Proteins are at the basis of all the tissues and organs of our body. They are in the composition of nails, hair, bones, and muscles, but they are also important in the processes of cell construction and repair, blood oxygenation, digestion, and so on. Basically, proteins are the complex structures in our body that make it possible for us to exist.
Based on this knowledge, protein deficiency is associated with many diseases, such as liver disease, muscle loss, increased risk of bone fractures, increased vulnerability to infectious diseases, increased appetite.
How much protein should we eat daily?
The amount of protein consumed daily depends on the lifestyle we have. If we have a sedentary lifestyle we must consume 0.8 grams of protein/kg per day.
On average, a man with a sedentary lifestyle will consume about 56 grams of protein a day, and a woman about 46 grams/day.
What foods contain protein?
From the class of fasting foods that contain a lot of protein we have:
• Tofu cheese (which is made from soy), contains 15g of protein per ½ cup of product; I’ll be honest, I did not like how it tastes at all J
• Lentils contains 8.84 g of protein per cup of product;
• Chickpeas contains 7.25 g of protein per cup of product;
• Peanuts contain 20.5 g of protein per ½ cup of product;
• Almonds contain 16.5 g of protein per ½ cup of product;
• Spirulina, contains 8 g of protein per ½ cup of product;
• Quinoa contains 8g protein per ½ cup of product;
• Chia seeds, 2g protein in a tablespoon of product;
• Hemp seeds, 5g protein per tablespoon of product;
• Beans, 7g protein per cup of product; (The amount of protein varies in each type of bean: the black beans, for example, have 21 g of protein per 100g of beans).
• Potatoes, 8g protein per medium potato;
• Broccoli, 4g protein to a medium broccoli;
• Mushrooms, 3g protein to 5 medium mushrooms.
• Corn, 15.6g protein per cup of product;
• Oats, 17g protein per 100g product.
Meat foods contain much more protein, for example:
• Greek yogurt, at 200g we have 19g protein;
• Milk, for 200 ml of milk we have 8g of protein;
• Chicken breast, at 140g of raw chicken breast we have 26g of protein;
• Tuna, for 100g of meat we have 28g of protein;
• Pork, per 100 g of raw product we have 27g of protein;
• Turkey meat, per 100 g of product we have 13g of protein;
Vegan recipe with protein-rich products
I will recommend to you one of my recipesfor the LENTIL SOUP
Ingredients:
• a cup of lentils (green or red, I used red because I like the color more);
• 2 medium onions;
• 2 carrots;
• 4 cloves of garlic;
• 1 tablespoon of curcuma;
• 3-4 tablespoons of tomato sauce (or 2 tablespoons of tomato paste);
• half bell pepper;
• half an average parsley root;
• half an average parsnip root;
• 2 cups of water;
• black pepper and salt to taste;
• a small bunch of fresh parsley.
Preparation method:
1. Heat the oil in a saucepan, add the chopped onions and fry until they become golden.
2. Put the tomato sauce over the onion.
3. Add the diced carrot, parsley root, parsnip root and the pepper.
4. Finely chop the garlic and add to the vegetables in the pan.
5. Add the lentils, water, a pinch of salt and black pepper to the cooked vegetables and let them boil.
P.S. Because lentils can be of different qualities, I recommend sitting by the stove and stirring regularly, and if necessary add more water.
When the lentils soften and become almost like a paste, the food is ready, so add the freshly chopped parsley.
Good appetite!
