A recent study published in Global Environmental Change shows by cutting meat and dairy consumption by 25 percent, we could reduce two greenhouse gases by 80 percent. So if you’re thinking about moving to a more plant-based diet, welcome aboard and thanks for helping the environment. Not only will you be helping your wallet, (because plant-based protein is cheaper than most animal protein), and you’ll be helping yourself — plant-based protein is low in fat and contains zero cholesterol. Still, what people want to know when they find friends or family that are vegan is, do they get enough protein.

Protein is a big deal. It’s the 20 amino acids your body needs for healthy muscles, blood and skin. Fortunately, it’s in a lot of what you eat, including plants.

The Food and Drug Administration’s basic formula for calculating protein needs is .8 grams of protein for every kilogram of body weight. If you’re an average guy of average weight, that’s 56 daily grams of protein. For a woman, it’s 46 grams. And if you’re pregnant or nursing, that number bumps up to 71. Even then, it’s easy to get your protein RDA. The fact is most Americans get twice that. This is not a case of more being better. Too much protein can increase the risk of heart disease to impaired kidney function. You want your heart to keep beating and your filtration system to be in optimal condition.

Then there’s the myth of incomplete protein. The blame for this falls on the otherwise fine Frances Moore Lappé, author of Diet for a Small Planet. Lappé advocated a plant-based diet in her book which first came out in 1971, but said plant-based protein sources must be combined at each meal. This seemed to give people a license to dismiss a vegetarian diet as requiring too much effort. A few years later, Lappé reversed her decision, the 1982 edition of Diet sets the record straight, stating plant-based protein requires no eye-crossing combination or calculation, it’s great by itself. Even the American Dietetic Association is on board and released a statement as much.

So how does a vegan get enough protein? Tempeh is king, with 20 grams per 4-ounce serving. Tofu has about 9 grams per serving. For those who’d miss the taste and texture of meat, faux meats — veggie burgers, veggie dogs and the like  — make an excellent soy-based substitute, averaging around a dozen protein grams per serving.

For those who prefer their protein unprocessed and plant-based, you can use beans like chickpeas (15 grams per 1-cup serving) and lentils — (18 grams per 1 cup serving), nuts (5 grams in a small, handful) and whole grains like oats (6 protein grams per 1/2 cup serving) and quinoa. It looks like a grain, but is really a grass, cooks up quick, is mild-flavored, fun in the mouth, versatile as hell and half a cup has a dozen protein grams. Even broccoli contains protein (4 grams per serving).

Please do your part today and join the Meatless Monday movement? Signing up is fast and easy! Follow them on Twittter.

Mobile Cuisine looks forward to our continued coverage of Meatless Monday for our readers!