Protein is essential to us, especially pregnant women, breast feeding mothers, and growing children. But even when our growth is finished, we still need protein for internal repair. So we need to know how much we need and what kind.
Vegetable proteins suit the human body better than animal proteins. They have a balance of amino acids that suits our bodies better - more lycine than argonine. What are the vegetable proteins? These are first hand proteins. They are not made in the body of an animal. (It is therefore environmentally kinder, too.) These proteins are found in many plants and it is almost impossible not to have enough protein orovided you eat a variety of plant foods.
Protein is in wholemeal bread, rice, corn or other grains. This type of protein needs to combined with another kind of plant to make it complete for the body. But this not difficult. We are used to thinking of beans on toast, and this works well. Useful plant proteins are found in foods like lentils, beans, nuts and seeds (sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, sprouted seeds), Soya beans are a very useful protein. |While you are learning a new way of eating the specially prepared products like TVP in mince or chunks are useful. But there are things like tofu, soya milk, cheese-like spreads, hard sliceable cheese equivalents and a wide range of desserts and ice-creams.
The grains and the vegetable proteins do not have to be eaten at the same meal. As long as something from those categories is eaten during the day, then the nutrients are all used in combination by the body. The necessary amino acids that make up the complete protein we need proteins, meet up and provide our bodies with the materials for its growth and repair. Variety is the important factor to remember. This ensures that the right foods are being eaten in a day or in a week.
Meat as a protein has by-products that the body has to deal with in the digestive system and these appear to collect in the bowel. As there is no fibre in animal meat it remains there for longer periods of time reducing hoped-for optimum health.
So the answer to the question—can a diet like this provide enough protein? The answer is yes, for both young and old, in fact for everyone. |
