Are you getting enough protein? This question is ringing in all our ears on a daily basis — whether you are sitting at home, or dropping your kids off to school, or hitting that long-overdue Pilates session. The world’s (and our social lives’) newest obsession is protein consumption — but, do we really know all about protein and what it can (or cannot) do? First, let’s look at some basic foods that offer protein — giving you an idea of what kind of consumption we are going to be talking about!
- Eggs— Goes without saying, and everyone loves an eggy breakfast. They are an excellent source of minerals, healthy fats, eye-protecting antioxidants and brain nutrients. Almost pure-protein, eggs are among the healthiest and most nutritious foods available
- Almonds— Rich in essential nutrients like fibre, vitamin E, manganese and magnesium, 15% of almonds are filled with healthy protein. Grab a handful of them at any hour for a quick snack. Boring to eat almonds raw? Grab an energy bar — Gouri’s Goodies Oats & Almond Energy Bars are to die for!
- Oats — These are, without doubt, one of the healthiest grains available. With healthy fibres and essential nutrients, this grain (1 cup serving) gives you 11 grams of protein. Put this together with sunflower seeds, flax seeds, raisins, and cinnamon from Gouri’s Goodies Mighty Oats Cereal Mix, you have a few grams more of protein in your system — along with delicious crunchiness!
- Cottage Cheese — an Indian favourite, and easy to use in every possible recipe — replace chicken with cottage cheese to tantalize your vegetarian taste buds. Why? It is low in fat and calories and packed in protein. One cup of cottage cheese will complete your fill with 28 grams of essential proteins
- Greek Yogurt — a serving offers (170 grams) you 17 grams of protein — this is the perfect addition to your meals — pairing well with sweet and savoury dishes. Top it with some of your favourite crumbled Mini-Bites from Gouri’s Goodies (we recommend the Dates & Chia for added protein benefits) or consume plain if you are a fan of textures and dairy
- Milk — everybody’s favourite and easy to use, consume, and feed to your and your family’s wellbeing. Grab some low or zero fat options, in case you want to skip fats entirely. 1 cup of milk (approximately 250ml) gives you a whopping 8 grams! Imagine the intake if you mix it with your favourite cereal from Gouri’s Goodies Cereal mixes — we recommend going for the Magic Millet and Apricot for a crunch and delicious zing!
- Quinoa— a popular type of cereal, and a superfood in today’s times, quinoa is the perfect go-to for a quick lunch or snack — rich in vitamins, minerals and fibre. 1 cup gives you an essential 8 grams of protein and when cooked with wholesome vegetables — you have a chance to increase the numbers!
- Pumpkin Seeds — edible seeds are high in nutrients and once roasted or mixed with your breakfast, they make for an excellent and crunchy snack! Grab some pumpkin seeds — 1 cup gives you 9 grams of wholesome protein!
- Fish (All Types!)— tantalizing when perfectly cooked and with variants galore, fish is the perfect source for protein. A 100-gram serving gives you almost 20 grams of protein! It doesn’t get better than this!
We’ve got everything in stores today with giant printing. If it says “high in protein” or something similarly eye-catching, you will hear a customer saying “I’ll take it!” without even considering the other ingredients and its general effects.
Even foods that are high in protein naturally, are sold with protein boosted versions — I mean, do we really need this? Let’s see a few facts to know if the protein is as essential as it is made to sound like to us:
- It is a valuable nutrient — along with fats & carbohydrates, it is one of the three basic macronutrients. Of course, protein being the most important. We could do without the carbs (yes, we all could!) but the essential fats and protein, we need
- Protein is essential — because it produces nitrogen in our bodies (the one thing we ourselves cannot reproduce for ourselves). There are nine amino acid proteins that come from various foods — each being as essential as the other
- The tissues that your body burns and tears in the process of your hustle, bustle and evening gym visits are repaired with essential protein
- This one is for all you lovely ladies — Proteins are fibrous and provide cells & tissues with much-needed structure. Yes, we are talking about skin, hair and nails! With a boost of Keratin, Collagen and Elastin — you have a support system and repair module for your skin, hair, nails, ligaments, bones and other essential areas of your body
How much protein is enough protein? This one is easy; according to the FSSAI and ICMR, the average Indian requires about 1 gram of protein per 1 kilogram of our body weight (as adults) for a nutritional balance. For example, the average man of 60 kilograms must consume 60 grams of protein per day and the average woman of 55 kilograms, must consume 55 grams of protein per day. However, this ratio varies as per dietary restrictions or if it is for pregnant women or younger children. It is advisable to consult a medical practitioner or your family health advisor before consuming the given protein values. Space out your protein intake with different foods eaten during the day — you need not fixate on specific supplements. A mix and match method will give you fun food ideas daily and complete the protein requirement for your bodily needs.
As we end this one, I would like to remind you all — too much of anything is rarely a good thing. The correct proportions of foods and the correct mix of nutrients (not excessive, and not too less) are the perfect way to a balanced diet and a balanced life! According to Adam Gopnik — ‘Protein was the most valued ingredient 25 years ago: It was the rarest thing. Now the rarest thing we have is time: time to cook and time to eat’. Prove this statement wrong, switch to a healthier life — and what better way to kill time during quarantine?
Fun Fact — the cheese with the highest amount of protein is low-sodium parmesan. With a whopping 41.6 grams of protein with just 100 grams on your plate, you know what to get next!
Written By Gouri Gupta
Week 3, January 2021
