Why do people think vegetarians are deprived of protein?!
Why do people think vegetarians are deprived of protein?
OK, I want to know why people ask me "oh, how do you get protein" when they find out I'm a vegetarian. DUH. If plants don't contain protein, where do you think animals get protein from? I know plant protein quality is poorer but only if you focus on a particular type of plant food (like pasta all the time). Anyway I'm just ranting about such people and would like to know if you get annoyed by it too! If you're one of the omnivores, please understand that plant food has sufficient protein, AND too much protein (too much anything!) is bad for you.
Answers:
Lack of knowledge.
Coach
Because the vast majority of people are woefully uninformed about the basic science behind human nutrition.
Take a look a the popularity of "miracle diet" type books or stories on tabloid television programmes.
It really isn't worth discussing with ignorant folk like that. They don't know, and they don't want to know.
You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it not stupid.
maybe because some vegetarians look a little bit thin and frail
as a carnivore myself I happen to love pig, cow and chicken and couldn't imagine not going without a nice juicy steak. so when people think of vegetarians, they think carrot and celery eaters. its mostly ignorance, they don't realize that you can get protein from other things mostly beans and stuff. also foodnetwork.com has some pretty tasty veg dishes. its just a personal choice.
Some people are woefully ignorant when it comes to this. However, to be fair, I have met some woefully ignorant vegetarians as well who just stop eating meat, but never take the time to understand how to eat well in a vegetarian diet. We all need to reach out and teach herbivores and omnivores!
They are brain washed.
It's often igorance, but also it can be because people are in denial and won't face facts. A lot of meat eaters can't bear to think that we could get out nutrition from other sources and so it's easier for them to remain ignorant and not research the facts. Then it makes them feel better as it justifies to themselves why they're eating meat. I find that a lot on here - no matter how many times you give poeple links or tell them the facts, they don't want to know. This isn't the case for all meat eaters, but it is for a lot of them.
Meat is a very good protein, except there is one glitch. Humans were not made to eat animal protein, so while you think that eating a juicy steak, or drinking a glass of milk while eating your bacon and eggs is giving you good nutrition protein wise, well it's taking you a step backwards. Actually, the best protein humans can have is other humans :D but I don't suggest becoming a carnivore for that! All in all, vegetable protein, while not as good quality, is what humans were designed to eat, why do you think we have blunt teeth for, not like predators who WERE designed to eat meat.
Because a lot of people out there seem to believe that the only way to get protein is through meat.
You're right David. Its a common misconception thats propogated by veggie hating meat-eaters as if its some proof we need to eat meat.
Me: Veggie for 26 years and never even thought about where i get my protein from. I never take suppliments and am not ill. To be honest, i don't think about my diet at all, i guess a balanced diet comes naturally to people with common sense who cook stuff from the raw ingredients.
I'm hardly a pale-faced weakling as many veggie-bashers would have you believe. I spend much of my time outside on our arable farm doing manual work.
the animal fat they consume clogs their brain cells...
I know exactly what you are talking about.I hate when people say plants have feelings more than I hate when they ask me where i get my protein from.They should be asking themselves how much protein are they overconsuming.."The average man in the US eats 175% more protein than the recommended daily allowance and the average woman eats 144% more."
(Surgeon General's Report on Nutrition and Health, 1988)
A lot of great answers already, but one thing to add- all this stuff about veggies being malnourished and overly skinny makes me really angry too, it seems like it's usually overweight people who say this! Considering how much obesity is rising, and the fact that half the population, if not more, are overweight, maybe people of a healthy size just look "scrawny" to them in comparison! It's been proven that vegetarians and vegans are generally thinner, well to be thinner than the general population could just make us HEALTHY, not underweight!