Is being a vegetarian a good way to eat? Absolutely! But there are some food challenges that a strict vegetarian must be aware of and learn to circumvent, and scoring enough protein is one of those.
Protein is very important for us. Since protein is not stored in our body, unlike fats and carbohydrates, it is very important for us to replenish it every day, as deficiency of protein leads to depletion of muscle mass. Secondly, everybody is partly made up of protein, so it is needed for maintenance, upkeep and regeneration of all our body cells and organs - right from hair to hormones, antibodies to nerves, and hemoglobin to bones.
Eating a balanced diet can help get enough protein in our diet, but it is important to ensure both quantity as well as the quality of protein. Not all food sources of protein contain all the 9 essential amino acids our body requires. In fact, many vegetarian proteins (cereals and lentils) are incomplete proteins (some amino acids are missing).
Since majority of the protein in Indian diets comes from vegetarian sources, our diets tend to be predominantly low in quality protein.
However, it is possible to circumvent this challenge by eating smart - and making your meals complete and protein smart.