A lot of news reports and critical analysis of the COVID-19 pandemic have revealed that there is an anticipated radical shift in food consumption patterns especially among the non-vegetarians. Additionally, the steep increase in plant-based protein alternatives is due to fear in the minds of the consumer for non-veg intake and closing down on gyms for health-conscious consumers.
Often meat alternatives are conjugated with vegans and people who are against the consumption of meat. But, that’s not the case. Mind you! Meat alternatives are for people from each camp. It can be consumed even by individuals who aim at reducing their non-veg intake.
If you are like most people, you’ll think that the best place to get protein is in meat and other animal products. That’s the question every vegetarian/vegan gets.. “but from where does one get the protein?”
Plant-Based protein alternatives are the ultimate solution for protein sources. So, where does the protein come from? What foods contain it?
Here are some excellent plant-based protein alternatives:
Hemp Seeds
Hemp seeds contain 10 grams of protein per 2 tablespoons, and this comes with plenty of healthy fat to help the protein absorbed.
Lentils
One cup of cooked lentils contains 18 grams of protein, which can already be enough for an entire meal!
Quinoa
Per cup quinoa contains 8 grams of protein, which makes it perfect to add to your meals. It is also very versatile so you can find a place to pop it into nearly any meal.
Nuts
Some of my favorites are walnuts, almonds, pistachios, and cashews. One-fourth of a cup already contains about 8 grams of protein. They’re also rich in minerals, vitamins, and healthy fats. You can eat a handful as a snack or incorporate them into all sorts of dishes.
BENEFITS
Weight Loss
Many people chose to adopt a vegan diet for weight loss purposes. The reason why weight loss is so easy on the vegan diet is that vegan food is mostly plant-based, and is, therefore, naturally low in calories and fat.
Better Health
Do you have severe health problems that you wish to alleviate or reverse? Becoming a vegetarian (or adopting plant-based protein alternatives) is a great step to begin clearing up chronic health problems since omitting meat from one’s diet has been proven to prevent, treat or reverse heart disease, lower the risk of cancer, treat or prevent coronary artery disease, reduce the risk of death from cardiovascular disease, lower bad cholesterol in the body, and reduce or reverse other chronic ailments.
Feel More Energized & Concentrate Better
Eating too much meat in one’s diet has been known to cause feelings of sluggishness, low energy, and a lack of concentration. If you wish to improve your energy levels or increase your focus and concentration – omitting all forms of meat from your diet should assist you in these areas. However, to see a massive improvement, you should consider going vegan. Plant-based protein alternatives provide long-lasting energy; while meat and dairy products sit in your stomach for hours, taking a long time to digest, and will constantly leave you feeling tired, sluggish, and unable to concentrate.
The point, however, is that a plant-based diet is somewhat vague in actual definition and covers a wide range of different eating practices – there are no real hard fast rules besides the general inclusion of lots of plants and avoidance of meat.
FINAL VERDICT
Whether you eat meat or not, adding these plant-based protein alternatives into your meals is something you can do easily. Try experimenting with a few different options to boost your protein intake.
Watch this space to know more about Plant-based Meat Alternatives!
Add comment