Protein

When constructing a meal plan it is imperative to include protien in your diet. Proteins are a vital part of every tissue, cell and organ in your body.You need protein from your diet to maintain your muscles, keep your immune system functioning and allow your body's vital reactions to occur. Proteins provide aminio acids. If you are deficient in one or more essential amino acid, your body will not be able to make the proteins necessary for muscles and other body tissues.

There are two types of proteins you can consume, complete and incomplete proteins. Complete proteins contain all the 9 essential amino acids required by the human body: phenylalanine, valine, threonine, tryptophan, isoleucine, methionine, leucine, lysine. These 9 essential amino acids can not be synthesized by the human body so they must be provided by our diet.

Complete proteins often come from animal sources but can also be found in some plant sources. Incomplete proteins come from non animal products or plant sources. Choosing healthy protein choices and not over-eating protein is important for many reasons, including the decreased consumption of saturated fat and cholesterol. Plant proteins do not contain cholesterol and can actually help lower your cholesterol levels while providing the proper amount of nutritents. They also contain little to no saturated fat.
Animal sources of complete proteins include meat, poultry, fish, eggs, milk and milk products. While these proteins are complete they can be high in cholesterol and saturated fat so it is important that you don't over consume them. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Mayo Clinic, you need about 50g  of protein in your daily diet. Most Americans consume about twice that amount. High animal protein in your diet increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and several types of cancer.

Plant sources of incomplete proteins include vegetables, legumes, tofu, nuts, seeds, grains and fruits. Although these sources are incomplete on their own combining them can provide you with a complete source of protein such as eating rice, beans and veggies in one meal. Eating this way can help you avoid and lower your cholesterol levels. Plant proteins also contain phytonutrients and other amazing healing properities which can prevent and reverse diseases often caused by animal proteins. Soybeans and quinoa are two complete plant sources that provide all 9 essential amino acids on their own.

There are other sources of protein such as hot dogs, and convenience foods such as cold-cuts, as well as bacon and other fried foods but they are especially high in saturated fats. Eating these foods can increase your levels of  LDL, or "bad," cholesterol. Avoid them if possible.

It is important to understand that eating whole clean foods is your best bet when trying to create a balanced meal plan. Buying protein bars, shakes and frozen meals may be convenient but it's not the best choice when trying to achieve a healthy and fit body. Processed foods might contain protein but they also contain high levels of sodium, sugars, artificial sweetners, oils and other harmful ingredients.

Protein shakes and bars can be an easy go to option when you are short of time but eating a small whole food snack is much better. Instead of a protein bar trying eating an apple (carb) and handful of nuts or tbsp of nut butter (protein/fat). You can also make your own homemade protein bars or cookies and prepackage them. Doing this helps control the ingredients that are going into your body. It can be as simple as mixing up some oats, applesauce or other fruit puree, protein powder, shredded veggies (zucchini, carrots..etc), baking soda, baking powder and vanilla. Bake mixture in a 9x13 cassarole dish in a 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes.

Let's wrap it up!

Including a protein source in every meal of your day is an easy way to make sure you are eating enough protein to keep your body functioning properly. Be careful about overconsuming animal protein. Try incorporating 2-3 plant based proteins sources per day. This not only helps control your cholesterol and saturated fat levels but it also encourages fiber consumption and weight loss. Sounds like a win, win to me!

Here are a few plantbased meals you can include in your meal plan:

Brown rice tortilla
black beans
grilled or roasted veggies (zucchini, peppers, onions..etc)
lettuce
avocado
salsa

Whole wheat wrap
hummus
salad greens (mixed greens, cucumbers, tomato, broccoli slaw)
roasted red peppers
avocado

Brown rice
beans
veggies
salsa
avocado

Black bean patty
whole wheat bun
burger fixings (lettuce, tomato, pickles, onion..etc)
drizzle of ketchup
mustard
*TIP: Skip the bun and place patty over a salad and enjoy with some baked sweet potato fries.


Extra Firm Tofu (rinsed, drained and cubed)
Stir fry veggies
Tamari (wheat free soy sauce)
brown rice or quinoa

<<Baked sweet potato
black beans
salsa
nutritional yeast cheezy sauce

Enjoy any of these meals with a large green salad with light dressing (balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, apple cidar vinegar, fresh lemon juice..etc.) or a huge helping of steamed veggies (non starch veggies) seasoned with Mrs. Dash.