If you’re planning a healthy diet, chances are you’re going through all the food groups and all the necessary nutrients you need to make sure that you can tick each box off your list and ensure that you’re getting everything you need. Now, some areas are simple to tick off. Fruit and vegetables are necessary and will provide you with a lot of what you need. But they’re also really easy to identify and source. But when it comes to something like protein, many people begin to struggle with knowing what it is and where to get it – especially if they’re following a vegetarian or plant based diet. So, let’s take a moment to get to know a bit more about protein and where to find it!
What are proteins?
Let’s start out by determining what proteins actually are. When it comes down to it, there are actually two different types of proteins. These are referred to as “complete” proteins and “incomplete” proteins. A “complete protein” is an amino acid. There are twenty different amino acids that can form a protein and there are nine of these that the body can’t produce on its own. These nine proteins are called “essential amino acids, ” and it’s important that you get these into your body through your diet.
Where can I find them?
There are actually many sources of protein out there. If you eat meat, finding protein will be simple, as most meats do contain protein. You can simply follow recipes like air fryer chicken breast at littlesunnykitchen.com and you’re good to go! However, if you follow a vegetarian or vegan diet, you may not be quite so sure where to source protein in line with your diet. This is because we aren’t often taught the many plant based forms of protein as we’ve grown up! Here are just a few that you could incorporate into any diet for an extra kick of protein!
- Quinoa – if you haven’t tried quinoa before, it’s a type of grain that does contain a fair amount of protein – eight grams of protein in every cupful serving. This food is becoming increasingly commonly found in mainstream stores, so you should be able to find it during your usual grocery shop.
- Seitan – seitan is a foodstuff that was originally developed by Buddhist monks to serve as a red meat substitute. This has a lot of protein in it – twenty-one grams of protein for every one-third of a cup serving.
- Mycoprotein – mycoprotein is a key ingredient found in brands like Quorn. It contains plenty of protein. However, it’s worth checking the label to determine which Quorn products are vegetarian and which are vegan, as some products do contain eggs.
- Soy – if you’re following a vegetarian or vegan diet, chances are you already eat some soy. This is often in the form of tofu, which can be used in a variety of different ways. The more firm the tofu is, the more protein it will generally contain, so opt for firm options!
These are just a few sources of protein that you should consider incorporating into your diet!
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