysine, methionine, tryptophan, and tyrosine, and higher levels of alanine and glycine.
Interestingly, arginine, a dietary concern for vegans with herpes virus, was actually lower in the blood of vegans, but not significantly. It was also lower in the diet (3.92 g/day for vegans vs. 4.13 g/day for meat- lacto-ovo vegetarians had the lowest intake at 3.36 g/day).
The authors didn't seem alarmed by any of the differences found between diet groups. I decided to take things a bit further and compare the plasma levels found in this study to the reference ranges given by the U.S. National Library of Medicine in Table 5 below.
Table 5. Plasma Amino Acid Levels in Adult Vegan Men
Amino Acid
Plasma&umol/l (95% CI)
Reference Rangeumol/l
621 (595, 648)
44 (39, 48)
Asparagine
98 (95, 102)
69 (66, 72)
Citrulline
40 (38, 42)
262 (248, 277)
547 (529, 566)
452 (434, 470)
117 (113, 120)
Isoleucine
96 (92, 100)
191 (184, 199)
210 (201, 219)
Methionine
27 (26, 28)
205 (197, 215)
Phenylalanine
97 (93, 101)
244 (233, 256)
197 (190, 205)
165 (159, 171)
Tryptophan
65 (63, 68)
73 (70, 76)
217 (209, 225)
In comparing the vegan's blood levels to the reference range:
Alanine, glutamate, glycine, leucine, ornithine (a non-protein amino acid), phenylalanine, and serine are higher.
Aspartate is also higher, but the reference range is curiously low.
There is no reference range for tryptophan, with no explanation as to why.
There is a reference range for cystine (which is two cysteine molecules combined), but EPIC-Oxford didn't list plasma levels for cystine or cysteine.
It is not clear what any of this means and the U.S. Library of Science notes that these numbers are dependent on the specific laboratory methods used.
The above research is not a great substitute for a nitrogen or protein synthesis study on vegans, but for now it's what we have. The takeaway message is that vegans, and particularly vegan women, should continue to make sure they eat plenty of lysine-rich foods. There is no reason to think that the vegans in this study were aware of lysine or trying to increase their lysine intakes, so any vegan who does so should be well covered.
In the box below, you can enter your healthy or ideal body weight (IBW) and click the button. Table 3
will show you how much of any given food you need to meet the RDA for protein and amino acids.
This is not to suggest you get all your amino acids from one food, but it can give an idea of
what sort of combinations might be required.
If you do not know what your IBW is, put your height in either inches or centimeters (and
choose the appropriate selection from the drop down box). See the table footer for an explanation.
Ideal Body Weight (lbs)
Ideal Body Weight (kg)
Height (inches)
Height (cm)
Table 3. Protein & Amino Acid Content of Plant Foods
RDA for a 140 lb Person
USA Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA)
protein in g & | & amino acids in mg
PROHISISOLEULYSMETCYSPHETYRTHRTRPVALRDA - per kg of healthy body weight0.814194238193320524RDA for 140 lb. person518911209267324181209210012733181527
SoyFoodPROHISISOLEULYSMETCYSPHETYRTHRTRPVALEdamame
Serving: 0.50 cup
(78 g)8.420723357757720463825798251Number of servings to meet RDA6.04.35.24.64.25.93.35.03.26.1Soy Milk
Serving: 1.00 cup
(245 g)9.2174353590439213644277105345Number of servings to meet RDA5.55.13.44.55.55.73.34.63.04.4Tempeh
Serving: 0.50 cup
(83 g)15.43877301187754305901661161764Number of servings to meet RDA3.32.31.72.33.24.02.31.92.02.0Tofu - firm
Serving: 0.50 cup
(126 g)10.22845599175821771013518155573Number of servings to meet RDA5.03.12.22.94.26.82.12.52.12.7
LegumesFoodPROHISISOLEULYSMETCYSPHETYRTHRTRPVALBlack Beans - cooked
Serving: 0.50 cup
(86 g)7.621233660952319762732190399Number of servings to meet RDA6.74.23.64.44.66.13.34.03.53.8Garbanzos (Chick Peas) - cooked
Serving: 0.50 cup
(82 g)7.320031251748619356927070305Number of servings to meet RDA7.04.53.95.25.06.33.74.74.55.0Kidney Beans - cooked
Serving: 0.50 cup
(89 g)7.721433961352719863132391402Number of servings to meet RDA6.64.23.64.44.66.13.33.93.53.8Lentils - cooked
Serving: 0.50 cup
(99 g)8.925138664762419368032080444Number of servings to meet RDA5.73.53.14.13.96.33.14.04.03.4Peanut Butter
Serving: 2.00 T
(32 g)8.020428452329020274627678339Number of servings to meet RDA6.44.44.35.18.36.02.84.64.14.5Peanuts - dry roasted
Serving: 0.33 cup
(48 g)11.42894017404102861055391111478Number of servings to meet RDA4.53.13.03.65.94.22.03.32.93.2Pinto Beans - refried
Serving: 0.50 cup
(121 g)6.417530354444814352923576369Number of servings to meet RDA8.05.14.04.95.48.54.05.44.24.1
Nuts & SeedsFoodPROHISISOLEULYSMETCYSPHETYRTHRTRPVALAlmonds
Serving: 0.25 cup
(36 g)7.619925153220712256221477292Number of servings to meet RDA6.74.54.85.011.79.93.75.94.15.2Cashews
Serving: 0.25 cup
(34 g)5.213725044028019143920381356Number of servings to meet RDA9.86.54.86.18.66.34.86.33.94.3Pecans
Serving: 0.25 cup
(25 g)2.3658314871831587623102Number of servings to meet RDA22.113.714.618.134.114.613.316.713.815.0Pistachios
Serving: 0.25 cup
(31 g)6.415829449236721649621687388Number of servings to meet RDA8.05.64.15.46.65.64.25.93.73.9Pumpkin seeds - roasted
Serving: 0.25 cup
(30 g)8.8227373704360272823291168460Number of servings to meet RDA5.83.93.23.86.74.42.64.41.93.3Sunflower Seeds
Serving: 0.25 cup
(32 g)6.217230945125425748925294357Number of servings to meet RDA8.25.23.95.99.54.74.35.13.44.3Walnuts - chopped
Serving: 0.25 cup
(29 g)4.511418334212413032717450220Number of servings to meet RDA11.37.86.67.819.59.36.47.36.46.9
GrainsFoodPROHISISOLEULYSMETCYSPHETYRTHRTRPVALAmaranth
Serving: 1.00 cup
(69 g)9.3268401606515288600384125468Number of servings to meet RDA5.53.33.04.44.74.23.53.32.53.3Bread - white
Serving: 2.00 slice
(50 g)4.18916129011215932012148180Number of servings to meet RDA12.410.07.59.221.67.66.610.56.68.5Bread - whole wheat
Serving: 2.00 slice
(56 g)7.378125227931302569752152Number of servings to meet RDA7.011.49.711.826.09.38.213.16.110.0Buckwheat - groats roasted
Serving: 1.00 cup
(168 g)5.713321335628917132721782291Number of servings to meet RDA8.96.75.77.58.47.16.45.93.95.2Corn - kernels boiled
Serving: 1.00 cup
(165 g)4.511924344627218842120554297Number of servings to meet RDA11.27.55.06.08.96.45.06.25.95.1Flour Tortilla
Serving: 1.00 med
(46 g)4.0901412769815432211349164Number of servings to meet RDA12.79.98.69.724.77.96.511.36.59.3Oatmeal - boiled
Serving: 1.00 cup
(234 g)5.9126271505316335568225236374Number of servings to meet RDA8.67.14.55.37.73.63.75.71.34.1Quinoa - cooked
Serving: 1.00 cup
(185 g)8.123529048344229549624296342Number of servings to meet RDA6.33.84.25.55.54.14.25.33.34.5Rice - brown, med grain
Serving: 1.00 cup
(195 g)4.511519137217215640216658265Number of servings to meet RDA11.37.76.37.214.17.85.27.75.55.8Rice - white, med grain
Serving: 1.00 cup
(186 g)4.410419236616019538515852270Number of servings to meet RDA11.68.66.37.315.16.25.58.16.15.7Seitan
Serving: 3.00 oz
(85 g)31.0671129322476561077291583901498Number of servings to meet RDA1.61.30.91.23.71.10.71.50.01.0Spaghetti - white
Serving: 1.00 cup
(140 g)6.713625845612729249817685284Number of servings to meet RDA7.66.64.75.919.04.14.27.23.75.4Spaghetti - whole wheat
Serving: 1.00 cup
(140 g)7.517529051016527556620097323Number of servings to meet RDA6.85.14.25.214.74.43.76.43.34.7
VegetablesFoodPROHISISOLEULYSMETCYSPHETYRTHRTRPVALBaked Potato
Serving: 1.00 med
(173 g)4.39317526026312135115767244Number of servings to meet RDA11.89.66.910.39.210.06.08.14.76.3Broccoli - cooked, chopped
Serving: 1.00 cup
(156 g)3.6821802162348824415248212Number of servings to meet RDA14.110.96.712.410.313.78.68.46.67.2Carrot - 5 12 inches long
Serving: 1.00 small
(50 g)0.520385151525196635Number of servings to meet RDA108.344.531.852.447.423.341.213.353.043.6Kale - cooked, shredded
Serving: 1.00 cup
(130 g)2.5521481731485621511130135Number of servings to meet RDA20.417.18.215.416.321.69.811.510.611.3Romaine Lettuce - shredded
Serving: 1.00 cup
(56 g)0.716585458226042648Number of servings to meet RDA72.755.720.849.541.755.035.030.353.031.8Tomato
Serving: 1.00 med
(123 g)1.117223133185033722Number of servings to meet RDA46.352.455.086.273.367.242.038.645.569.4
FruitFoodPROHISISOLEULYSMETCYSPHETYRTHRTRPVALApple
Serving: 1.00 med
(138 g)0.4781817298117Number of servings to meet RDA127.3127.3151.1148.5142.2604.5233.3159.1318.289.8Banana
Serving: 1.00 med
(118 g)1.3913380592069331155Number of servings to meet RDA39.29.836.633.441.060.530.438.628.927.8Orange
Serving: 1.00 med
(131 g)1.2243330623962201252Number of servings to meet RDA42.437.136.689.139.031.033.963.626.529.4Strawberries - whole
Serving: 1.00 cup
(144 g)1.0172349371259291227Number of servings to meet RDA50.952.452.654.565.4100.835.643.926.556.6
SeaweedFoodPROHISISOLEULYSMETCYSPHETYRTHRTRPVALSpirulina - dried
Serving: 1.00 tbsp
(7 g)4.07622534621212637520865246Number of servings to meet RDA12.711.75.47.711.49.65.66.14.96.2
Protein PowdersFoodPROHISISOLEULYSMETCYSPHETYRTHRTRPVALNaturade Soy Protein
Serving: 0.33 cup
(28 g)24.061811781939155264021849123051157Number of servings to meet RDA2.11.41.01.41.61.91.01.41.01.3Naturade Soy-Free Protein
Serving: 0.33 cup
(28 g)22.053311821785145544519579182281115Number of servings to meet RDA2.31.71.01.51.72.71.11.41.41.4
AnimalFoodPROHISISOLEULYSMETCYSPHETYRTHRTRPVALBeef - ground, 15% fat, pan-broiled
Serving: 3.00 oz
(85 g)20.96819241631173374514598111081028Number of servings to meet RDA2.41.31.31.61.41.61.41.62.91.5Chicken - roasted
Serving: 1.00 leg
(52 g)14.1417708102811525621004583158684Number of servings to meet RDA3.62.11.72.62.12.22.12.22.02.2Egg - hard boiled
Serving: 1.00 large
(50 g)6.314934353745234259130276384Number of servings to meet RDA8.16.03.55.05.33.53.64.24.24.0Milk - 2% fat
Serving: 1.00 cup
(244 g)8.117844780856946476825198532Number of servings to meet RDA6.35.02.73.34.22.62.75.13.22.9Tuna
Serving: 3.00 oz
(85 g)21.76389991762199287415799502431117Number of servings to meet RDA2.31.41.21.51.21.41.31.31.31.4
provides a handy way
to look up the amino acid content of any food from the USDA National
Nutrient Database. It also allows you to track your amino acid intake on a daily basis.
Reference for normal
1. Yáñez E, Uauy R, Zacarías I, Barrera G. Long-term validation of 1 g of protein
per kilogram body weight from a predominantly vegetable mixed diet to meet the
requirements of young adult males. J Nutr. ):865-72.
2. Dietary Reference Intakes: Macronutrients. National Academy of Sciences. Institute of Medicine. Food and Nutrition Board. DRI table for carbohydrate, fiber, fat, fatty acids and protein. |
3. Rand WM, Pellett PL, Young VR. Meta-analysis of nitrogen balance studies for
estimating protein requirements in healthy adults. Am J Clin Nutr. ):109-27.
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Horning MC. Nitrogen-balance studies in human subjects on various diets. Am J Clin Nutr. ):753-9.
5. Elango R, Humayun MA, Ball RO, Pencharz PB. Evidence that protein requirements
have been significantly underestimated. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2010
J13(1):52-7. ()
Caso G, Scalfi L, Marra M, Covino A, Muscaritoli M, McNurlan MA, Garlick PJ,
Contaldo F. Albumin synthesis is diminished in men consuming a predominantly
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7. Calculations:
Average healthy body weight of the men based on a BMI of 22
and average height of 1.74 m = 66.6 kg
78 g protein per 66.6 kg = 1.17 g/kg
96 g protein per 66.6 kg = 1.44 g/kg
Actual average body weight of the men was 77 kg
78 g protein per 77 kg = 1.01 g/kg
96 g protein per 77 kg = 1.25 g/kg
Averageing the healthy body weight with the actual body weight gives 1.09 and 1.34 g/kg
8. Gaffney-Stomberg E, Insogna KL, Rodriguez NR, Kerstetter JE. Increasing
dietary protein requirements in elderly people for optimal muscle and bone
health. J Am Geriatr Soc. ):1073-9.
9. Paddon-Jones D, Short KR, Campbell WW, Volpi E, Wolfe RR. Role of dietary
protein in the sarcopenia of aging. Am J Clin Nutr. ):S.
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healthy and frail elderly. J Nutr Health Aging. 2006 Jul-A10(4):272-83.
11. Doyle MD, Morse LM, Gowan JS, Parsons MR. Observations on nitrogen and energy balance in young men consuming
vegetarian diets. Am J Clin Nutr. ):367-76.
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biochemical, hematologic, and immune status of vegans compared with
nonvegetarians. Am J Clin Nutr.
Suppl):586S-593S.
13. Position of the American Dietetic Association, Dietitians of Canada, and the American College of
Sports Medicine: Nutrition and Athletic Performance. J Am Diet Assoc. -527. Link.
14. Andrich DE, Filion ME, Woods M, Dwyer JT, Gorbach SL, Goldin BR, Adlercreutz
H, Aubertin-Leheudre M. Relationship between essential amino acids and muscle mass, independent of
habitual diets, in pre- and post-menopausal US women. Int J Food Sci Nutr. ):719-24.
Epub 2011 May 16. ()
15. Schmidt JA, Rinaldi S, Scalbert A, Ferrari P, Achaintre D, Gunter MJ, Appleby PN, Key TJ, Travis RC. Plasma concentrations and intakes of amino acids in male meat-eaters, fish-eaters, vegetarians and vegans: a cross-sectional analysis in the EPIC-Oxford cohort. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2015 Sep 23. |
16. Plasma amino acids. Medline Plus. U.S. National Library of Medicine. Accessed January 30, 2016.
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