Does Teen Vegetarian Get Enough Protein?

Question For Savvy Vegetarian

We have a 15 year old son who has been vegetarian (no chicken or fish or meat, some eggs, does not drink milk) for 1 year. What are the protein requirements, both total and nondairy(alternative)in grams/day. He has hit puberty and is still growing. - V.C.

Savvy Veg Advice

Dear V.C.,

I appreciate your concern that your son is getting enough protein to support his teenage growth. I'm familiar with the challenge of getting teens to eat properly - somehow they manage to survive!

According to the widely accepted RDA, he would need 50 - 60 grams of protein daily. However, most nutritionists agree that the average American diet provides at least twice the amount of protein that we need. Also, the RDA for all nutrients has a built in safety factor of 2 X.

If your son is getting enough calories daily for his age, his size, and physical activity, and 15 - 20% of those calories are protein, then he should be okay.

With vegetarian protein, it's impossible to separate protein from other food, and say this is protein, this is carbs, this is fat, etc. Nutrition is holistic.

Most foods contain protein, and there are many possible good sources of protein in a vegetarian diet. Besides adequate calories, vegetarian diet should have a wide variety of grains, fresh vegetables and fruit, along with legumes - including tofu, nuts and seeds, and some dairy and/or egg for an ovo-lacto vegetarian.

I've attached the SV report on Vegetarian Nutrition, and I also recommend a book on vegetarian nutrition - 'The New Becoming Vegetarian' by Vesanto Melina and Brenda Davis. Please also read the SV article onvegetarian protein

Hope this has helped. All the best to you and yours!

Judy Kingsbury, Savvy Veg

Health Disclaimer:

Savvy Vegetarian provides education and support to individuals who want to become vegetarian, or improve their diet. We don't advocate any particular vegetarian diet. We don't claim to be health care professionals, or nutritionists, nor do we treat any illness. Any changes that you make to your diet, or results of those changes, are your decision and responsibility. For your protection, we ask you to be completely open with us about your health, and we may recommend a medical exam before changing your diet. We reserve the right to refuse or to end a client relationship if we believe the client's actions may endanger his or her health.

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