Proteins, along with fats and carbohydrates, make up the human nutritional base. All organic substances that come in the form of food into the body carry a certain function.
Foods, where there are a lot of proteins, are very important for growth and strengthening, since they are the building material for tissues and cells. How to build your diet so that the body does not lack them? What
foods are rich in protein? Consider this article.
Importance
In Greek, the word “protein” sounds like “protein.” If we consider the literal translation, it turns out that this word means "one that comes first." At least on the basis of this, conclusions can be drawn.
Great is the need of the human body for food, where there are a lot of proteins. In products of this kind the need is no less than in the air, and this is not an exaggeration.
So, the main functions of proteins in the human body:
- Active participation in the regeneration processes. Protein provides the basis for normal cell division.
- Active participation in the metabolism. As a result, a tremendous effect on the nervous system.
The consequences of protein deficiency
If in childhood and youth a person does not constantly receive his necessary minimum protein, then this leads to irreversible consequences, among which:
- slow growth, in critical cases its full stop is possible;
- hormonal imbalance;
- dystrophy;
- low immunity;
- problems with memory, ability to perceive information;
- low level of performance.
According to this information, a person who ignores foods where there is a lot of protein runs the risk of becoming a “vegetable” over time, depriving himself of the opportunity to lead a full life.
Protein composition
These substances of organic origin are composed of amino acids, which are divided into two categories:
- Interchangeable. There are significantly more of them - 80% of the total. The body of a healthy person produces this type of amino acids independently, without attracting “external” sources.
- Irreplaceable. More meager indicators - 20%. Here the body is powerless - it can get these amino acids only from food products, where there is a lot of protein (table below).
Food
The most important in the formation of a complete human diet are proteins that are of animal origin. They contain a large number of amino acids that cannot be replaced. They are also most fully absorbed by the body.
In addition, you can find herbal products, where there are a lot of proteins.
More details in the tables below.
Foods rich in animal proteins:
| Products, 100 g | Protein, g |
| Beef | 25 |
| Meat semi-finished products (sausages, etc.) | 18 |
| Chicken fillet | 31 |
| Turkey fillet | 24 |
| Veal | 29th |
| Pork | 37 |
| Rabbit | 24.8 |
| Pollock | 18 |
| Perch | 21 |
| Cod | 18 |
| Medium Fat Milk | 3.2 |
| Sour cream medium fat | 2,5 |
| Butter | 0.5 |
| Egg | 17.1 |
Foods rich in protein of plant origin:
| Products, 100 g | Protein, g |
| Tofu Soy Cheese | 33 |
| Soybean | 48 |
| Lentils | 27 |
| Beans | 22 |
| Peas | 22 |
| Buckwheat grain | 12.8 |
| Oat flakes | fourteen |
| Semolina | 24 |
| Semolina | eleven |
| Cereal bread | nine |
Thus, we indicated the most popular foods where there is a lot of protein. The table of plant proteins, as you can see, even surpasses the "animal", but they are absorbed with less success.
Body needs
Each food product includes proteins, which differ in an individual set of amino acids. It is important to compose your menu so that everything you need is supplied in abundance. You also need to understand that the food on your table should include foods of animal origin, where there is more protein (beef, eggs, fish, and so on). The "meat" protein in the general ratio should be at least one third in relation to the "vegetable".
The needs of the body are calculated individually, based on such parameters as:
- height;
- weight;
- age;
- physical activity;
- mental activity.
There are many complex formulas on the network that can be used to calculate the exact protein requirement. But if you take in general, the following dependence is suitable, on the basis of which you will already choose foods that contain more proteins, based on your needs:
- child up to 1 year - 25 grams;
- from 1 year to 1.5 years - 47.8 grams;
- from 1.5 to 3 years - 53.1 grams;
- from 3 to 4 years - 62.9 grams;
- from 5 to 6 years - 72.1 grams;
- from 7 to 10 years - 79.8 grams;
- from 11 to 13 years old - 95.8 grams;
- teenager from 14 to 17 years old - 98 grams;
- women during the gestation period - 110 grams;
- women during lactation - 125 grams;
- sexually mature women - 97 grams;
- sexually mature men - 120 grams;
- sexually mature women engaged in heavy physical labor - 135 grams;
- sexually mature men engaged in heavy physical labor - 160 grams;
- men up to 70 years old - 82 grams;
- women under 70 years old - 69 grams;
- men after 70 years - 76 grams;
- women after 70 years - 66 grams.
Weight Loss Protein
It is difficult to overestimate its role when following a diet, since:
- Foods that contain more protein are not high in calories.
- Able to quickly and permanently saturate. A protein meal will saturate you for 4 hours, while a carbohydrate meal pulls a maximum of 1.5-2.
- It stimulates the metabolism, as it is digested for a long time, during which the body spends energy. In addition, it nourishes muscle tissue, which, in turn, intensively burns calories.
- Helps improve skin quality, improves and maintains elasticity.
- Resists aging by nourishing and giving cells building material.
At the same time, when compiling a daily menu, it is worth approaching wisely even those products that are rich in protein. For example, the same egg. Where does the egg have more protein? The answer is obvious. In this case, the yolk contains about 6 grams of fat. Therefore, even when preparing an omelet with vegetables for breakfast, “cut” it into 1 yolk and this will make the dish more dietary.
Protein-rich light meals
Of course, based on the tables above, it’s easy to see which foods are rich in protein. But how to combine them so that it is not only tasty, but also healthy? Let's give some recipes.
Spicy omelet in the oven with cottage cheese:
- chicken egg - 1 pc;
- egg whites - 2 pcs;
- fat-free paste-like cottage cheese - 100 grams;
- salt, pepper, spicy greens - to taste.
Preheat the oven to 180 o C.
Beat the egg, whites, spices, herbs and cottage cheese until smooth. At first, the curd will be cut off - continue to interfere. Pour the mass into a non-stick form and bake for 20 minutes or until the middle of the omelet stops shaking.
Thus, you got a dish where there are a lot of proteins - about 30 grams per serving, with a maximum of 170 calories.
Coconut pancakes:
- fat-free cottage cheese - 200 grams;
- chicken egg - 1 pc;
- rice flour - 30 grams;
- coconut flakes - 12 grams;
- a sweetener to taste (can be stevia);
- baking powder - a pinch.
Preheat the oven to 180 o C.
Blend half the coconut flakes with the rest of the food (where there are a lot of proteins, as you can see). Put the mass in the form of flattened balls on a baking sheet covered with baking paper, sprinkle with the remaining chips and bake until tender (about a third of an hour). You can serve.
Excess to the detriment
Despite the fact that proteins are an indispensable element of human nutrition, their excess can significantly harm. This is manifested everywhere under the influence of protein diets, so popular today , which cut down the amount of fats and carbohydrates in food consumed. Of course, such power systems have a lot of advantages in the eyes of followers - you can eat, not counting calories, be always full and at the same time lose weight. However, all this charm has a reverse side, whose name is ketosis. In other words, excessive zeal at the shelves of supermarkets is disastrous in the process of choosing food, where there are a lot of proteins. There are enough preservatives and additives in products of this kind that provide the necessary taste, minimizing the intake of carbohydrates with fats in the body. If this food becomes a way of life, then the constant breakdown of fats will lead to the release of acetone, which will poison the entire body. In severe cases, even death is possible.
Protecting yourself from this is very simple - just stick to the basics of a healthy diet and balance.