A guide to including high protein vegetarian foods in your diet
Protein is touted as one of the most important nutrients for our growth and optimum nutrition. Many dieticians promote the importance of a balanced diet, but proteins are given special attention for different reasons. Following is a guide for you to understand the importance of high protein foods along with a list of vegetarian high protein foods for you to add to your diet:
What are the benefits of including high protein foods in your diet?
- High protein foods will improve your muscular development.
- Eating foods that are rich in protein will keep you fuller for longer, hence helping you to cut down on calories.
- The body takes more time to burn proteins, hence more calories will be used.
- It helps in increasing the potential for more fat loss in the body.
- A diet rich in proteins will help you to benefit more from strength training.
- A high protein diet aids in making the tendons stronger and helps the body in recovering from injuries at a faster rate.
- Certain research studies show that having a protein-rich diet promotes better sleep.
- Protein is a crucial component of all the cells in our body including body parts such as our hair and nails; without which they will grow brittle.
What are the options of high-protein vegetarian foods that help in weight loss?
Some of the vegetarian options to include in your diet for increasing your protein intake and shedding the extra kilos are as follows:
- Leafy greens such as spinach and kale
- Broccoli
- Chickpeas
- Lentils
- Cottage cheese
- Peas
- Grains such as barley, quinoa, and oats
What are the best dairy options for high-protein foods?
Dairy and milk products are rich in two types of proteins namely casein and whey. Both of these are considered to be exceptional in their quality. A list of high protein foods in the dairy category comprises of the following:
- Cottage cheese
- Yogurt (including Greek yogurt)
- Plain milk
- Cheddar cheese
- Tofu
- Soy Milk
What are some of the lesser common vegan options for high protein foods?
Some of the high protein foods that vegans can include in their diet are as follows:
- Seitan
- Tofu
- Edamame
- Nutritional seed
- Hemp seed
- Almonds
- Pistachios
- Cashews
- Amaranth
- Bread made from sprouted grains and Ezekiel bread
What are some good vegetarian breakfast recipes for ensuring high-protein intake?
Some of the innovative and healthy options that you may include as part of your high-protein vegetarian breakfast are as follows:
- Blueberry and almond baked oatmeal
- Grilled cheese sandwich
- A bowl full of cottage cheese
- Lentil and broccoli cutlet
- A bowl of scrambled chickpeas
- Hummus dip with celery and carrots
- A bowl of yogurt with an added flavor of your favorite fruit
- A combination of kale and tofu, both of which may be eaten as an omelet or in a scrambled form
What amount of protein intake is ideal as part of your regular diet?
- The Dietary Reference Guideline recommends 56 grams of protein intake per day for a man leading a sedentary lifestyle.
- The prescribed quantity for a woman leading a similar lifestyle is 46 grams per day.
- For a child, the amount of protein intake depends on his or her age and weight.
- According to the USDA Dietary Guidelines, a boy aged between 14 to 18 years must 52 grams of protein per day, whereas a girl of the same age should consume 46 grams of protein per day.
- Anything drastically over or under this for extended durations may have a grave effect on your well-being.
While including these options will surely make you healthier and help you take full advantage of the many options that high protein foods offer, ensure that you go for healthy proteins that are low in cholesterol, trans fat, and saturated fat. Apart from getting lean muscles and losing weight, consuming protein regularly will also help in the better functioning in your day-to-day lives.
