Consuming whole plant protein sources can be challenging for individuals on caloric restriction due to co-occurring carbohydrates and fats, and lower protein quality.

“So you've got a few different things working against you. One, the sources of protein you're consuming also have carbohydrate and/or fat. Two, it's a less bioavailable form of protein, and three, it's a lower quality of protein in terms of it has, typically, less leucine, less branched amino acids, and less essential amino acids.”