Protein

When I first started thinking about trying veggie, my first concern was how to get enough protein. In case you have the same thought, here's what I've learned.

Adults need 8 grams of protein per 2.2 lbs of body weight.
A child 4-6 yrs old needs 1.5 grams of protein per 2.2 lbs of body weight.
See chart here for specific figures for kids.

Surprisingly, I think it will be pretty easy for us to get our needed protein.  Just for example, here's some foods common in our diet and their respective protein counts:

• 8 oz. milk, 10g
• 8 oz. yogurt, 9g
• 10 almonds, ~3g
• 1/2 cup chick peas (garbanzo beans), 7g
• 1/4 cup dry quinoa (and couscous), 7g

Roughly, a cup of dairy is about 10 grams and a portion (1/4 cup dry) grain, nuts, or beans is approximately 7 grams.  The Gardein products I've used so far have 18 grams of protein per serving.  So overall, I think it won't be too hard to meet our requirements. This is especially true for my little one who guzzles milk. Just a little more than two glasses a day and she'd be set without any protein from food.

Plus, I can already say that I feel better after trying veggie for the past three days.  I actually have more energy and overall feel like my body is happy with the whole grains and vegetables I am treating it to.