Protein Sources on a Raw Food Diet

Q. If you’re not eating meat or dairy, where do you get your protein?

A. The same place a 400 pound gorilla gets his protein, from plant greens. To be completely honest, gorillas do eat some grubs and bugs that derive some protein from, but 95% still comes from the vegetation they eat. And depending how carefully you wash and look through your fruits and veggies you’re probably getting your fair share of little critters as well.

It’s important to understand that we may not need as much protein as we’re told. The dairy and meat industries and their powerful lobby are responsible for the strong prevalence of those foods in the so called food pyramid. Dr T. Colin Campbell writes in his landmark book, the China Study, “The story of protein is part science, part culture and a good dose of mythology”. Depending on individual lifestyle needs a person may need only 25 -45 grams of protein a day or even less.

Every day our bodies break down old cells and recycle many of the amino acids to build new cells and carry out bodily functions. Drs. Rick and Karin Dina, D.C. and nutrition educators, have shown that it is quite easy to fulfill daily protein requirements on a raw food diet. All raw foods, even fruits contain protein although greens, sprouts, nuts, and seeds will have the highest levels of protein.