The Doctor's Guide To Plant-based Nutrition

Are you getting enough protein? Switching to a plant-based diet certainly has its benefits, but doing it safely is something many overlook. Oxygen’s resident doctor and Sumo Salad Ambassador Dr Zac unpacks the facts and shares his tips for the transition to a plant-based diet.

Making the switch to a purely plant-based diet overnight, rather than over a course of time, can have its drawbacks as you need to allow the body time to adjust. One question everyone asks is: “Will I be able to get enough protein in my diet?”

Well, it certainly requires a lot more food to be eaten, as plant-based foods are generally lower in protein and harder for the body to absorb compared to their meat-based rivals. However, we generally consume more than enough protein in our diet without the help of meat. We only need 10-35% of our calorie intake to be made up of protein, depending on a range of factors including your genetics and how active you are. Protein is a very important thing to make sure you’re receiving your daily dose of - but it’s not the most common deficiency when switching to a plant-based diet.