Proteins are known as the building blocks of life: In the body, they break down into amino acids that promote cell growth and repair. They also take longer to digest than carbohydrates, helping you feel fuller for longer and on fewer calories, a plus for anyone trying to lose weight.Your Daily protein requirement is 1 gm per kg of your body weight. So if your weight is 60 kg you will require consuming 60 g of protein daily.
Biological Value of Protein (BV) is an index of protein that reflects the %of absorbed N2 from dietary protein actually retained by the body, measured under standard conditions. BV= N retained / N absorbed × 100. The greater the proportion of N retained the higher the BV or quality of the protein.
| Protein | BV |
| Whey | 104 |
| Eggs | 96 |
| Cow’s Milk | 90 |
| Fish | 80 |
| Rice & Tofu | 75 |
Cereals are low in a protein Lysine should be combined with legumes, which are low in methionine to obtain a good quality protein. Here are some good vegetarian sources.
- Milk and Milk Products: It is a Complete Protein. Also a rich source of calcium, Vitamin A and D.
| Food | Protein (grams) |
| Milk, Buffalo 1 cup, (250 ml) | 8 |
| cow milk ¾ cup, (150 ml) | 5 |
| Paneer 40 g (3 cubes of 1”) | 7 |
| Cheese 30 g 1 cube | 7 |
| Curd 200 g (1 cup) | 6 |
- Soy foods: Good quality protein. Also good source of calcium. ½ cup cooked soybeans give approx 88mg calcium. Processing it may reduce the amount of calcium.
| Food | Protein (grams) |
| Soybeans 1/2 cup, cooked | 14.3 |
| Tempeh 1/2 cup | 15.7 |
| Textured Soy Protein 1/2 cup, cooked |
11 |
| Soynuts 1/4 cup | 15 |
| Tofu 1/2 cup | 10 |
| Soy flour, defatted 1/4 cup | 12.8 |
| Soymilk, plain 1 cup | 6.6 |
- Pulses and Legumes: Also are good source of protein but partially lack one or more amino acid, so they are not complete protein. Eating them with combination of cereal or grains will make them complete. 30 g of medium thick dal , whole pulses (Usal), peas or beans (I bowl) provides approx 7 g protein.
- Nuts and seeds: Nuts like Almonds, pistachios, walnuts provides approx 5 to 6 g of protein per ounce. They are also healthy source of fat which can boost the absorption of fat soluble vitamins. Walnuts are good source of Omega 3 fatty acids which is good for heart. They are excellent source of minerals and vitamin E. Seeds like Pumpkin, watermelon, Chia provide 5 g of protein
- Quinoa: A very good source of protein for vegetarians. 1 cup provide 8 g. It is aslo a good source of Iron.
