6 Excellent Sources of Vegetarian Protein for Your Daily Diet

Protein is the building block of the body and subsequently, amino acids are the building blocks of protein. Some can be produced by the body but some need to be consumed. That's easy enough, except that there are a variety of amino acids that the body needs. A meat-eater would have no problem imbibing this variety as all meat already possesses a complete array of amino acids; a vegetarian, Jain or vegan, on the other hand, would need to absorb a rainbow of foods to get the full benefit. This is really not all that hard, considering that we already consume plenty of protein-rich, plant-based foods that are quite easily available.Types of Plant-Based Protein

1. Soy

According to a paper , soy is a complete protein that has blood-pressure lowering and LDL- cholesterol oxidising benefits. Soy is not really part of a traditional Indian diet, till a few years ago, many still find it difficult to eat soy granules or chunks, as they feel it is non-veg due to its taste and texture.Now. soy is available in various forms, as flour, which can be mixed with whole wheat flour to get the maximum benefit, soy chunks / granules, soy paneer called tofu and so on. All these can be easily incorporated in our regular diet, by combining it with other foods.

2. Lentils and Pulses

Another excellent source of protein comes from lentils. The researcher tells us that one cup of cooked lentils provides about 18g of protein and 15g of fibre, and it has virtually no saturated fat or sodium. We in India, are no strangers to lentils, considering the wealth of dals we consume.

Coming a close second are pulses, which include beans, chickpeas etc. They are an excellent source of fiber and are low in fat. Each bean has its own health-boosting elements. For instance, rajma / kidney beans is rich in phosphorus, necessary to form strong bones. What could be better than a simple rajma-chawal to boost your protein intake?  Chickpeas make the quick transition into hummus. Or you could try beans on toast, stuff them in a burrito. Pulses, can be simply soaked over-night, pressure-cook for 2-4 whistles depending on the type, then drain, season it to your taste, makes an excellent snacks, called, chundal ! I make different varieties with different pulses, so we get enough protein that we need. My husband loves chundal.

3. Nuts

Nuts get a bad name because they are considered relatively fatty, but they are a powerhouse of unsaturated fat (the good kind) and protein. This means that they fill you up faster and for longer, leading you down the road to low BMI, higher life expectancy and even help to stabilise blood sugar. Cashews, almonds, pistachios and peanuts harbour higher amounts of proteins than other nuts like hazelnuts, so buy a mixed bag, sprinkle over with masala and a light hand of salt, and enjoy at teatime. Blend them into nut butters and spread on bread, or toss them into your bowl of porridge or muesli. Or you could make a Gujarati-style dal, when lentils are cooked with peanuts - a two-in-one advantage.


 

4. Seeds

Seeds are powerhouses of protein as well. Sunflower seeds, for instance, contain 3.3g of protein per 100 calories. Plus, they're super versatile to use. Like nuts, you could toss them into your porridge, cornflakes or muesli, toast lightly and sprinkle as toppings on soups, or pop into stir-fries and salad dressings. Sesame seeds, high sources of protein, make excellent supplements to plant proteins. My own favourite way to consume these is in crisp til chikkis or ladoos.
 

5. Quinoa
 

Quinoa, which is technically a seed, also packs a strong protein-punch; a quarter cup (uncooked) has up to 8g of protein. Quinoa often makes a great substitute for starchy rice and pasta, and you can cook it like an upma, use it in a salad and even toss some vegetables and cook it like a light, healthy pulao.
 

6. Ancient Grains

Grains, like oats, wheat, ragi and bajra (millets), are packed with protein. Your breakfast oatmeal and bajre ki roti/ khichdi are excellent ways to up the protein in your diet. I'm including rajgira (amaranth) in here, which isn't a grain technically, but is often treated as one. The nutritionist says that "at about 13-14%, it easily trumps the protein content of most other grains. You may hear the protein in amaranth referred to as 'complete' because it contains lysine, an amino acid missing or negligible in many grains." It's fairly easy to buy rajgira ladoos, cooked with sugar or jaggery, especially in the winter. But it's healthier to add amaranth flour to your daily chapati or paratha atta. In fact, making your chapatis from a blend of flours will substantially raise their nutritional value.

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