Five protein foods to add to meals

It often happens to us that we are in a hurry or with little time and we need to solve both lunch and dinner without neglecting nutritional quality. Therefore, today we are going to talk about proteins, which are those foods that give us satiety, because it is difficult to digest them, so they are longer in the stomach. Let's put together some menus to make them complete and nutritious

1 - Carne Magra

This is a classic option but no less tempting, you can buy directly a cut of lean meat or take out visible fat, which is saturated fat and not good for health, before cooking it. In addition to proteins, this dish will provide you with iron, vitamins, especially the B complex, and several minerals that are essential to take care of our health.

When we talk about meat consumption, we talk about its nutritional factors, the energies and proteins it provides to the body. All this helps maintain muscle mass and the production of enzymes and hormones. It helps the central nervous system, defenses, provides iron, zinc, and B vitamins, important for defenses. Meat proteins help protect the skin, prevent anemia and promote brain development.

2 - Pescado

It is a food that is not consumed as much in Argentina, due to lack of habit. In addition to excellent quality proteins, it provides us with Omega 3 fatty acids that are essential for the health of the heart and arteries among many other benefits. If you're not used to eating fish, start gradually. For example, I included a can of natural tuna in the salad, it is important that you remove all the liquid that comes in the can because it usually contains high levels of sodium.

One of the most complete fish is salmon, a healthy fatty fish full of vitamin D and is a source of Omega-3, which helps regulate and strengthen immunity, and can help prevent respiratory tract infections. So important is salmon intake that, recently, scientists at the University of Guelph in Canada found that a low level of Omega-3 acids, found in fatty fish such as salmon and mackerel, could reduce life expectancy by 5 years

3 - Huevo

By adding at least one egg to any dish, you get the best quality of protein that a food can provide you with. It has complete proteins. It is a low-caloric food, it has only 75 calories and that is why it is widely used in diets to lose weight because it gives a lot of satiety.

Remember that it is a myth that eggs increase blood cholesterol. It used to be said that, but over time it was scientifically proven that the egg does not intervene in blood cholesterol.

One thing to keep in mind is that most cholesterol-rich foods are also usually high in saturated fats (cold cuts, meats, sausages, cream, butter and non-fat dairy products), but eggs are not.

4 - Legumbres

If you are a vegetarian and vegan, it is essential that you include legumes in your eating plan because they are microcapsules of nutrients and provide us with a large amount of fiber. They provide a type of protein that if, in addition, you combine them with a cereal, for example a dish of lentils with rice, you will generate a type of protein similar to that of meat, a complete protein.

However, when we talk about legumes, we usually remember only lentils, but there is a great variety behind them. There are chickpeas, beans (black, white, red), beans, dried peas, soybeans. In addition to this, each type of legume has varieties in itself with different shades and flavors.

Legumes have a long shelf life, so they can be stored for long periods of time without losing their nutritional value, always keeping them in dry and cool places.

5 - Frutos Secos

It is a vegetable protein that provides us with a lot of energy, good quality fatty acids and protectors of both the heart and the arteries. They are also very versatile and you can include them in sweet or savory preparations. And don't forget that the recommended portion of nuts is what goes into the hole of a closed hand.

Recent studies have shown that eating half a cup of nuts a day, the best ally for lowering cholesterol. Consuming these nuts can reduce cholesterol levels up to 8.5% and be beneficial against cardiovascular disease.

*Romina Pereiro holds a degree in nutrition (MN 7722)

Director: Alejandro Beltrame and Gastón Taylor//Edition: Rocío Klipphan//Production: Macarena Sánchez

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