What are plant proteins worth?

“Adopt a chickpea”! A little humor does not suit Anaïs, 32, vegetarian for three years now. But, she explains, it was sometimes complicated. “At the beginning, I followed a very strict diet, cereals, vegetables and fruits, seeds, almost no dairy products, never eggs, even less fish. But I felt tired and then I started losing a bit of hair,” says the 30-something with the long, blond mane.

Today, Anaïs has revised her classics of nutrition and she is unbeatable on vegetable food combinations that help to avoid deficiencies. She also reintroduced eggs and a bit of fish, “when I find a good one at the market”. To balance her diet, the vegetarian spends time shopping and cooking, but she appreciates these moments spent “for good food, for your health and for the planet”.

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Anaïs is representative of these 100,000 French people who, on a daily basis, have abandoned meat for a vegetarian diet in the broad sense of the term. More specifically, according to the survey carried out by Ifop for FranceAgriMer in 2020(15,000 people questioned), 0.3% of respondents said they were vegan; 0.8% vegetarian and 1% pesco-vegetarian.

It’s not huge, but the trend is particularly strong among younger people. Thus, 12% of 18-23 year olds are vegetarians, according to Crédoc (2018 survey). Animal welfare, environment, health, spirituality, the reasons for this shift are numerous – and often old. But today, the “vegetarian” offers from supermarkets and à la carte restaurants allow as many people as possible to have their “vegetable moment”.

Combine cereals with legumes

But can we really, like Anaïs, do without meat completely without harming our health? “Without any worries, as long as you consume eggs, dairy products and pulses”, answers Professor Pierre Jesus, nutritionist at the University Hospital of Limoges.

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A sufficient protein intake is first essential. They are like a long molecular chain where 20 amino acids are spread out, including 11 called “non-essential” because our body can manufacture them and 9 “essential” that we must find in our diet. Proteins of animal origin contain them all, which is not the case for those of vegetable origin, with the exception of soy, quinoa and buckwheat.

For a correct intake of essential amino acids, a simple solution: combine cereals with legumes. This is what is practiced in the Maghreb with couscous decorated with chickpeas or in Asia with rice with beans.

Pay attention to vitamins and essential fatty acids

Proteins are not everything, you must also be attentive to vitamins and essential fatty acids.

For the first, dieticians warn vegans, but also vegetarians against deficiencies in B12, an essential element for blood cells and brain function. This vitamin is mainly found in meat, fish and milk, so it is often necessary to supplement it.

On the other hand, no worries for other vitamins, fruits and vegetables are a quality source.