The Benefits Of Protein In A Vegetarian Diet
Having a protein rich diet is important for building and maintaining muscle and body tissue throughout the body. While the body is able to produce most of the amino acids required to form different proteins, there are some that need to be obtained from dietary sources, with meat being the assumed go-to food. Typically, most Sikhs refrain from eating meat, so understanding the benefits of consuming enough high protein food and alternative sources to meat products is important for a healthy, balanced diet and lifestyle.
Why protein is important
Your protein intake has an impact on every aspect of your body and being, from your muscles, bones, and blood to your brain and hormones. One common misconception is that building muscle mass is the sole benefit of having a protein-rich diet and therefore, only important for those engaging in strength training and bodybuilding. However, this is not the case and even those with less physically active lifestyles ought to ensure they get enough protein.
Protein does indeed increase muscle mass, which helps to keep your weight in check and stay lean. It is also important to increase your protein intake as you get older since muscle mass decreases at a much faster rate as you age. Further to muscle mass, protein will help to maintain bone mass well into your old age.
While there are various physical benefits, protein can also be beneficial for optimizing brain health. Studies have shown that an increase in protein can help to improve motor skills, brain function, and memory.
Sources of protein
Typically, the first high sources of protein that spring to mind are usually meat or fish based, such as chicken, turkey or tuna. However, there are a variety of other foods that are suitable for vegetarians. The trick is to ensure you eat a variety of healthy vegetarian food, which will allow you to easily cover your protein bases.
For example, eggs are a great source of protein, providing around 6g per large egg. Greek yogurt is another excellent source of protein, proving twice as much protein as regular yogurt, amounting to around 17g of protein per 6-oz serving. Further high protein vegetarian options, which even cater for vegan dietary requirements, meaning no animal products whatsoever, can also be catered for with options such as tofu, lentils, and beans.
With the average woman requiring around 46g of protein per day and the average man needing 56g per day, it is more than achievable to obtain the right amount of protein from your three meals alongside some added snacks. For vegetarians, some more thought may have to go into meal planning to ensure the target amount of protein in reached each day but the benefits you will notice to your body and well being are sure to make it worth it.