So, then what's the deal with the protein?
Women need about 45 grams of protein a day, (think a six ounce chicken breast and an egg). “The key for both meat and non-meat-eaters alike, is to focus on nutrient-dense whole food choices and avoid nutrient-poor processed and fast foods,” Dieffenbach advises. “A vegan diet is centered on grains, legumes, beans, veggies and fruit. Foods such as tofu, mushrooms, sunflower seeds and flax are all high in protein, but many people don’t know this,” says the vegan.


“Healthy” pitfalls.
Jenny Geyser, certified personal trainer, nutrition and lifestyle coach, cautions women considering meat-free diets to beware of overdosing on certain overly processed products. “They tend to consume far too much soy and processed soy products, which lately had been shown, through many studies, to possibly be harmful.” Informed veggie gals should avoid all processed soy, including the “soy protein isolate” found in powders, bars and all those fake soy hot dogs, soy patties, ice creams and so on. Geyser cautions: “There has been much research coming out to show that these are not healthy food choices!”