Protein is an important and essential part of a healthy diet. It is a macronutrient required by our body. Proteins contain amino acids – the building blocks that make our muscles, bone, skin, hair, blood and virtually every other organ, so they are crucial and required throughout our life span for growth, body-building repair and maintenance. The primary functions of proteins are tissue growth and maintenance. They can also be used as a source of energy by our body.

It makes up the enzymes, antibodies, some types of hormones, transmits signals to coordinate biological processes between different tissues and organs, and hemoglobin that carries oxygen in your blood is a protein. More than 10,000 different proteins are there in your body. All the basic functions of life depend on proteins. No form of life exists without proteins.

Protein is made from twenty–plus basic building blocks called amino acids. Since we do not store amino acids, our bodies need 9 essential amino acids from our food and the rest our bodies can make. The nutritional value of protein is measured by the quantity of essential amino acids it contains. Different foods contain different amounts of essential amino acids. Because foods contain a lot more than protein, it is important to pay attention to what else is coming with them. That’s why Healthy Eating Plate encourages choosing healthy proteins.

Generally, animal products such as chicken, fish, egg, meat and dairy products have all the essential amino acids and are known as ‘complete’ protein.

Soya products, quinoa and rajgira (seeds of leafy green vegetable called amaranth) also have all the essential amino acids.

Animal-based foods (meat, poultry, fish, eggs and dairy foods) tend to be good sources of complete protein, while plant-based foods (grains, nuts, beans, lentils, seeds, fruits and vegetables) usually lack at least one or more of the 9 essential amino acids and are therefore considered ‘incomplete’ proteins. But if you are a pure vegetarian you need to choose a variety of protein sources from a combination of different plant foods every day to make sure you get an adequate mix of all essential amino acids in your diet. When you eat a wide variety of plant foods then you get all the amino acids needed to make complete proteins.

Sources of protein:

• Dairy products – milk, yogurt, paneer, and dairy products

• Seeds and nuts – almonds, peanuts, walnuts, cashews, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, chia, pumpkin seeds etc.

• Legumes and beans – All beans, lentils, dals, chickpeas, Kidney beans, peas, split peas, tofu, mushrooms

• Poultry, lean meats, fish and seafood, eggs etc.

Whole grains and cereal-based products are also sources of protein but are not high in protein as meat and meat alternative foods. But Quinoa is a super grain which is rich in protein, fibre and minerals. As cereals like rice and wheat are poor in amino acid Lysine but rich in methionine amino acid, on the other hand, pulses are poor in methionine and rich in lysine. But when combined in the same meal the quality of protein improves. The important point to keep in mind is even a small quantity of animal proteins like curd, buttermilk, and paneer with vegetable protein in a meal greatly improves protein quality. Milk is the only animal food used by both vegetarians and non-vegetarians. Milk contains protein of very high quality and is rich in lysine. Hence, even a small amount of milk added to a basic Indian diet of dal-roti greatly enhances the protein quality of the whole diet. Vegetarians have plenty of options to mix and match in their diets. Plant-based sources of protein are a win-win for your health and the health of the planet. Vegetables and fruits contain a very small level of protein, but broccoli, corn, sweet potato, asparagus, mushrooms, Brussels sprouts, guava, avocado, oranges, and apricots have better protein quantities.

The next question that comes to our mind is how much protein we need daily. Well, the requirement for protein is different for children, teenagers, women and men. The National Academy of Medicine recommends that adults need about 0.8 to 1g of protein per kg of their ideal body weight per day. Generally, people who are physically active such as athletes, weight trainers (gym goers), pregnant, lactating women, or people who are undergoing some kind of treatment for cancer or dialysis would need higher than 1 gm per kg body weight, but then this has to be prescribed by a qualified dietician or doctor. Soon after exercise, it is recommended that you have a high-quality protein (such as a glass of milk, egg or yogurt) with a carbohydrate meal to help maintain your body’s protein balance. But if you are an athlete or sports person then the protein requirement will increase. Protein-dense meal is essential to repair muscles and avoid muscle loss post workout. Since muscles are 80 % protein, a high intake of protein improves muscle mass and strength. The average sedentary man should eat about 56 grams of proteins per day and the average woman should eat about 46 grams. However with high protein diets, one should increase the water intake as it is necessary to eliminate nitrogen through urine.

The best way to avoid hunger pangs and avoid binge eating is to have proteins in all your meals. As it reduces the Ghrelin (hunger hormone) and boosts peptide YY hormone that makes you feel full. So helps you in weight loss. Having plenty of protein in the diet balances your blood sugar levels by preventing insulin spikes. These insulin spikes are responsible for sudden cravings for sweets, yo-yo moods and midday slumps. A very high-protein diet can strain the kidneys and liver. Studies say that consuming more than double the requirement of protein for a prolonged period of time can pose a risk to vital organs to metabolize the waste from the body’s system. Consuming more protein than 2.0g/kg body weight does not improve strength gains compared to intake of 1.4 – 1.8g/kg body weight. It results in increased protein oxidation, urea formation and excessive production of urine and can increase the risk for dehydration. So, increase the water intake necessary to eliminate nitrogen through the urine. Any protein you eat on top of your daily requirement will either be excreted from the body as a waste, or stored as fat. Although high-protein diets claim to help you lose weight, but if one exceeds the total calorie requirement then it is stored by the body in the form of fat, thereby defeating the purpose of losing weight.

Symptoms of protein deficiency:

• Hair loss, brittle nails, weakness and fatigue.
• Anxiety and mood swings
• Loss of muscle mass, muscle cramps
• Bloating or fluid retention
• Increased appetite
• Skin pigmentation
• Falling ill more often ( lower immunity)
• Slow growth in children
• Anemia (the blood’s inability to supply enough oxygen to the cells due to low hemoglobin levels.)
• Sarcopenia – Also known as muscle loss, it is a common condition that affects 10% of adults who are over 50 years old. With ageing, you start to lose muscle mass and function. Any loss of muscle lessens strength and mobility. But a healthy diet and regular exercise can reverse sarcopenia.

Some suggestions to increase protein intake for vegetarians

Take small steps to improve your nutrition every day and you can begin this by substituting to eat this protein-rich atta instead of regular wheat flour. Just making a small change can lead to big difference in your health.

All you need to do is to mix the right set of grains and get it ground in the flour mill or chakki. Make chapattis, and parantha and eat them any time of the day.

Ingredients:

• Wheat – 8 kg.
• Ragi – 1 kg
• Jowar – 1 kg
• Barley – 1 kg
• Brown chickpeas – 1 kg
• Soybean – 500 gm.
• Kulith (horse gram) – 500gm

One normal chappati (35gm) made out of this mix atta will give you around 4.35 gm of protein along with 30 mg. of calcium and 1.6mg of iron and 4.3 gm of fibre.

You can also add dry drumstick leaves powder while kneading dough to increase its protein content as drumstick leaves are very rich in protein.

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