Is your Indian Diet Lacking in Protein? Here’s How to Fix it

Protein is one of the most fundamental aspects of human health and is an absolutely vital macronutrient that the body can not survive without. Yet, despite this essential nutrient being abundant in most parts of the world, the Indian diet barely has enough to properly meet the required protein supplements on a regular basis. The Indian diet mainly consists of carbohydrates such as rice, roti, chapatai and bread with a mix of potatoes and other food items that have no traces of protein in them.

The amount of deficiency in protein that is present in Indian vegetarian households is quite alarming. Sources of abundant protein such as eggs, meat and fish are nowhere to be found in those specific diets, even though the very same households, they are very careful in what they eat in order to maintain both a healthy lifestyle and are very serious about how fit they appear.

This very mindset of not having at least some type of stable protein source has had very severe consequences later on in life. A body without sufficient protein in it has been known to receive a lot of occurrences of fatigue, extremely poor muscle growth as well as development that becomes stunted due to very irregular amounts of protein being consumed and absorbed in the body, lower levels of immunity, hair fall, that does not appear to stop and nails that are completely brittle. Urban India is very slowly opening up to the concepts of protein powder and other protein supplements that can enhance the growth of muscles exponentially, yet a majority of Indians have been shown to be quite clueless on how how their diets not having the necessary amounts of protein within their body can lead to the aforementioned complications and symptoms.

HOW MUCH PROTEIN DO YOU REALLY REQUIRE?

The best and most adequate way of preparing the amount of protein your body requires is to understand how much protein your body actually requires. The RDA or Recommended Daily Allowance of an individual who lives a relatively short and sedentary lifestyle would require around 0.8 to 0.1 grams of protein per kilogram of that individual's body weight. In which case, an individual who weighs around 60 kilograms should have at least 48 grams to 60 grams of pure protein to sufficiently operate the body's muscle growth and development. Keep in mind that this would be the bare minimum requirements of protein for an individual who rarely exercises and never has a consistent schedule for working out.

People who have been able to be very active and go to the gym consistently, women who are heavily pregnant and are able to breastfeed, or are currently recovering from a very serious illness through proper amounts of rest. There have been several medically-accurate studies that have stated that Indians have at most 30 to 35 grams of protein in their daily diets, which is not nearly enough to help their bodies operate on a daily basis.

There is also another issue that is plaguing the amount of quality of the protein. It has gotten significantly worse over the years, and whenever protein is present in the diet, it is either in a very small amount in the body or it is accompanied by an overwhelming amount of other nutrients in the diet. The necessity of animal-based proteins in the diet such as meats, different types of fish as well as eggs are very high in biological value and amino acids, both of which are essential for proper growth and nourishment for the body as a whole.

WHY DO INDIAN DIETS FALL SHORT IN PROTEIN?

An overview of a very standard and typical Indian diet would start with a breakfast consisting mostly of carbohydrates such as Poha, Chapati, Idli and Roti whereas the lunch and dinner would almost always consist of either roti or rice alongside some dal and sabzi. Dal being the only solid amount of protein being provided to the body, containing just 7-9 grams, will not be nearly enough to give the body's muscles the appropriate amount of growth and development. Indians are also able to consume foods that are filled with starch and fat dominant meals over meals that are actually beneficial to the body, such as side dishes that are filled to the brim with protein.

Almost every traditional vegetarian diet that is followed by Indians is most likely due to either their religion, traditions and even their own limitations that they are unable to buy protein-only food items due to discrepancies with the prices. Individuals who eat non-vegetarian foods are also facing a large issue with what they eat, as meat and fish are only provided to them occasionally, and are only given to them on the weekends and during dinner. If the diets are filled with carbohydrates with very few if at any type of protein-supplements in the diet have been known to lead to excessive fat gainage over a  very short period of time, very low amounts of muscle mass all throughout the body and even the metabolic health is at an all-time low. All of the signs can heighten the risks of potential life altering diseases and disorders such as Diabetes and many kinds of Heart conditions.

WHAT ARE THE BEST SOURCES OF VEGETARIAN PROTEIN SOURCES FOUND IN INDIA?

There are many vegetarians in India who are unsure on how to get the appropriate amount of protein within their body. Luckily, India has an entire array of vegetarian food that are full of essential proteins for their bodies to properly grow. The tricky part is to understand what specific food item to choose from and how much protein you would get from said vegetarian option. A lot of food products related to dairy are said to have plenty of protein. Dairy products such as paneer, curd, milk, and cheese are all filled with both casein and whey proteins, which are vital for building proper muscles across the body.

Popular legumes such as rajma, chana and even moong dal are full of plant based proteins. However, these should more often than not be provided alongside whole grains that will make sure to give the body the necessary amounts of amino acids inside the body's system. There are also some soy-based products such as tofu, soya chunks as well as soya milk. All of these options are able to give some of the most exquisite amounts of vegetarian protein sources available in the country. Millets and nuts are also gaining traction due to a decent amount of them containing protein. The best way to include this variety of natural vegetarian sources of protein in your daily diet is to simply spread out the amount of food items filled with protein in them, rather than having a majority of the protein in a single go.

HERE ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF VEGETARIAN PROTEIN SOURCES YOU CAN FIND IN THE LOCAL MARKET.

• 100 grams of paneer would usually have around 18 grams of protein.
• 1 cup of milk would equate to 8 grams of protein.
• 1 bowl of either boiled rajma or chana would be around 15 grams of protein.
• 50 grams of soya chunks would be around 25 grams of protein.
• 1 bowl of cooked moong dal or toor dal would be 8 grams of protein.
• 100 grams of tofu would usually contain 10 grams of protein.
• 30 grams of mixed nuts would roughly equate to 6 grams of protein.

HOW CAN YOU ADD MORE PROTEIN TO YOUR DIET?

There should not be a very large change in your current diet for you to receive the amount of protein that your body needs. The first thing that you can do is simply make sure that every major meal that you have during the day has a decent chunk of protein in them. It may be eaten, fish or even legumes and other vegetarian protein sources, but just ensure that it is there.

For breakfast, along with the addition of some carbohydrates such as bread, chapati and even poha, add a bit of sprouts, eggs and even a glass of milk to go alongside those carbs. Lunch and dinner are a bit more well-rounded, and require a bit more of an increase in both the portion sizes of dal or with the addition of a bowl of curd to help with equalising the amount of carbs present in these two major meals. For non-vegetarians, the addition of grilled chicken, fried fish and other healthy protein alternatives should be provided at least 3 or 4 times a week. One more important note to take into consideration is the selection of certain packaged goods, as most of the time, many "healthy snacks" are extremely high in both carbs and artificial sweeteners and sugar and contain very little, if any protein.

WHAT ARE SOME SIMPLE WAYS OF ADDING PROTEIN IN YOUR DIET?

• Always try to have a boiled egg or some paneer cubes along with your breakfast.
• Drink a glass or milk or soy milk to go with having snacks on the daily.
• Consume a bowl of nuts or sprouts a day.
• Instead of wheat, try putting some besan powder or soya flour in your rotis and chapatis.
• Make sure to always opt for greek yogurt instead of normal curd, as it has plenty more protein in them.
• Have some roasted nuts or peanuts daily in between meals.
• Choosing the option of dal rice or even rajma chawal over simple plain rice.

ARE PROTEIN SUPPLEMENTS REQUIRED IN URBAN INDIA?

A majority of urban Indians are actively seeking out the gym as a means of gaining muscle mass, and most of them are trying to use a variety of different supplements such as a variety of different gym powders and protein shakes that are supposed to give the body an ample boost in both energy as well as protein absorption. This is further proven by various influencers, celebrities and companies that are all focused with the business of the gym promoting the consumption of such amenities.

The answer to whether you actually require them will fall under the category of your current lifestyle, how much you are consuming on a daily basis, and what sort of health goals you may be having. If you are already reaching your daily protein supplements through what you are naturally consuming, then there is no need for taking any additional protein supplements. The ones that do require some additional protein supplements are the vegetarians, professional athletes, as well as individuals who are required to have much more supplements in their body, not just protein.

The most common source of protein supplements for gym going members is the addition of Whey Protein, a gym powder that is added with milk to give an extra boost of protein throughout the body as well as energy. There are also some plant based options that can be found from peas, soy chunks and even rice that are only meant for vegetarians. It is always wise to remember that these supplements should not be treated as replacements to food, and are simply meant to be utilized very rarely.

WHEN ARE THE SUPPLEMENTS REQUIRED TO BE TAKEN?

• Whenever you are at the gym do some very intense training and weight lifting.
• You have a very busy lifestyle and rarely have any time to actually spare and cook a protein rich meal.
• Geriatric individuals who have a lot of trouble chewing solid food.
• Vegetarians who struggle to actually keep up with their daily required amount of protein through their meals.
• Anyone who is recovering from intense bouts of sickness, a surgery, and even specific weight loss plans that were too much to comprehend.

CONCLUSION

Protein has been a part of the human diet for millennia. It is always going to be a pivotal part of the appropriate diet choice for everyone, and that includes children who require protein for their body to develop at a natural pace, an adult who has a daily job that requires them to leave for the office, a homemaker that primarily stays indoors for a majority of the day and even elderly citizens who have very weak bodies.

It has been able to provide a very important role for the growth and development of the body, helping it maintain its muscle mass as well as balancing and maintaining both hormone levels as well as immunity levels. Many Indian diets unfortunately do not have the appropriate amount of proteins within their diets, but luckily, there are many natural and even vegetarian ways to counteract the symptoms that arise from receiving very little amounts of protein.

Through constant and thorough changes in the diet as well as teaching those who are unable to get the right amount of protein in their systems, the cases where individuals who are severely lacking any proteins in their bodies will slowly but surely be diminished.

Medical Disclaimer – The information that has been written is only to be used for educational purposes. There has been no information presented by this website, be it tests, images and graphics, which should be taken as professional medical advice. Always consult with your doctor regarding any medical advice that may relate to your condition.