For decades, U.S. dietary guidelines have linked “protein” with animal products. Even as the visuals evolved—from the “Basic Four” to the Food Pyramid to MyPlate—the message stuck: protein means meat.

But protein isn’t a food group at all. It’s a macronutrient made of amino acids—the building blocks your body uses to build muscle, repair tissue, produce enzymes and hormones, and support immune health. And here’s the thing: your body doesn’t care if those amino acids come from lentils or chicken. They’re identical at the molecular level.

So why does animal protein still get the reputation for being “better”? And what does the science actually say about how much protein we need—and from what sources?

In this episode, I talk about:

* How U.S. dietary guidelines shaped our view of protein — and why many still think “protein” means “meat”

* How protein functions in the body, what amino acids are, and why plant and animal amino acids are identical

* Why the RDA for protein is a minimum, not necessarily optimal, especially as we age or increase activity

* What top plant-based nutrition experts recommend for daily protein intake and how it compares to the RDA

* How protein needs change with age, activity level, and life stage

* Why I’ve doubled my own protein intake — and the results I’ve seen

Whether you’re in your 20s or your 80s, plant-based or not, active or just getting started, understanding protein is key to thriving long-term. And yes, you can do it 100% with plants.

🎧 Listen to the full episode for practical tips, expert recommendations, and how to know if you might benefit from more protein.

DISCLAIMER: This episode is for informational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the guidance of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding your health, medical condition, or before making changes to your diet, exercise, or medication.

Food for Thought is a listener-supported podcast. If you value the work that goes into these episodes and articles, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

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To keep Food for Thought Podcast ad-free and accessible to all, I rely on the support of paid subscribers. If you're already one—thank you. If you’re not, please consider becoming one. None of the companies below sponsored this episode. They’re simply brands I personally use, love, and trust—which is why I agreed to be an affiliate.

If you make a purchase using the links below, I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you—and you’ll receive exclusive discounts using the codes provided!

* Complement SupplementsEverything you need, nothing you don’t. Complement makes targeted supplements for plant-based eaters, including B12, D3, DHA, and more—all from clean, trusted sources.🔗 lovecomplement.com | Code: JOYFULVEGAN for 15% off all products!

* Plaine ProductsRefillable, non-toxic, plastic-free personal care products like shampoo, conditioner, lotion, and body wash. Gentle on you, gentle on the planet.🔗 plaineproducts.com | Code: JOYFULVEGAN for 20% off all products!

* Nama JuicerMy favorite cold-press juicer—quiet, powerful, and easy to clean. It’s become an essential part of my kitchen.🔗 namawell.com | Code: COLLEEN10 for 10% off all products!

Additional Resources

👉 Connect with me 1:1 – Get personalized guidance whatever you are looking for. (One one-on-one connection is also a perk of the Founding Member/VIP level here on Substack.)

👉 Read A Year of Compassion – Daily inspiration to help you live with intention, kindness, and clarity.

👉 Travel with me! I host animal-friendly, luxury, all-inclusive vegan trips around the world, specifically curated to ensure high-quality, high-touch premium experiences. Check out our upcoming trips, and let me know if you have any questions.

👉 Check out my Recipe E-Books and my library of On-Demand Cooking Classes for recipes.

Thoughts? Questions? Suggestions? Join our private chat!

Religious traditions have played a significant role in shaping many familiar dishes. Over the centuries, abstaining from eating meat and other animal products for spiritual reasons led to creative, plant-based recipes that have since become cultural staples. I think this matters because it helps legitimize plant-based eating as something deeply rooted in cultural and historical tradition—not a fad or modern invention. It reminds us that meatless eating has long been a meaningful, creative, and essential part of human food culture, shaped by values, ethics, and necessity. And by centering these stories in our collective memory, we reclaim a rich legacy—and challenge the idea that animal products must, or always have, sat at the center of every meal.

Enjoy!

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🌟 Join thousands of like-minded subscribers at my Substack. Community, connection, and inspiration for living compassionately, healthfully, and sustainably. 

Visit my website: JoyfulVegan.com

Join me on an all-inclusive vegan trip: JoyfulVeganTrips.com

AFFILIATE PARTNERS:

• Complement — Use this link https://lovecomplement.com/?aff=152&utm_source=joyfulvegan) and coupon code "joyfulvegan" and get 15% off my favorite supplements.
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Thank you for listening.

Losing an animal companion can be a profound and often overlooked grief. In this episode, I explore what it means to mourn a beloved pet, how to navigate the pain, and ways to honor the bond that never really ends — all through the lens of the life and loss of my cat Charlie.

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🌟 Join thousands of like-minded subscribers at my Substack. Community, connection, and inspiration for living compassionately, healthfully, and sustainably. 

Visit my website: JoyfulVegan.com

Join me on an all-inclusive vegan trip: JoyfulVeganTrips.com

AFFILIATE PARTNERS:

• Complement — Use this link (https://lovecomplement.com/?aff=152) and coupon code "joyfulvegan" and get 15% off my favorite supplements.
• Plaine Products — Use this link (https://www.plaineproducts.com/ref/161) and coupon code "compassion" for 20% off my favorite zero waste bath and body products.

Thank you for listening.

Enjoy my conversation with Mariann and Jasmin from Our Hen House.

In this heartfelt conversation, author Colleen Patrick-Goudreau joins Jasmin and Mariann to discuss her eighth book, A Year of Compassion: 52 Weeks of Living Zero Waste, Plant-Based and Cruelty Free, exploring how compassion can be a guiding force during challenging times and offering practical ways to manifest it in everyday life.

This episode explores:

• How compassion is often misunderstood and how we can reclaim its true meaning in secular contexts
• The psychological barriers that prevent people from aligning their actions with their compassionate values
• Practical ways to make a difference, from rewilding our gardens to support native pollinators to embracing a zero-waste mindset
• The importance of starting where you are rather than doing nothing because you can’t do everything
• How Colleen’s personal journey, including her relationship with her mother, shaped her compassionate worldview

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🌟 Join thousands of like-minded subscribers at my Substack. Community, connection, and inspiration for living compassionately, healthfully, and sustainably. 

Visit my website: JoyfulVegan.com

Join me on an all-inclusive vegan trip: JoyfulVeganTrips.com

AFFILIATE PARTNERS:

• Complement — Use this link (https://lovecomplement.com/?aff=152) and coupon code "joyfulvegan" and get 15% off my favorite supplements.
• Plaine Products — Use this link (https://www.plaineproducts.com/ref/161) and coupon code "compassion" for 20% off my favorite zero waste bath and body products.

Thank you for listening.

Enjoy my conversation with World Vegan Travel all about living compassionately and traveling sustainably. Travel just about seeing new places — it can be a way to show what you care about. On this episode, we talk about sustainable travel and vegan travel, and how making smart choices while on the road can help people, animals, and the planet. She encourages travelers to support responsible tourism, like choosing plant-based meals, avoiding activities that harm animals (like elephant rides), and staying in places that respect local people and nature.

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🌟 Join thousands of like-minded subscribers at my Substack. Community, connection, and inspiration for living compassionately, healthfully, and sustainably. 

Visit my website: JoyfulVegan.com

Join me on an all-inclusive vegan trip: JoyfulVeganTrips.com

AFFILIATE PARTNERS:

• Complement — Use this link (https://lovecomplement.com/?aff=152) and coupon code "joyfulvegan" and get 15% off my favorite supplements.
• Plaine Products — Use this link (https://www.plaineproducts.com/ref/161) and coupon code "compassion" for 20% off my favorite zero waste bath and body products.

Thank you for listening.

Enjoy this episode of my conversation with Victoria Moran on her podcast Main Street Vegan. In it, we explore how everyday choices — from the food we eat to the words we use — can reflect and deepen our commitment to compassion, sustainability, and justice. We discuss the power of habit, the myth of perfection, and how to stay hopeful and grounded while navigating a world in crisis. Whether you’re new to plant-based living or a longtime advocate, this conversation offers both practical insight and soulful encouragement.

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🌟 Join thousands of like-minded subscribers at my Substack. Community, connection, and inspiration for living compassionately, healthfully, and sustainably. 

Visit my website: JoyfulVegan.com

Join me on an all-inclusive vegan trip: JoyfulVeganTrips.com

AFFILIATE PARTNERS:

• Complement — Use this link (https://lovecomplement.com/?aff=152) and coupon code "joyfulvegan" and get 15% off my favorite supplements.
• Plaine Products — Use this link (https://www.plaineproducts.com/ref/161) and coupon code "compassion" for 20% off my favorite zero waste bath and body products.

Thank you for listening.

Enjoy this conversation with Toni and Michelle from Plant-Powered People Podcast. Feeling overwhelmed trying to “do the right thing” in a complicated world? You're not alone—and you're not doing it wrong. In this episode, Colleen Patrick-Goudreau helps us move beyond guilt, perfectionism, and burnout by reconnecting with what matters most: compassion. Whether you’re struggling to stay consistent with your values, feeling discouraged by your impact, or unsure where to start—this conversation offers practical, heart-centered guidance for creating real change, one small step at a time.

——————

🌟 Join thousands of like-minded subscribers at my Substack. Community, connection, and inspiration for living compassionately, healthfully, and sustainably. 

Visit my website: JoyfulVegan.com

Join me on an all-inclusive vegan trip: JoyfulVeganTrips.com

AFFILIATE PARTNERS:

• Complement — Use this link (https://lovecomplement.com/?aff=152) and coupon code "joyfulvegan" and get 15% off my favorite supplements.
• Plaine Products — Use this link (https://www.plaineproducts.com/ref/161) and coupon code "compassion" for 20% off my favorite zero waste bath and body products.

Thank you for listening.

I’m working on some new episodes for you, so stay tuned! In the meantime, I am going to share some recent conversations between me and some of my favorite people that took place on THEIR podcasts – amazing people like Victoria Moran, Jasmin and Mariann / Our Hen House, Michelle Cehn and Toni Okamoto from Plant-Powered People Podcast, with Brighde Reed at World Vegan Travel, and more. Enjoy!

——————

🌟 Join thousands of like-minded subscribers at my Substack. Community, connection, and inspiration for living compassionately, healthfully, and sustainably. 

Visit my website: JoyfulVegan.com

Join me on an all-inclusive vegan trip: JoyfulVeganTrips.com

AFFILIATE PARTNERS:

• Complement — Use this link (https://lovecomplement.com/?aff=152) and coupon code "joyfulvegan" and get 15% off my favorite supplements.
• Plaine Products — Use this link (https://www.plaineproducts.com/ref/161) and coupon code "compassion" for 20% off my favorite zero waste bath and body products.

Thank you for listening.

A story about a house, a hillside, and a centuries-old oak tree—and what it teaches us about healing, renewal, and the resilience of nature. In this episode, I explore what it means to be a participant in the restoration of the world around us and ourselves. 

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🌟 Join thousands of like-minded subscribers at my Substack. Community, connection, and inspiration for living compassionately, healthfully, and sustainably. 

Thanks to today's sponsor, Plaine Products — Use this link (https://www.plaineproducts.com/ref/161) and coupon code "compassion" for 20% off my favorite zero waste bath and body products.

Visit my website: JoyfulVegan.com

Join me on an all-inclusive vegan trip: JoyfulVeganTrips.com

AFFILIATE PARTNERS:

• Complement — Use this link (https://lovecomplement.com/?aff=152) and coupon code "joyfulvegan" and get 15% off my favorite supplements.

Thank you for listening.

 A Year of Compassion: 52 Weeks of Living Zero-Waste, Plant-Based, and Cruelty-Free is now available wherever you buy books! I compiled a list for you here of independent and large retailers + where you can find signed copies!

——————

🌟 Join thousands of like-minded subscribers at my Substack. Community, connection, and inspiration for living compassionately, healthfully, and sustainably. 

Visit my website: JoyfulVegan.com

Join me on an all-inclusive vegan trip: JoyfulVeganTrips.com

AFFILIATE PARTNERS:

• Complement — Use this link (https://lovecomplement.com/?aff=152) and coupon code "joyfulvegan" and get 15% off my favorite supplements.
• Plaine Products — Use this link (https://www.plaineproducts.com/ref/161) and coupon code "compassion" for 20% off my favorite zero waste bath and body products.

Thank you for listening.