Protein is an essential macronutrient that every person needs for good health and well-being. It is required for a variety of functions in the body. We need protein to build new muscle tissue, for healing as well as repair of wear and tear of tissues. Protein also plays a vital role in many biological processes within the body and is the building material for enzymes as well as many hormones. All adults require approximately 50 g of protein every day. People who are into fitness and exercise or are in certain health conditions may have a higher daily protein requirement. Shortfall in meeting this requirement on a daily basis even in small amounts can result in mild, moderate or even severe protein deficiency in some cases. This deficiency can lead to many health issues. Not only that, recent studies suggest that Protein Hunger may be one of the reasons why people tend to overeat.
Our nutrition transition from traditional diets to modern fast foods have led to hidden hunger and especial area of concern is hidden protein hunger. Consumption of the processed and packaged foods which are rich in HFSS (high fat, salt and sugar) from refined forms of grains are leading to dilution in the daily protein intakes. This has led to an increase in their risk of being overweight, obese and an open invitation to chronic diseases.
To ensure that you have adequate protein daily, you must be aware of the food source of the protein you are consuming and its quality. Not all proteins are equal. There is a difference between animal and plant protein. While both have their pros and cons and are different in quality, it is ideal to have a balanced diet with a mix of protein from different sources to make sure that you have both excellent quality and adequate quantity of protein required to maintain good health.
As per the illustration above, one needs to identify the requirement, the various sources available and ensure that protein is well distributed in the meals.