80 % of Indians have a protein deficient diet. What are your staple sources of protein ?

[rangeelaraja]

I was reading news on an old survey that estimated that 80 % of Indians are protein deficient. Its 

 

It is not hard to believe this -- for vegetarians who are also lactose intolerant -- the Indian diets is very carb heavy.

 

What are your most staple sources of protein ? Do you consciously eat  1 protein heavy meal a day ?  

 

I am vegetarian and I rely on : A lot of yoghurt ( plain and greek ),  sprouts salad,  Orgain Vegan protein powder shakes,  Peanut butter,  Daal / boiled Rajma / Chole.

 

 

[Muloghonto]

Eggs, chicken, fish, pork, goat, beef. In that order. 

I eat a decent amount of beans and tofu based stuff as well. 

I eat this particularly disgusting Japanese breakfast regularly for breakfast coz it's very good for ur heart health and it's got fermented beans in it. 

 

If you are veggie, you are screwed for protein. Because outside of dairy there are very few sources of protein that are more than 10% protein by mass. I suggest looking more into tofu, seitan and other veggie friendly source of dense protein. 

 

Meat is where protein is at because meat is 70% protein by cut usually. Meaning u don't eat crap ton of carbs by default if u wanna get adequate protein in ur diet as veggie person. 

Edited February 25 by Muloghonto

[rangeelaraja]

3 minutes ago, Muloghonto said:

Eggs, chicken, fish, pork, goat, beef. In that order. 

I eat a decent amount of beans and tofu based stuff as well. 

I eat this particularly disgusting Japanese breakfast regularly for breakfast coz it's very good for ur heart health and it's got fermented beans in it. 

 

If you are veggie, you are screwed for protein. Because outside of dairy there are very few sources of protein that are more than 10% protein by mass. I suggest looking more into tofu, seitan and other veggie friendly source of dense protein. 

 

Meat is where protein is at because meat is 70% protein by cut usually. Meaning u don't eat crap ton of carbs by default if u wanna get adequate protein in ur diet as veggie person. 

 

Tofu is too bland for my liking and you cannot make it "tasty" like Paneer. I agree it is super healthy though.

 

Like I said Greek Yoghurt is my most protein dense natural source.   I also have Orgain for an addtional 30 gms.

 

https://orgain.com/collections/protein-powder?tw_source=google&tw_adid=727717393183&tw_campaign=22085914529&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiA8fW9BhC8ARIsACwHqYoO-vCTL3K8QEt5tRxSMNAmVKRj2lub-oq5bzSCPlpv_WvqkRVeBAEaAv_REALw_wcB

 

There are people like John Abraham,  Shahid Kapur....one more really ripped guy from Bollywood ( can't recollect his name...not a very successful actor ) ....who have all proclaimed to be 100 % vegetarian.

 

Even Kohli for the last 6-7 years by his own admission.

 

[singhvivek141]

36 minutes ago, rangeelaraja said:

I was reading news on an old survey that estimated that 80 % of Indians are protein deficient. Its 

 

It is not hard to believe this -- for vegetarians who are also lactose intolerant -- the Indian diets is very carb heavy.

 

What are your most staple sources of protein ? Do you consciously eat  1 protein heavy meal a day ?  

 

I am vegetarian and I rely on : A lot of yoghurt ( plain and greek ),  sprouts salad,  Orgain Vegan protein powder shakes,  Peanut butter,  Daal / boiled Rajma / Chole.

 

 

I'm not a vegetarian, but there are times in the year where I go on pure-veg diet for weeks/months.
My sources of protein during veg only diet are
1. Pulses
2. Paneer
3. Sprouts
4. Chickpeas

5. Buffalo Mile

6. Soaked Almonds
7. Mushrooms

[rangeelaraja]

17 minutes ago, Muloghonto said:

Eggs, chicken, fish, pork, goat, beef. In that order. 

I eat a decent amount of beans and tofu based stuff as well. 

I eat this particularly disgusting Japanese breakfast regularly for breakfast coz it's very good for ur heart health and it's got fermented beans in it. 

 

If you are veggie, you are screwed for protein. Because outside of dairy there are very few sources of protein that are more than 10% protein by mass. I suggest looking more into tofu, seitan and other veggie friendly source of dense protein. 

 

Meat is where protein is at because meat is 70% protein by cut usually. Meaning u don't eat crap ton of carbs by default if u wanna get adequate protein in ur diet as veggie person. 

 

 

I have tons of South Indian friends ( Tam Brahms).....who are the most protein deficient people I know.

 

Tons of white rice, every single day.

 

But they hardly look obese ( typical middle aged Indian physique, moderately protruding tummy...)....

 

I wonder what the consequences are....they remain super sharp till their 50s and even 60s and live 75+

[Vicks57]

Boiled eggs, Fish, Prawn, Chicken, Quail, Mutton.

 

Veg sources: Paneer, Chickpeas.

[Lone Wolf]

Not a regular gym freak but I try to follow some routine

Breakfast normally boiled eggs and overnight oats

 

Lunch is just whatever is up with rice try to add chicken , tofu, paneer, soy sauce.  Keeps you full all day.

 

Snacks mai apple peanut butter 

 

Whey protein 2 scoops a day that is must for me.. 

 

Dinner depends on mood.  Non veg on random days 

 

 

 

 

[Muloghonto]

5 minutes ago, rangeelaraja said:

 

 

I have tons of South Indian friends ( Tam Brahms).....who are the most protein deficient people I know.

 

Tons of white rice, every single day.

 

But they hardly look obese ( typical middle aged Indian physique, moderately protruding tummy...)....

 

I wonder what the consequences are....they remain super sharp till their 50s and even 60s and live 75+

 

South Indian diet and most Indian diets ( except north Indian restaurant diet of heavy cream Punjabi or heavy ghee mughali cuisines) are made for hard working farmer types. 

 

Those people need carbs in **** ton along with nutrients like vitamins, minerals, antioxidants etc.  And as such, all our breakfasts are geared towards a carb based instant energy boost breakfast. But problem is when u get energy boost and instead of working 4 hrs in field u sit ur ass down in bus car office sequence, u turn all this carbs energy back to fat, as that is what our bodies do. 

 

Whites have a much more protein heavy breakfast that they have adapted to since industrial revolution and proliferation of jobs where physical labour is low : you wanna eat a protein and fat heavy breakfast so that ur body takes time digesting it over the next several hours and u get steady energy and not energy boost of carbs. 

[Muloghonto]

25 minutes ago, rangeelaraja said:

 

Tofu is too bland for my liking and you cannot make it "tasty" like Paneer. I agree it is super healthy though.

 

Like I said Greek Yoghurt is my most protein dense natural source.   I also have Orgain for an addtional 30 gms.

 

https://orgain.com/collections/protein-powder?tw_source=google&tw_adid=727717393183&tw_campaign=22085914529&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiA8fW9BhC8ARIsACwHqYoO-vCTL3K8QEt5tRxSMNAmVKRj2lub-oq5bzSCPlpv_WvqkRVeBAEaAv_REALw_wcB

 

There are people like John Abraham,  Shahid Kapur....one more really ripped guy from Bollywood ( can't recollect his name...not a very successful actor ) ....who have all proclaimed to be 100 % vegetarian.

 

Even Kohli for the last 6-7 years by his own admission.

 

 

That is because we are doing tofu wrong. 

I lived in a Chinise heavy city for decades, what I found is that Indians won't generally speaking like the hard tofu that is trying to mimic meat strips in application, like stir fry or fried rice or its own dish like bbq pork. 

Because as u said it's bland. 

 

But where I do love tofu, is agedeshi tofu- a Japanese appetizer speciality where it's soft tofu deep fried to give it a perfectly crunchy exterior with jello like interior, served garnished with a soy sauce base and green onions. 

 

They are like Japanese pakoras to me, I can eat a dozen no problem and they are relatively healthy coz oil doesn't penetrative the interior of the tofu much. 

 

Another form of tofu I like is in Chinese hot pot soups, where it's the soft tofu added, often to add body or volume to the soup broth itself. 

 

I am sufficiently convinced u will find a way u like tofu if u youtubed various east asian ways of eating tofu instead of seeing white people or Indian socialite videos on tofu. 

[Gollum]

Daily protein intake goes like this:

 

Whey Protein 2 scoops, 4 hours gap between each scoop otherwise tough to digest

200-300ml dahi/milk (depending on mood, not both same day)

1 whole egg, 1 white part only

at least 100g paneer

rajma/channa/dal one small bowl equivalent

sprouts in morning salad

 

Can't fit in more than this because I have a 5-6 hours eating window, then fast. 

[Gollum]

Give equal importance to healthy fats. I have my avocado, fish oil, walnuts, seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, chia) daily, apart from the fats in my protein sources. Also little bit of ghee or butter, just one teaspoon. 

[randomGuy]

Dal mainly. Eat beans, rajma, lobhia, soyabean, chhole, peas etc.

 

I am avoiding milk products as well because I want to become vegan, so, probably use only 0.5 ltrs of milk in a week, mainly for chai. Avoiding paneer consciously, probably once in 45 days.

Edited February 25 by randomGuy

[Teengunalagaan]

I am not a vegetarian, so my primary sources are Chicken breast, Eggs, Skim Milk. I batch cook grilled Chicken, usually chicken breast, but sometimes some other parts like legs every week, and store in the fridge. Protein Powder, if I am going to the gym, which I haven't been for the past few months due to some other commitments.

 

As a vegetarian your focus should be on complete form of protein, not just protein. Some of things you can try is Tempeh, it a great source of complete protein, but it's an acquired taste so you will have to get used to it, You can try replacing wheat flour with Amaranth, aka Rajgira in Hindi, high in protein and rich in fiber. Quinoa is another good source, you can replace it sometimes with rice.

 

Remember carbs are not bad, you need both carbs and fats, but instead of using simple carbs, go for complex carbs, focus of low Glycemic Index foods.

[coffee_rules]

9 hours ago, Muloghonto said:

Eggs, chicken, fish, pork, goat, beef. In that order. 

I eat a decent amount of beans and tofu based stuff as well. 

I eat this particularly disgusting Japanese breakfast regularly for breakfast coz it's very good for ur heart health and it's got fermented beans in it. 

 

If you are veggie, you are screwed for protein. Because outside of dairy there are very few sources of protein that are more than 10% protein by mass. I suggest looking more into tofu, seitan and other veggie friendly source of dense protein. 

 

Meat is where protein is at because meat is 70% protein by cut usually. Meaning u don't eat crap ton of carbs by default if u wanna get adequate protein in ur diet as veggie person. 

Dharambhrasht

[coffee_rules]

Vegetarian (+ eggs( since 10 years.

 

 

I

Here are some vegetable sources of protein  , I eat

- Beans and legumes (lentils, black beans, fava beans, chickpeas, garbanzo beans, kidney beans, lima beans, soybeans)
- Nuts and seeds (peanuts, almonds, cashews,hazelnuts, pecans, pistachios, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds)
- Whole grains (oats, barley, quinoa, farro, millet, brown rice, whole wheat)
- Vegetables (peas, corn, asparagus, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, lima beans)
- Edamame (young soybeans)
- Tempeh and tofu (made of soy)
- Hemp seeds and hemp hearts
- Sunflower seeds
- Pumpkin seeds

 

Also for Amino acids:

 

Here are some vegetable sources of amino acids 

- Quinoa: It is a complete protein and a good source of fiber. It also contains all nine essential amino acids.
- Soybeans: They have thehighest content of essential amino acids among plant-based foods.
- Cashews: They are a good source of essential amino acids, with a serving size of226g.
- Tofu: It is made from soybeans and is an excellent plant-based 
- Pumpkin seeds: They are a good source of essential amino acids, with a serving size of 172g.
- Beans: They are a good source of essential amino acids, with a serving size of 173g.
- Peas: They are a good source of essential amino acids, 


- Hemp seeds: They are a complete protein and have only trace amounts of 
- Chia seeds: They can absorb liquid and form a gel-like substance

- Rice and beans: They are a classic pairing that’s a source of complete protein.
- Mushrooms: They contain a total of 17 amino acids, including all of the essential ones.
- Legumes: They are a great source of high-quality protein and are rich in the amino acid lysine.
 

Eggs  used to be  the cheapest source,  In US, there’s a shortage now. Saw a dozen eggs cost close to $10. Costco is not even selling as people are hoarding eggs in their second refrigerator in garage!! 

 

•  

Edited February 26 by coffee_rules

[cowboysfan]

i used to eat  pork almost every other day(tacos) in the US but i will be lucky to eat it  twice a month here .Protein sources-EGG,Curd,chicken,ragi Mudde,hitikida bele,dals etc.

[rangeelaraja]

Having read the responses so far … it’s odd that nobody else mentioned  Greek Yoghurt / Regular Yoghurt. 

I consider this a superfood, not only because of a relatively high protein content ( especially Greek yogurt ) ….. but because it is the probably the best  natural probiotic and does wonders for gut health. 

[AuxiliA]

I am a non vegetarian but eat meat only for taste(once or twice a week) and not for nutrition, even though I could afford it. Daily meat eating gets too hard on the stomach. Besides if you start eating nonveg every day then the fun isn't there. 

 

For daily needs I stick to Doodh, Dal & boiled Anda (DDA) and almonds. 

 

 

 

[Gollum]

18 minutes ago, rangeelaraja said:

Having read the responses so far … it’s odd that nobody else mentioned  Greek Yoghurt / Regular Yoghurt. 

I consider this a superfood, not only because of a relatively high protein content ( especially Greek yogurt ) ….. but because it is the probably the best  natural probiotic and does wonders for gut health. 

Yoghurt is our normal dahi only na? Or is there some extra bacterial strain added? I have dahi almost every day. 

[coffee_rules]

7 minutes ago, Gollum said:

Yoghurt is our normal dahi only na? Or is there some extra bacterial strain added? I have dahi almost every day. 

Both are fermented milk product, Curd/dahi is naturally fermented using curd or lemon juice. It is milder in taste and thinner with a natural sweet taste. Yoghurt is commercially fermented with bacterial cultures and factory controlled fermentation and with added flavors. Processed food basically

Edited February 26 by coffee_rules