Your Guide to Consuming Protein in an Indian Diet

When it comes to weight management and weight loss, you need to fill your system with friendly proteins and shave off all the unhealthy carbs. This is why protein plays a major role in the development of a healthy and happy body. This micronutrient is required by our body to build muscle mass and is vital for hormone synthesis. But how should we load up on proteins in an Indian diet? In this article, we will help you learn the various ways and sources of protein intake using the staple Indian ingredients.

Why Protein is Important, and what is a High Protein Diet? 

Did you know that low protein can cause mood swings, irritability, and brain fog? This explains the role of protein in our body! Protein is important for our bone density as 50% of our bones are protein in terms of volume. Lack of Protein reduces the number of viable immunoglobulins and decreases the function of gut-associated lymphoid tissue. Proper protein intake can prevent aging, brittle nails, and hair fall.

A high-protein diet is a diet that supplies around 50% protein on a vegetarian diet and 60% on a non-vegetarian. Proteins hardly allow any increase in sugar levels and have a super low glycemic index. Consuming protein in your diet can also keep you satiated and lessen the untimely hunger pangs.

How much protein should you consume per day? 

Your protein requirement varies depending on your age, weight, height, and activity level. One should roughly consume 0.8 to 1 gram of protein per kg of body weight. Athletes and runners should ideally consume 2 to 3.5 grams of protein per kg. If you need to consume supplements to fulfill your protein intake, you can find protein powder online and choose among the available options to consume with your Indian diet.

Consuming the optimum daily requirement of protein can help you lose weight and maintain your current body weight.

Protein-rich Options in an Indian Diet

If you follow an Indian diet, make sure that you eliminate trans fats from your daily diet and use ingredients like olive oil and ghee to cook your meals. To get off the starting mark, you can go for the following meal options –

• For breakfast, a dal dosa or chila with a bowl of yogurt is an ideal option. You can also drink a glass of almond milk to feel full for a longer period.
• Follow the breakfast with a mid-morning snack of egg whites or a glass of buttermilk.
• If you are non-vegetarian, lean meat like chicken & fish is great for lunch. Alternatively, you can opt for a cheese mushroom omelet or egg pakodas with a serving of vegetable khichdi.
• If you feel hungry in between meals, you can have a bowl of sprouts ad yogurt or a handful of dry fruits.
• For dinner, paneer tikka or chicken or seekh kebabs are the best options. A serving of mutton curry with rice is also suited for a protein-rich meal.

As for vegetarians, you might find the protein-rich diet a bit restricted in terms of options; but that’s not the case! The trick is to find your favorite ingredient and curate your meals around it. For example, if you like wholesome grains, you can make yourself a rajma falafel. If you are a paneer lover, you can make a paneer tikki or stir-fry paneer with veggies for lunch and dinner.

One can also incorporate beans, legumes, lentils, peas, quinoa, mushroom, and nuts for a protein-rich vegetarian diet. For winter, green peas are another great choice as they contain around 7.9 grams of protein which is the same as a cup of milk. You can also make some amaranth laddoos that provide an abundance of magnesium, phosphorus, iron, and around 9 grams of protein per serving.

Tips to Consume Protein in a Busy Lifestyle

We know most people today don’t have time to prepare proper meals, which requires a lot of planning. Don’t worry; we have the best food tips for you below –

• Mix protein-rich flours, like besan, sattu, and oats, with your regular flour.
• Roast nuts and seeds and powder them in a mixture. You can sprinkle them on your curries and smoothies for a quick protein intake.
• If you find it hard to rustle up a protein meal, you can snack on products like protein coffee, protein peanut butter, and protein pancakes. For this, you can use a protein powder supplement too.
• Add protein to your everyday salads by including ingredients like boiled beans and legumes.
• You can add a combination of seeds, like flax or pumpkin seeds, to almost all of your meals.
• Lastly, chutneys are everyone’s favorite, and you can make a ground peanut chutney or a flaxseed podi.

Try to consume protein through whole foods, and if there is still some deficiency, you can buy protein supplements. Remember, protein powders are not a substitute for whole foods and are just an addition to your diet. If you are looking for the best protein powder for men & women, you can go to www.hyperfreaknutrition.com to check our range of products. Our true whey protein and mass juice protein have excellent results for weight management. Consume protein by following these tips and have healthy and delicious meals that are good for your body and health.