Calcium, protein and fiber

When people hear I maintain a vegan diet, I can almost guarantee what their next question will be (after 'what do you eat'?) It will almost always be some varient of "Where do you get your protein/and or/calcium"? My usual smart ass answer is to ask them just how much protein/calcium they think a person needs and where do they get theirs? Of course, not once in my 8+ years of eating vegan or 13 years eating vegetarian, has one meat eater been able to tell what the protein and calcium amounts recommended for the average American are.

Tonight, I came home from the Monday hill run (which is an epic story in itself) to find dinner made by the husb.

Dinner consisted of adzuki beans with nori (he couldn't find the konbu in the cupboard) he cooked in the slowcooker, over quinoa with a salad. I sauteed up a tofurkey beer brat to go along with my dinner. You just know that Franks went over those beans very liberally! LOL Here is the breakdown of calcium, protein and fiber for this meal. I am omitting the salad because I couldn't eat it after eating all the other food. All percents are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

quinoa - 1.5 cups cooked

calcium: 15%

protein: 33 grams

fiber: 15 grams

adzuki beans - 1 cup cooked

calcium: 24%

protein: 44 grams

fiber: 24 grams

Kale - 1 cup cooked

calcium: 18%

protein: 4 grams

fiber: 2 grams

Tofurkey Beer Brat sausage - 1 link

calcium: 4%

protein: 24 grams

fiber: 5 grams

The totals for my meal:

calcium: 61% of the daily requirement

protein: 105 grams

fiber: 46 grams

61% of my calcium from one meal.

The average 140 lb woman needs 90 grams of protein. I got 105 grams from one vegan meal, which puts me in good company because Americans eat too much protein. And it isn't do y'all any good! Why do you think you need all that fortified calcium crap? To replace the calcium your kidneys are leaching from your bones to neutralize the excessive protein you are shoving in your mouth!

Recommended amount of daily fiber? Between 25 and 30 grams. Got it from one vegan meal.

Anyways, these figures are very easy to find on reputable sites on the internet. I am too lazy and too tired to link them all.

Oh, and the salad? It will be part of my lunch tomorrow. Along with some Sloppy Janes from La Dolce Vegan (I think) that Bridg made. We met up at the Y before the run and she gave them to me. I remarked to her that I would stop at the store and pick up some rolls and she said she had already included them! Gotta love meeting up with a friend and being handed dinner and the next day's lunch! And all because she can't stand to eat leftovers. I am a lucky girl! LOL