Foreverfit guides you on how to opt for protein rich foods at every meal, to ensure that you get your daily dose of protein.
So, you’re trying to build your body, and think that you must eat large quantities of whey and protein powders? Maybe your trainer and gym pals have built their own muscles this way.
Good for them, but you don’t have to follow their example, since supplements and powders aren’t the only source of good quality proteins. For the most part, our daily foods have a good amount of protein in them.
Some may be perfect and complete sources of high-quality protein, while others may be short of a couple of amino acids. Read on, to understand how to get your protein needs met, through your diet.
Smart Food Combinations
Smart combinations are the key to getting the most nutrition from our daily foods. “For an average adult, a daily dose of 0.75 g to 1 g of protein per kilogram of body weight is sufficient, which can be easily obtained from common food items such as dairy, pulses, cereal, eggs, wheat, and rice,” recommends Nutrition Consultant, Priyanka Gupta.
Others, such as personal trainer Mukul Nagpal also recommend a natural, home food diet plan to achieve good fitness levels. “Those with kidney problems need to practice caution when consuming concentrated proteins such as whey supplements,” he says. “Also, if you have high cholesterol, you must eat only lean proteins, and avoid from saturated fats.”
Many animal protein sources
Non-vegetarians can derive most of their daily protein from eggs, fish, and chicken. “Egg is the best possible source of complete protein. One egg packs in about 7 g of protein, so an average person can get sufficient protein by consuming 2 to 3 eggs per day,” says Priyanka.
Another excellent source of protein and Omega-3’s, is seafood. In addition, turkey and chicken are reliable sources of lean protein. You can also partake of a limited amount of red meat, since this packs a punch of protein as well as iron, zinc and Vitamin B12 too.
But experts suggest you stay away from processed meats like sausages, bacon and salami since these have a higher fat content, excess salt, and harmful preservatives like nitrates.
Plant-based protein combinations that work
Many believe that vegetarians fall short of their protein requirements, since animal foods have all the proteins. But this isn’t true. The protein needs of vegetarians can be well met with a combination of cereals and pulses which complement each other, within the same meal.
For instance, rice or roti combined with dal or rajma, tofu with rice, hummus and bread, peanut butter and bread, corn with peas, and so on. These combinations are famous, since each food in the pair enhances the nutritional value of the other.
Why so, you may wonder? Lentils and pulses are deficient in the amino acid methionine, and rich in lysine. Cereals have the reverse profile, so the combination is perfect. Another way you can maximise the nutritional benefits of lentils, is by sprouting and fermentation.
Sprouted legumes can be used eaten in salads, soups, vegetable dishes, and so on. Also, nutritionists recommend that you eat pulses with their outer husk intact. Minus the outer coat, their nutritional value is lower. Another useful source of protein are nuts, which can be eaten alone, or added to foods.
One egg=7 grams of protein=30 g pulses like chickpea=15 g soya=35 g peas=25 g processed cheese=40 g paneer