Since plant foods tend to contain less protein than meat, and in a form that the body finds harder to use, it is quite natural to wonder whether a vegetarian diet can meet all our nutritional needs. However, a varied vegetarian or vegan diet should supply more than enough protein, provided enough food is being eaten to meet daily energy needs.

All the amino acids humans require can be found somewhere in the plant kingdom, but you must choose foods from all the different plant groups - grains, pulses, roots, fresh green and yellow vegetables, nuts and seeds - so that the amino acids that are present only in small amounts in one group will be supplemented by those from another. The different sources of protein do not have to be eaten together but can be consumed at different times during the day.

Many traditional cuisines combined pulses with grains, such as beans or toast, hummous and pita bread, and lentil dhal with rice or naan.