Protein

7 Surprising Sources Of Protein You Must Be Missing

  • March 11, 2022
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Sit back and think once, what all protein sources you can think of? Eggs, meat, fish, probably milk too. Well, are these the only high protein foods available in the market? Not really! Let us introduce you to some of the best sources of protein that you may or may not be eating already, perhaps start making change in your diet now. 

Protein is a known critical nutrient for our human body. On average, an adult male should consume 56gms, adult female 46gms a day. If a woman is breastfeeding, her intake should be increased to 71gms a day. 

Alternatively, you can check your own protein requirement by yourself. A person should eat 0.8kg of protein of their body weight. For instance, if you are 66kgs, you must eat 53 grams of protein every day. It balances your daily protein requirement and does not increase body fats, as most protein-rich foods contain a lot of calories.

Therefore, we need a proper protein diet in our lives. However, some of us must be vegan, some do not eat non-veg, and some of us could be lactose-intolerant. 

Thus, we have got some great protein-rich foods to satisfy each one of your preferences.

Surprising Sources Of Protein

Take out your pen & paper and let the food introduction show begin. 

1) Peas

Remember when your mom used to give you those oily peas to eat? The major reason was the quantity of protein it has. 1 cup serving of peas provides about 8g of protein. Not only this. Peas are rich in fibre, vitamin C and K.  

Of course, you can not eat those oily peas every day. To have healthy eating with peas, add them to your salads, kinds of pasta, and frittatas. 

Peas

2) Soybeans

If you do not prefer eating meat or non-vegetarian foods, this could be the best alternative for you. Soybeans are as rich in proteins as meat. Additionally, it contains all essential nine amino acids. 

The best part is, you can have them in any way; raw soybeans or in the foods produced by them. The amount of protein provided will be almost equal.

170gTofu (made of soybeans) contains 20.4g of protein and 100g of tempeh provides 23.2g of protein. 

3) Cereals

Cereal made foods are quick, healthy and filling snacks. Let’s take wholegrain biscuits (3.63g of proteins), oats (5g of proteins), soba noodles (5.8g). 

So, if you plan to eat biscuits, oats and milk for breakfast in the morning, you can have approx. 12g of protein in the first meal of your day itself. 

Moreover, foods like oats are good for your heart health and lower your blood sugar levels. 

Cereals

4) Pistachio

Felt happy to have your favourite pistachio in the list of rich protein foods? Well, we told you beforehand, we are going to share surprising sources of proteins. 

30 grams of pistachio (handful) contains 6g of protein. You can eat them anytime for breakfast, after lunch or as an early evening snack. They will not harm you anyway. 

On top of that, pistachios are a great source of zinc too. So if you are low on zinc, they could be your go-to’s. Do not overeat them if you have fructan intolerance. 

5) Amaranth

Congratulations! We have got some gluten-free foods too, that are rich in protein. The ancient pseudo-grain seed, amaranth. It is the standard of the ancient Anzet diet. Also, getting popular due to its high protein content. 

You can use it as crunchy toppings and salads. It can be cooked with porridge and could be ground into flour as well. 

Its single serving (246 grams) contains 9.3 grams of protein. Also, it has 105% of manganese’s regular dietary intake. Therefore, it could be one of the easily accessible sources of proteins. 

Amaranth

6) Potatoes

A food which is extremely famous due to its high carbs content is eventually rich in proteins too. A medium-sized potato can give you 4g of protein. Being a ground food, it is a good source of potassium as well. If you want to get additional potato nutrients like fibres and B group vitamins, try them baked along with the skin.

Do not forget the carbohydrates present in the potatoes. Therefore, eat them in less amounts. No matter whether they are baked or fried, they are still rich in carbohydrates. 

7) Nuts Butter

Essentially people prefer peanut butter, but all kinds of nut butter are a good source of protein. 100grams of peanut butter has 25 grams of protein, whereas almond butter consists of 21grams of protein in the respective quantity.

Moreover, these butter do not contribute to bad cholesterol therefore their consumption is healthy. But if you have had kidney stones, then avoid almonds and their butter as they are high in oxalates. 

Nuts Butter

The Bottom Line

An essential nutrient protein is often misinterpreted to have a presence in milk, meat or eggs only. Thus, many people who do not prefer these foods usually lack their protein intake. If you are one of them, you must read this blog to know those surprising sources of protein to improve your regular diet. Also, the measurements given in the blog are on a general basis. It may differ according to the product processing or manufacturing. Check the packet label to get the information about the exact protein content in the particular product.