permaculture

[tanya <tanyagarden@gmail.com>]

On Sun, Nov 6, 2011 at 4:26 PM, Lawrence F. London, Jr. <
venaurafarm@bellsouth.net> wrote:

> ...Frances Moore Lappe in her book Diet For A Small Planet proposes
> increasing one's protein intake from vegetarian meals through food
> combining-for-maximum-protein,...
>
>>

That concept has been obsolete since at least the early 80s. Though it was
introduced in the first edition of the book in the early 70s, she soon
realized that "protein combining" is a factor only in the lab, and in every
other edition since then, she has taken great care to explain why
vegetarians do not need to "combine" proteins.

In the real world, she discovered, people tend to eat a variety of foods
throughout the day.

The basic rule of thumb is that if you're eating enough calories (and not
eating junk foods*), you're getting enough protein.

 *The only exceptions are if taro/cassava is the staple food -- it's very
low in protein -- or if most of the calories come from sweet fruits. Junk
food includes alcoholic beverages (high in calories but no protein). Other
researchers  have cited studies where people ate only potatoes,  only corn,
etc., and as long as they ate enough calories to sustain their weight, they
were in positive protein balance.

In the developed world, excess protein is a problem. It causes many chronic
health problems, as does overconsumption. Protein deficiency (the
disease Kwashiokor is the most common manifestation) is seen only in places
where insufficient calories are available.

The amount of protein needed is much smaller than you might think. The WHO
says 5 percent of total calories should come from protein.