Plant proteins come in many forms, whether in legumes, cereals, seeds, or powder, and they are essential for your body to function correctly. Today, more people are looking at other ways to consume and finding different approaches to maximising their health and well-being. That’s also why natural CBD products are now used to fight sleep disorders—find out more here.
So why should you eat more plant proteins?
Proteins play a number of roles in your body and are essential for it to function properly. They provide energy and help renew your body’s muscle, skin, and bone cells. Proteins also help assimilate the nutrients in your food and promote numerous physiological processes.
The different types of plant protein
When discussing plant proteins, we sometimes need help finding them, choosing the form, and combining them to obtain all the essential amino acids. There are, in fact, several types:
Foods that are natural sources of protein
Nature has a way of doing things: it’s full of protein-rich plants! Whether it’s soya, tofu, spirulina, lentils, or quinoa, plants help ensure protein intake while providing many other health benefits. They are a must to include in your daily diet!
Plant protein powder
Popular with muscle-building athletes, plant protein powders are mainly consumed diluted in water or plant milk before or after training to reduce muscle soreness and promote muscle development. They can also be incorporated into the diet as an alternative to meat, although other forms of plant protein are more suitable for this purpose.
Brands now offer many alternatives to animal proteins, such as pea, soya, rice, and hemp protein. These can be easily incorporated into recipes such as desserts or smoothie-type drinks, making them accessible and enjoyable to consume.
Textured plant proteins
Another type of vegetable protein is textured vegetable protein (TVP). Made from soya flour cooked under pressure, it is defatted and then processed into different forms suitable for all types of use and dried. To consume textured vegetable proteins, rehydrate them in water or add them to your recipes for hot dishes, such as in the slow cooker.
What foods are rich in plant proteins, and what is the best source?
Cereals, pulses, vegetables or even seeds… there are many sources of plant proteins, and it’s logical to ask which is the best:
Cereals
The first source of plant proteins is cereals! Of all the cereals available on the market, some are worth eating for their protein content. These include seitan from wheat or spelt protein, quinoa, and wholegrain wild rice. They can be combined with legumes such as lentils to obtain a complete synergy of essential amino acids.
Pulses, the benefits of these winning seeds
Other pulses, such as lentils (green, blond, or coral), beans (azuki, white, red, etc.), and peas (chickpeas, split peas, etc.), can also be regularly added to your menu to vary your protein sources.
Protein-rich vegetables
While vegetables are a great source of vitamins and minerals, some also contain protein! Examples include broccoli, kale, artichokes, and corn. Low-glycaemic index vegetables are preferred as a side dish, and they can be combined with cereals and pulses in the same meal to increase the consumption of plant proteins easily.
Plant-based drinks
Plant-based drinks made from almonds, rice, soya, or oats are becoming increasingly popular in organic shops. We advise you to choose them sugar-free and plain and to favour soya drinks for their plant protein content. Like traditional cow’s milk, soya milk can be consumed as is, in smoothies, in your morning coffee, porridge, and desserts.
You now have the option to switch to plant proteins, and you can also add some JustBob’s CBD oil to your salads and other dishes to enjoy CBD’s nutritional benefits, too!
