Many followers of whole foods diet (Disclaimer - I consider myself a full-time WFPB as well) are hesitant taking protein supplements because it’s not real food. Here are some facts and considerations to take into account while considering protein supplementation.
Well, the first question to be asked - is your diet deficient in protein. It’s a pretty easy question to answer. There are very reputable sources (National Academy of Sports Medicine is one of them) that suggest for most people 0.4g of protein per 1lbs of lean body mass is more than enough. What if you are not one of “the most people”? If you are a bodybuilder, powerlifter Olimpic weightlifter or just someone who lifts with high volume and/or intensity and tears a lot of muscle tissue multiple times a week, your protein requirements are higher. If your goal is losing fat while preserving muscle, you are better off with higher protein intake as well. If you are one of these people (I definitely am) then your ideal protein intake should be anywhere between 0.6 and 0.8g per every pound of lean body mass. It gets as high as twice the amount required by gen pop folks.
So is it even possible to get all protein from real foods? The answer is (shocker) - it depends. If you are on the standard 0.4g per 1lbs of lean body mass the answer is - it’s definitely possible. There are plenty of whole foods that can easily provide you this amount and more even on a calorie-restricted diet. For specific recipes visit the Recipes section of this website. I just started uploading recipes, so bear with me as I am going to add more recipes pretty quickly. I’m going to also add meal plans section as well. For folks with higher protein requirements on a high-calorie diet, it’s also possible getting all protein from real food. Recipes on this website marked for #bulking are perfect for you guys. Combining high protein requirements with a low-calorie diet is much trickier. It definitely will require at least some level of protein supplementation either from powders or pre-made protein shakes.
Now let’s dive into WFPB followers’ concerns about getting protein from sources, other than “real food”. Is it a valid concern? To answer this question we will look at the following:
1. Why real food is good for you?
It’s because real food is not processed to remove fiber and other vital nutrients that your body needs, it contain harmful additives that give you cancer and other unwanted “gifts” and do not contain hidden ingredients like sugar, sodium, refined oils and other things that you really want to avoid to stay healthy and not gain weight.
2. Can a protein powder or shake conform to the standards above?
The answer is yes, besides one - it typically will still be stripped from other nutrients, since it’s sole purpose is to supplement you with one ingredient - protein. But as long as the rest of your diet is based on whole foods and well-balanced, you are already getting the nutrients you need, so this concern is removed. So if you choose a protein source that is created from organic, non-GMO plants, has no unnecessary ingredients, comes from clean sources that do not contain an unhealthy excess of heavy metals - there is absolutely nothing wrong with supplementing, even on a strict WFPB diet.
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