Vegetarian protein sources are great
It has been interesting to see over the past few years a move toward more plant foods in the American diet. This promotion has been from both a nutrition and an environmental angle. Nutrition researchers and dietitians have been encouraging more plant foods because of the multitude of protective nutrients that they contain, helping to fight off chronic disease such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer and Alzheimer's disease.
With a move to more plant foods and less animal protein, people do become concerned as to whether they are meeting their protein needs. Protein is required daily for maintenance and building of muscles and tissues, as well as those important antibodies that protect our health. Adults require between 50 and 70 grams of protein daily.
These are excellent plant foods that contain protein, and are easy additions to your menu planning. Here is a list of plant protein options and their protein content.
• Beans and peas, 1/2 cup cooked: 6-9 grams
• Lentils, 1/2 cup cooked: 12 grams
• Edamame, 1/2 cup: 9 grams
• Tofu, 3/5 ounces: 8 grams
• Tempeh, 3 ounces: 15 grams
• Grains such as oats, quinoa, barley, 1/2 cup cooked: 5-6 grams
• Nuts, 1/4 cup: 6-9 grams
• Seeds, 1 ounce: 7-10 grams
• Pea and soy milk, 1 cup: 7-8 grams
You might choose to have some lacto-ovo vegetarian meals. That means you would include dairy (lacto) products such as milk, yogurt and cheeses. You may want to keep eggs and egg whites (ovo) foods as protein sources in your diet.
Eating a healthy vegetarian diet also means including a wide variety of fruits, whole grains, vegetables and healthy oils to round out meals. It takes planning to have a nutritionally balanced vegetarian diet. But as you include more plant foods, they can replace the unhealthy foods in your diet. If you are munching on a fresh crisp apple, you aren’t eating a bag of chips!
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About the Author
Rita Smith is a Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator. She's been working in the field of nutrition and disease prevention for more than 35 years and currently works at Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital in Charlottesville, Va. Each week, Rita provides nutrition counseling to clients who have a variety of disorders or diseases including high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, celiac disease, irritable bowel syndrome, gastroparesis and weight management. For these clients, food choices can help them manage their health problems.