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Vegans are often asked where they get their protein. The incorrect belief that getting adequate protein requires eating animal products is widespread, with new research revealing that nearly 90 percent of Americans hold this belief.
The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) and Morning Consult conducted a survey of 2,203 US adults in January 2025. When asked if it was important to eat meat, dairy products, eggs, or other animal products to get enough protein, 87 percent of respondents agreed, while half strongly agreed. Republicans and people with Bachelor’s degrees were more likely to agree than women, Gen Z, or Democrats.
But when asked if a plant-based diet has complete protein and can easily provide the protein a person needs, 52 percent agreed. Black people, Millennials, and people who live in the western part of the US were more likely to agree with the correct notion that plant-based diets can provide good protein. A full third disagreed with the statement.
Read more: What Plant-Based Foods Are ‘Complete’ Protein Sources?
More than half of respondents also agreed that it’s possible to build muscle on a plant-based diet. Twenty-two percent didn’t believe it was possible, while 21 percent didn’t know.
The power of plant protein
“Plant protein has been shown in randomized controlled trials to be as effective as animal protein for building muscle when the amounts of protein are equal,” Dr. Roxanne Becker from PCRM said in a statement. “And it and it is full of nutrients and fiber unlike animal-based protein sources.”
One meta-analysis of 13 clinical trials involving older adults found that plant protein matched animal protein for maintaining and building strength and lean muscle mass. Men on a strength-training program who ate either a vegan diet or an omnivorous diet showed no differences in strength or muscle mass gains over 12 weeks, according to another study.
The lack of awareness around plants as an adequate source of protein is not just a rife among the public. A recent study of UK dietitians found that most are willing to recommend plant-based diets to patients, but 75 percent incorrectly believe that plant protein is “incomplete.” Plant-based physician Dr Neal Bernard has argued that it’s a myth that plants lack some essential amino acids. Writing in the New England Journal of Medicine, he said, “Although the consumption of a variety of plant foods ensures better nutrition overall, all plants contain all indispensable amino acids.”
Read more: 8 High Protein Tofu Curry Recipes
