Plant-Based Protein Foods have become increasingly popular today, and rightly so! Our Health Is The Key to everything we do, how we do it and what we get. People are slowly becoming more and more health-conscious and strive to lead a healthy active lifestyle!
So, are you curious to know more about these Plant-Based Protein foods? What are they and What are their benefits? If so, then grab a cuppa and let’s dig in…
Whether you are or have recently become vegan, vegetarian or you decided to cut down on meat, or just want to supplement your daily nutrition, getting Plant-Based Protein foods is essential.
This could also be because many people now want what’s best around to keep themselves healthy, hence plant-based protein foods.
Protein
Protein is one of the most important macronutrients and a major building block in the body tissue. Amino acids found in long chains in our body are the building blocks of Protein. Protein is broadly classified into two different categories. The non-essential amino acids that are made by our bodies and the ones we get from our diet called essential amino acids. So it is always vital when you are looking for protein sources, to ensure you choose the right ones.
As mentioned, it’s important to know what protein you’re eating. I am saying this because some protein sources are a complete protein, meaning they have all the nine essential amino acid needed by our bodies. Some, however, miss certain amino acids hence the need to know so that you can supplement that. At the same time, moderation is very important as too much protein may not be good for you!
The minimum recommended amount of protein an adult needs daily is between 0.7-0.8 grams per kilogram body weight.
Maybe you already have enough protein in your daily meals or you are working on getting to the recommended daily amount. Wherever you are at, the following will benefits you somehow and I hope you can share this with your family and friends.
1. Tofu, Edamame, and Tempeh
All these Plant-based Protein foods are essential as they contain complete amino acids. Its been found that they are quite strong in their make up and have the highest BCAAs( Branched-Chain amino acids) vital for your physical performance.
Tofu has 15 grams of protein per serving, Tempeh will give you 18 grams per serve and Edamame 18 grams per serve.
2. Plant-Based Protein: Quinoa
In recent years, we have seen quinoa become more and more popular. It’s easy to go plant-based protein which is quite easy to prepare as well. As a ‘grain’, it is still considered an ancient seed and very relatable to barley.
It’s a complete protein which is also rich in other nutrients and minerals like, Iron, Fibre, Magnesium, and Manganese.
It is easy to prepare or mix with any meals or even sprinkle on your salads. A serve of Quinoa will give you 8 grams of protein.
3. Plant-Based Protein: Lentils
Lentils are the greatest source of plant-based protein you will ever come across. They are also a good source of fibre and carbohydrates. If you’re on a diet or on a weight-loss program, Lentils will help you immensely by keeping you fuller for longer. Thus preventing you from eating unnecessarily in between meals. Plant-based Lentils are so versatile in that you can use them with almost everything.
Lentils contain both essential and non-essential amino acids giving you nearly 18 grams of muscle-building protein per serve.
Lentils are a great source of health-promoting polyphenols, which have strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties with potential cancer-cell inhibiting effects.
4. Plant-Based Protein: Spirulina
Its blue-green algae that grow in water. It is a bacteria known as Cyanobacterium and a highly bioavailable complete protein containing all essential amino acids.
Spirulina also has some more benefits in that it contains Iron, Calcium, Phosphorus, Manganese and an exceptionally high content of Vitamin B.
You can have it as a tablet form or in powdered form which is great for shakes or smoothies. When looking to lose weight, it is very helpful as it helps improve your metabolism while working on your digestive health. Two tablespoons of Spirulina will give you 8 grams of protein.
5. Hemp Seeds
Hemp Seeds are a great source of Omega-6 and Omega 3 and they are also a complete protein because of their amino acid profile. It has also been found to be beneficial to the cardiovascular system.
One great thing about hemp seeds is that they contain gamma-linolenic acid which is known for its benefits of reducing inflammation and helping people with multiple sclerosis.
The great thing about Hemp seeds is that you can add to your recipes to increase protein content including in your Shakes, Smoothies or even in your Breakfast cereals.
Each serve (3 tablespoons) gives you 9 grams of protein.
6. Plant-Based Protein: Pumpkin Seeds
Pumpkin seeds a complete protein rich in healthy fats, zinc, lysine calcium, magnesium and are a great source of potassium. The high source of magnesium in Pumpkin seeds is associated with increased bone density. It has also been found to help decrease the risk of osteoporosis.
One other great thing to bear in mind is that these seeds are loaded with antioxidants and Vitamin E to help protect our body cells.
If you are counting calories, just be mindful that a cup of Pumpkin seed has about 264 calories. However, the protein content is about 12 grams per cup.
7. Buckwheat
Buckwheat is a highly dense, nutritious plant-based protein that is classified a superfood. Despite its name, Buckwheat is not related to wheat at all and it’s completely gluten-free.
It has been around for centuries and still consumed on a daily basis in Asian and Eastern European countries. however, it has now become popular in Europe, US, and Canada. There other common names you may hear referring to buckwheat like “kasha” or “grishkha” in certain areas.
It’s one of my favourite grain! A serve of Buckwheat will give you approximately 6 grams of protein.
Recently, a study was conducted amongst 70,000 women. What they found was that individuals with diets high in plant-based foods had a low risk of developing coronary heart diseases.
In Conclusion
Plant-Based Protein foods are essential whether you are a vegetarian, vegan or a meat-eater. The goals should be to live a healthy active lifestyle and finding ways to maximise that. Plant-based protein foods help you to support you reach that goal.
Whatever your situation or lifestyle, plant-based food sources are vital to your health and well-being. Eating more plant-based protein food will definitely help reduces the risks of many debilitating diseases, like heart diseases, diabetes, strokes, kidney disease, etc.
I have picked these plant-based protein food sources because I know them, use them a lot and are my favourite. There is a few more that I didn’t include and are good such as; black beans, amaranth, green peas, natto, nutritional yeast, and chia seeds.
Take a moment and look at them to see which one would benefit you more.
