• Myth #1: Plant-based proteins don’t contain all the necessary amino-acids.

Many plant-based foods are filled with all the essential amino acids (like hemp, chia, sprouted brown rice, soy beans, quinoa – to name some). However, it is important to make sure to "eat the rainbow" of veggies and grains to ensure you're getting a variety of amino acids – so don’t only focus on broccoli or spinach but make the best out of it and try out a variety of food sources. This is key!

• Myth #2: They don’t build up muscles as well as animal proteins.

Why not? Think about strong and fierce animals like gorillas, rhinos or elephants who are all plant-powered herbivores! There are many vegan bodybuilders and athletes who demonstrate that you can stay fit and strong when you focus on plant-based proteins. It’s interesting that people would say to stay strong as an Ox one needs to consume meat-when in reality Oxen eat almost any vegetation including grass, leafy plants, mosses, herbs, and shrubs!

• Myth #3: Plant-based proteins are high in carbohydrates and thus higher in calories.

Not necessarily. The right plant-based foods can be an excellent source, often with fewer calories than animal products. For example, chia seeds are rich in fiber and contain healthy Omega-3 fatty acids and are low-calorie foods like many other vegetables (broccoli, spinach, kale, mushrooms, asparagus, hemp seeds, etc.). It is also known that high-protein diets help reduce body weight.

• Myth #4: You can't get enough protein from plant-based sources.

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends a minimum daily protein intake of 0.8 grams (g) of protein per kilogram of body weight. It's a fact that nearly all of us consume more protein than needed. Everyone who eats an eight-ounce steak typically served in restaurants already exceeds the recommended protein intake. Plant-based foods provide enough protein when your diet comprises a variety of different foods like legumes, nuts, vegetables and grains.

• Myth #5: Eating plant-based proteins is worse for the environment than consuming animal derived ones.

Not so. Nutritionally valuable food is being fed to animals to produce meat, but by not using animals as meat-producing machines, this food could be freed to help those that need it most. Vegetarian (and more so, vegan) diets use up far less of the world’s resources of food, land, water and energy.

• Myth #6: Consuming a lot of plant proteins is bad for one's health.

Plant protein can do a better job of meeting your protein needs than animal products, both because they are less concentrated sources of protein (making it less likely that you’ll get too much) and because they are more likely to be present with other nutrients such as fiber, vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and healthy fats. Excess animal protein is linked to kidney disease, osteoporosis, cancers, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.