Protein and why everyone goes on about it

We all know that we need to have protein with each meal — and no the milk in that chocolate does not technically count (trust me, I have tried). Finding good sources of protein that are tasty and easily incorporated into meals can be difficult.

One way of adding more protein easily into your diet is with protein powders. This is a great option if you are already a smoothie fan or if you are time poor. However, some protein powders can be a bit hard to digest for some people. If you are finding that your regular protein powder does not love you (bloating, upset stomach etc), consider swapping to a plant-based protein such as rice or pea protein. Some people find these a bit easier on their systems.

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Protein, as we all know, makes you wake up and look like Arnie, smash down doors, lift cars and just win at life in general. Nah, seriously, it helps give you energy and helps rebuild, regenerate and grow your muscles, hair, skin, nails and also some pretty important organs like, I don’t know, your heart! Protein is literally the building blocks of our lives; every cell in us needs and contains protein. So, yep, it’s pretty important.

On that note, here are some protein-y ideas for you:

• Smoothies made with a base of coconut water and 1/4 cup nuts — this adds in good fats and protein from the nuts
• Baking with the inclusion of pea protein, eg a muesli slice with pea protein or adding it to cakes (because everyone loves cake)
• Pumpkin seeds (1/2 cup has 14g protein)
• 1 cup of edamame (soy) beans has 17g protein
• Hummus (chickpeas are high in protein). Yay for crackers and dip!
• Lentil and mince nachos (or either/or). Red meat is high in protein but so are lentils: one cup = 22g protein
• Chia seeds are high in protein also (17g per 100g), so that totally makes it acceptable to have chocolate chia pudding for breakfast…

Another great idea is to buy natural yoghurt then line a sieve or colander with a muslin cloth, place the yoghurt in and let it strain through for 2 days in the fridge. This effectively separates the curd and the whey. The curd can be used instead of cream or ice cream, if one was to make a chocolate self-saucing pudding, or you could mix in some fresh herbs and have it as a soft spread on sandwiche or crackers (serve on the deck with a lovely Pimms drink…).

The liquid that has drained through is the whey; in essence, whey is acidic, and this is why yoghurt has a tangy taste. This liquid can be frozen into smaller portions to use later or:

• Use 1-2 tbsp in your usual home-made mayonnaise recipe to help keep it longer and also help add more enzymes/nutrients into your mayo.
• Add it straight into your smoothie for more of a protein boost.
• Use it in place of water in your bread recipes, or in your baking.

Thought for the day: remember that everything you eat actually physically becomes a part of you. This is especially important in regard to protein. So try really hard to pick good-quality food to eat.

And, on those days that you just HAVE to have chocolate, go for the dark stuff and make it fair trade — that way you can argue it’s good for your soul as well. Double win.