Vegetarians do not get enough protein from their food.
OR
To build muscle, for lustrous hair and glowing skin, to consume protein powder is must.
What’s your view over consuming protein powder? Do you believe, vegetarians do not get enough protein from their food?
While I agree, it’s indeed tricky for vegetarians due to limited options and with decreased food quality, protein powder might be beneficial for the body but I also agree if we are taking any supplements, we need to clear our “why” first. We need to know their advantages and disadvantages to take a conscious call.
On that note, let’s discuss about tricky points related to protein powder first.
1) Hard on Digestion: Protein powders are difficult to digest. And if body is unable to digest it well, absorption of nutrient is not at the optimum level. In this scenario, one will not get maximum benefit out of consumption of protein powder. To increase absorption, citrus fruits like orange, kiwi, pineapple, mango etc should be consumed. Lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, green tea etc can also help to digest better.
2) Increased bloating, gas : Since it is difficult to digest, few people experience gas, excessive farting, bloating etc. To prevent this, instead of taking protein powder all at once, break it in parts and consume in small amounts more than once a day eg, if you wish to take one scoop, instead of taking all together take half in the morning and half in the evening.
3) Added ingredients: To enhance the taste and their shelf life, artificial flavours, preservatives, artificial sweeteners, thickeners etc. are added in commercial products and protein powder is not an exception. These all-added ingredients are not necessarily beneficial to body. One need to keep this in mind.
4) Side effects of excess protein: Anything good if taken in excess might harm in negative manner. Similarly, too much protein in the diet might damage bones health, liver and kidney. Excess protein could be probable reason behind kidney stones. To prevent this, always consume in moderation.
In my opinion, if more attention is paid to protein rich diet, it’s easier for body to absorb at the optimum level and side effects can be avoided as well.
Tips for vegetarians to increase protein consumption:
1) Include 2 bowls of lentils/ pulses, one portion of sprout salad and a cup of curd in your daily diet.
2) Consume paneer twice or thrice in a week. It is advisable to eat homemade paneer. The leftover water after making paneer is a rich source of protein as well. Instead of throwing it away, drink it up after adding a pinch of rock/black salt. Alternatively, it can be added in dals, curries etc. It can also be added in dough to make chapatis/parathas.
3) Peas contain high protein as compared to other vegetables. It is versatile and can be added easily in various dishes eg. pulav, pavbhaji, mixed vegetables etc. Increase your consumption by adding peas in maximum dishes.
4) Sattu flour is high in protein. It can be used to make a delicious drink or can be added in dough to make roti or paratha. In addition, cheese, homemade hummus, besan ladoo etc. can be consumed in moderation.
5) To satiate midafternoon hunger, eat a handful of sing-chana or dry fruits.
Non vegetarians can consume eggs, chicken, red meat and fish for their protein intake.
I would like to end this article by stating, it’s best to start eating protein-rich food in abundance instead of calculating how much protein you have consumed. You will probably see faster and better results.