(For our new parents, Miss Toshala is our Head Cook here at Ficino School. She holds a DPhil in Animal Physiology & Endocrinology).

The age-old question that every vegetarian gets asked is, ‘Where does the protein come from?’ Along with: ‘Is my child consuming enough protein?’ These are fair questions. Protein intake is closely associated with cerebral blood flow and cognitive function in children, which is essential for educative purposes, so is an important consideration. I have covered the wide range of protein sources we make use of in the Ficino kitchen in a previous article. This includes foods such as legumes, soy, whole grains, nuts, seeds and dairy products. However, it is also important to keep up to date with the latest information.

Recently, I happened to be browsing through some scientific research articles (as one does) and came across several very interesting papers regarding the efficacy of uptake of dietary proteins from plant sources. Aside from a number of health studies observing that eating more plant protein is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol and premature death in general, there were several which are pertinent to plant-based diets. One study demonstrated a comparison between a red meat meal and equivalent meals (by mass) of various plant-based meals. There were several conclusions to these studies: what is relevant here is that if a combination of plant sources (for instance, if beans or chickpeas were to be consumed with rice or another grain), then this had the same protein bioavailability as the red meat meal, even though the meat meal may contain slightly more protein. Additionally, there were fewer digestive issues reported with the plant-protein meals, which the researchers surmised was because the plant-based meals could be broken down in the gut more completely than the more complex tissues of the meat meal, enabling them to be utilised more efficiently by the body and therefore more bioavailable.

When it comes to the nutritional value of non-meat ingredients, seasonality also pays a key part. At Ficino, our meals are made from vegetables and fruits that are in season and locally produced, meaning that they are at their ripest, at the peak of their flavour, and at their optimal nutritional value. Seasonal eating also ensures that our students are consuming a wide range of produce, which means that they are getting a wider variety of flavours and nutrients. In fact, with the weather warming up, the children should be in for a treat, with early summer produce likely to be available before the end of Term 4.

Unlike many schools where lunchboxes or ultra-processed lunch orders are the only option, at Ficino the children are being provided with nutritionally dense meals – prepared fresh every day – and are loving it!

Partial Bibliography (as in, further papers were referenced but these were the primary articles):

• Dietary intake of total, animal, and plant proteins and risk of all cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality: systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies 
  British Medical Journal 2020;370:m2412; (Published 22 July 2020)
  
  
• Eating more plant protein is associated with lower risk of death
  British Medical Journal 2016;354:i4243; (Published 02 August 2016)
  
  

• The Role of the Anabolic Properties of Plant- versus Animal-Based Protein Sources in Supporting Muscle Mass Maintenance: A Critical Review
  Nutrients 2019;11(8):1825 (Published on 07 August 2019)