Are You Eating Enough Of The Right Kind Of Protein? | Femina.in

Dr Archana Batra, dietitian and certified diabetes educator, helps you address the deficit of protein in Indian diets

Protein is not only important for gym diets and muscle building, but also for the body’s daily functioning. It is required for tissue repair and also to maintain muscle mass because it helps in supporting the body’s immunity and producing enzymes and hormones. 

Protein also helps us stay full for a long time after meals. Lower intake over a long time can lead to muscle loss and poor nutritional status.

With the help of this nutrient,  muscles are maintained, while  tissue repair, the immune system, and enzyme and hormone creation are also taken care of.

Still, I have seen many Indians who might not consume enough protein to meet their individual needs.

One common misconception I have come across is that you require expensive supplements to meet protein requirements as a vegetarian. This is not necessarily true. It lies in the person’s hand whether they include a variety of protein sources in their meals throughout the day or not. Having only a small portion of dal and eating paneer sometimes is not sufficient if protein is not included in each meal.

Indian Foods Can Help Fill The Gap

There are many vegetarian Indian foods that can help in meeting the intake gap. These include pulses such as dal, rajma, chole, and lobia, soybeans, tofu, soy chunks, besan, moong dal, chickpeas, roasted chana and dairy products such as milk, yoghurt, cheese, and paneer.

Pair Protein Sources With Traditional Meals

• If you want to start your day with paratha, take it with a bowl of yoghurt or make paneer parathas. Yoghurt can also be taken with poha, besan chilla or moong dal chilla as there is more protein in them. 
• For lunch,  add a decent amount of dal, rajma, or chole to the roti or rice. 
• And, for dinner, sabzi should be served with dal, paneer, tofu, and soy chunks. 
• Roasted chana, milk and yoghurt, taken between meals, can help in increasing protein intake.

Make Protein A Part Of Your Life

The protein requirement for normal adults is 0.8-1 grams of protein per kilogram of their weight each day. The requirement can change according to a person’s age, activity level, and health.

Disclaimer: All views are the author’s own. Femina cannot be held liable for any mishap arising thereofAlso Read: Here’s Why Salads Aren’t Always The Healthiest Choice