Protein is an important nutrient in a balanced diet that serves many functions in the body.
Why protein is important
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Helps build and repair muscle, especially during exercise
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Keeping you full for longer which can help with weight loss
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Maintaining hormone functions
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Maintaining and repairing tissues
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Helps stabilise blood sugar
How much protein do you need
It’s recommended to have 1.6g protein per kg of body weight each day. For example, if you weigh 60kg, you would need 96g protein per day from your diet to meet the requirement.
Having around 20-30g in each meal is recommended to help optimise absorption and support appetite control. It can also help to choose high protein snacks to increase your intake such as yoghurt, protein bars and nuts.
Supplements such as protein powder and bars can also be helpful if you’re struggling to get enough protein in your diet from food sources and if you are more physically active.
Food sources high in protein
Animal sources
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Lean meats
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Fish
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Eggs
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Milk
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Cheese
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Yoghurt
Plant sources
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Tofu
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Nuts
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Plant based milks high in protein (soy and pea protein milk)
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Some plant based meats
High protein recipe: Ricotta pancakes
Serves: 1
Ingredients –
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125g light ricotta
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62ml milk
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1 egg
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50g wholemeal plain flour
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1/2 tsp baking powder
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pinch of salt
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1 Tbs maple syrup sugar-free
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30g banana, sliced
*For gluten free use gluten free flour
Method –
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Place the ricotta, milk and egg yolk (save the egg white for later) into a large bowl and mix well to combine. Add in the flour, baking powder and salt and gently whisk to make a smooth batter.
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Whisk the egg whites with a fork in a small bowl until they become foamy. Then fold them into the ricotta mixture.
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Heat a large fry pan and drop mixture into 5 pancakes. Cook the pancakes for ~1-2 mins or until slightly firmed and then flip them over and cook for another minute.
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Serve with banana and maple syrup. Enjoy!!
Calories: 442kcal; Protein: 25g: Carbohydrates: 48g; Fat: 14g; Fibre: 5g
