Understand Food Groups Macro-nutrients : Blog- 3
:UNDERSTAND
FOOD GROUPS:
Macro- Nutrients
PROTEINS
Let us begin with the second most important but often deficient in our Indian diet macronutrient that is Proteins. Dietary proteins perform all three main functions of nutrients in the body. Proteins are needed for the growth, maintenance and repair of body tissues. Protein helps to keep you satiated. They also help regulate the hunger hormone ghrelin that checks cravings and facilitates weight loss.
Basically proteins are building blocks of our body, hence our body needs them in a proper amount. All proteins are synthesized from amino acids. Protein can contain hundreds of amino acid units overall. All of our organs, tissues, muscles and hormones also need proteins to synthesize. After the digestion of proteins the amino acids go to complete many functions of proteins in our body.
Do you know what exactly proteins do in our body?
Proteins support muscle contraction and relaxation
Provide support to our body
Proteins are needed to synthesize many hormones which regulate our body functions
Proteins help in regulation and expression of our genes
Proteins maintain osmotic pressure
Proteins in the blood serves as buffers hence maintain appropriate pH
Immune system which has defensive proteins known as antibodies
Transport and membrane bound carrier proteins are usually specific to one nutrients
Many hormones like insulin, gastrin, growth hormone etc. produced by various glands are basically proteins
Proteins in our Indian diet actually comes from many products but our diet is mostly based on carbohydrates. Yes just look at our Indian thali. It basically contains rice/pulav, fulka/chapati/bhakri/puri/thepla/paratha etc, along with some sabji, chutney, pickle, dal/curd, papad, bhajiya, etc. So in this thali most of the items we take are prepared through whole grains which are full of carbohydrates. Most of us are vegetarian or even though in India non-vegetarian also never eat non-veg food items on a daily basis. There comes where protein intake goes on the lower side when we compare it with other macronutrients like carbohydrates and fats.
As you read above our body needs a good amount of proteins to perform many functions. Hence we should understand the sources and methods to incorporate proteins in our daily diet to improve the intake. Once you improve your protein intake, you build up your immunity, you tend to have a good healthy weight, good energy levels throughout the day, hair and skin becomes healthier. All these changes are visible for you.
Understand the Basics:
Quality of protein matters when they are used in various functions. Quality of protein is affected by the amino acid content, amino acid imbalance, interference of non available carbohydrates and trypsin inhibitors and influence of heating and processing. Hence the concept came as to calculate the biological value of the proteins. The higher the biological value the better is the quality of dietary proteins.
Protein and energy ratio must be maintained. Protein utilization and deposition is dependent on intake of adequate energy. Utilization of protein is dependent on adequate intake of energy and micronutrients. When your diet contains an adequate amount of carbohydrates to serve as energy giving compounds then dietary protein gets utilized for other important bodily functions. But when diet is deficient or insufficient in regards to carbohydrate intake then protein is utilized first for the energy purpose.
Protein requirements ifs fully depend upon the age, weight, height and the level of activity. Protein requirements for infants, children, adults, or an athlete would be completely different.
How to improve the protein intake?
Sources of proteins:
Animal Foods- Meat, Fish, Eggs, Chicken
Plant Foods- Pulses, Legumes, Oil seeds, Nuts, Soybean, Milk and Milk products such as Buttermilk, Curd, Paneer, etc
Cereal proteins are generally deficient in some amino acids and some are missing in pulses. But when we add cereal and pulses together in the diet, in proper proportions, proteins from cereals and pulses supplement each other and act as a complete protein.
Indian diets deriving their proteins from cereal and pulses(5:1) have a biological value of only 65% relative to egg protein.
Some excellent combinations as follows
Cereals + Legumes- Idli, Dosa, Khichdi, Chapati, Uttapa, Appum, Bisi belle rice, Urad dal Vada, Sprouts Sandwich, Thalipith, Cheela, Rice and Sprouts cutlet/vada.
Cereals + Milk and Milk products- Payasam, Paneer pulao, Cheese Sandwich, Paneer Sandwich, Curd Rice, Curd Poha, Milk and Poha, Pasta with cheese/Paneer cubes, Sewai kheer, Daliya kheer, Rice kheer.
Legumes + Nuts and oil seeds- Til + Bengal gram chutney, Coconut/Groundnut + Bengal gram Chutney, Urad dal chutney with coconut, Roasted chana ladoo with nuts.
Soybean is the richest source of protein.
Cereals and millets contain less protein. Rice contains less protein but the quality
is better than that of wheat. - Fruits and vegetables contain very less amount of proteins.
Addition of good quality proteins from animal sources such as chicken, fish, meat, eggs,
Milk and products improve the quality of protein. Hence should be incorporated in our
daily diet.
Remember:
Proteins are the essential nutrient which must be incorporated in our daily diet. Each meal should contain some or other good quality protein food source. I will explain you simply-
Start your day with some soaked nuts or oil seeds.
Have breakfast like- some cereal pulse combination as mentioned above or
Add a cup of milk with your breakfast.
Add a bowl of dal, steamed sprouts, any mixed sprout or peas usal, soy chunks, etc.
Paneer, buttermilk, curd, etc. some milk product in lunch and dinner.
For a snack grab some roasted nuts or oil seeds, snack preparation with pulses or
Non-veg items like boiled eggs, scrambled eggs, french toast, stir fried fish, baked fish,etc.
Dhokla, mix dal appum, any sprouts cheela, groundnut chikki, nuts bar,
Peanut butter smoothie, Flavored yogurt, etc.
Tips to improve quality of proteins in meals-
Add besan or soy flour while making the dough for chapati, fulka, etc.
Add dals, sprouts, paneer, soy chunks, groundnuts, tofu, chicken, eggs, fish pieces in rice preparations.
Add dals, besan, paneer, tofu, groundnut powder, coconut, til seeds, etc. in sabji preparation.
Add nuts powder, skimmed milk powder, buttermilk, curd in any preparation whenever possible.
Basically proteins are building blocks of our body, hence our body needs them in a proper amount. All proteins are synthesized from amino acids. Protein can contain hundreds of amino acid units overall. All of our organs, tissues, muscles and hormones also need proteins to synthesize. After the digestion of proteins the amino acids go to complete many functions of proteins in our body.
Do you know what exactly proteins do in our body?
Proteins support muscle contraction and relaxation
Provide support to our body
Proteins are needed to synthesize many hormones which regulate our body functions
Proteins help in regulation and expression of our genes
Proteins maintain osmotic pressure
Proteins in the blood serves as buffers hence maintain appropriate pH
Immune system which has defensive proteins known as antibodies
Transport and membrane bound carrier proteins are usually specific to one nutrients
Many hormones like insulin, gastrin, growth hormone etc. produced by various glands are basically proteins
Proteins in our Indian diet actually comes from many products but our diet is mostly based on carbohydrates. Yes just look at our Indian thali. It basically contains rice/pulav, fulka/chapati/bhakri/puri/thepla/paratha etc, along with some sabji, chutney, pickle, dal/curd, papad, bhajiya, etc. So in this thali most of the items we take are prepared through whole grains which are full of carbohydrates. Most of us are vegetarian or even though in India non-vegetarian also never eat non-veg food items on a daily basis. There comes where protein intake goes on the lower side when we compare it with other macronutrients like carbohydrates and fats.
As you read above our body needs a good amount of proteins to perform many functions. Hence we should understand the sources and methods to incorporate proteins in our daily diet to improve the intake. Once you improve your protein intake, you build up your immunity, you tend to have a good healthy weight, good energy levels throughout the day, hair and skin becomes healthier. All these changes are visible for you.
Understand the Basics:
Quality of protein matters when they are used in various functions. Quality of protein is affected by the amino acid content, amino acid imbalance, interference of non available carbohydrates and trypsin inhibitors and influence of heating and processing. Hence the concept came as to calculate the biological value of the proteins. The higher the biological value the better is the quality of dietary proteins.
Protein and energy ratio must be maintained. Protein utilization and deposition is dependent on intake of adequate energy. Utilization of protein is dependent on adequate intake of energy and micronutrients. When your diet contains an adequate amount of carbohydrates to serve as energy giving compounds then dietary protein gets utilized for other important bodily functions. But when diet is deficient or insufficient in regards to carbohydrate intake then protein is utilized first for the energy purpose.
Protein requirements ifs fully depend upon the age, weight, height and the level of activity. Protein requirements for infants, children, adults, or an athlete would be completely different.
How to improve the protein intake?
Sources of proteins:
Animal Foods- Meat, Fish, Eggs, Chicken
Plant Foods- Pulses, Legumes, Oil seeds, Nuts, Soybean, Milk and Milk products such as Buttermilk, Curd, Paneer, etc
Cereal proteins are generally deficient in some amino acids and some are missing in pulses. But when we add cereal and pulses together in the diet, in proper proportions, proteins from cereals and pulses supplement each other and act as a complete protein.
Indian diets deriving their proteins from cereal and pulses(5:1) have a biological value of only 65% relative to egg protein.
Some excellent combinations as follows
Cereals + Legumes- Idli, Dosa, Khichdi, Chapati, Uttapa, Appum, Bisi belle rice, Urad dal Vada, Sprouts Sandwich, Thalipith, Cheela, Rice and Sprouts cutlet/vada.
Cereals + Milk and Milk products- Payasam, Paneer pulao, Cheese Sandwich, Paneer Sandwich, Curd Rice, Curd Poha, Milk and Poha, Pasta with cheese/Paneer cubes, Sewai kheer, Daliya kheer, Rice kheer.
Legumes + Nuts and oil seeds- Til + Bengal gram chutney, Coconut/Groundnut + Bengal gram Chutney, Urad dal chutney with coconut, Roasted chana ladoo with nuts.
Soybean is the richest source of protein.
Cereals and millets contain less protein. Rice contains less protein but the quality
- Fruits and vegetables contain very less amount of proteins.
Addition of good quality proteins from animal sources such as chicken, fish, meat, eggs,
Milk and products improve the quality of protein. Hence should be incorporated in our
Remember:
Proteins are the essential nutrient which must be incorporated in our daily diet. Each meal should contain some or other good quality protein food source. I will explain you simply-
Start your day with some soaked nuts or oil seeds.
Have breakfast like- some cereal pulse combination as mentioned above or
Add a cup of milk with your breakfast.
Add a bowl of dal, steamed sprouts, any mixed sprout or peas usal, soy chunks, etc.
Paneer, buttermilk, curd, etc. some milk product in lunch and dinner.
For a snack grab some roasted nuts or oil seeds, snack preparation with pulses or
Non-veg items like boiled eggs, scrambled eggs, french toast, stir fried fish, baked fish,etc.
Dhokla, mix dal appum, any sprouts cheela, groundnut chikki, nuts bar,
Peanut butter smoothie, Flavored yogurt, etc.
Tips to improve quality of proteins in meals-
Add besan or soy flour while making the dough for chapati, fulka, etc.
Add dals, sprouts, paneer, soy chunks, groundnuts, tofu, chicken, eggs, fish pieces in rice preparations.
Add dals, besan, paneer, tofu, groundnut powder, coconut, til seeds, etc. in sabji preparation.
Add nuts powder, skimmed milk powder, buttermilk, curd in any preparation whenever possible.
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