Protein is an essential part of our bodies, sustaining our bone density and maintaining muscle mass. It is very important to keep healthy high protein snacks at hand, as protein deficiency can lead to depletion of your existing muscles. By burning up the existing muscles, your body will weaken, and you will get tired very easily. Therefore, it is vital to keep high protein snacks at hand.
Getting high protein snacks to fuel your body is not as difficult as some people might think. You don’t necessarily have to take protein supplements or protein powders to get your protein nutrition. Many natural sources provide you with all the proteins that you need.
All of these high protein sources are already part of some people’s diets. But to get an additional protein kick for the body, it is always better to have high protein snacks over unhealthy alternatives. High protein snacks need not be protein bars or snack bars; they are food items that are easily available to you.
It is time to lead a healthier life by choosing to snack on these high protein snacks:
1. Trail Mix As a High Protein Snack
2. Yoghurt As A High Protein Snack
3. Roasted Chickpeas As A High Protein Snack
4. Cottage Cheese As A High Protein Snack
5. High Protein Snacks: FAQs
Trail Mix As a High Protein Snack
Trail mix is a combination of dry fruits and nuts that sometimes has chocolate and grains as well. It is very easy to make at home and would require only a few minutes of preparation. It is a much healthier version of the regular namkeen, and is a great replacement for your tea time snack. For every 56 grams of trail mix you eat, your body is provided with 8 grams of proteins. This is an ideal high protein snack option for vegans and vegetarians. You can power-pack your trail mix by choosing to use nuts that are known for their high content of protein.
Here is a simple sample recipe to put a high protein trail mix together: Take nuts (about 10 almonds, 10 peanuts, 10 cashew nuts) and seeds (consider a tablespoon each of pumpkin seeds and of sunflower seeds) together in a large mixing bowl. Enliven the mix with dried cranberries (about a tablespoon) and dried coconut slivers (also about a tablespoon).
Combine well. If you like, you can also add a tablespoon of dark chocolate chips. Adapt this mix as per your requirements; avoid salted nuts if you have high blood pressure, and be judicious in your consumption if you are trying to lose weight. Keeping the nuts whole means that you can pick from your portion a nut at a time, which also leads to better satiety.
TIP: Use high protein nuts such as almonds and pistachios in your trail mix.
Yoghurt As A High Protein Snack
Yoghurt has always been known as a healthy food staple in every Indian household. Yet, very rarely do Indians treat yoghurt as a snack; it is usually an additional meal side or dessert. It is time to change your perspective. Greek yoghurt, which is essentially hung yoghurt, is an ideal healthy snack to have, with 20 grams of protein in a 224 gram serving. This is also a good snack option for vegetarians.
The great thing about Greek-style yoghurt is that it can be adapted to make a wide variety of interesting high protein snacks. One of these is a yoghurt parfait.
Preparing a yoghurt parfait is very easy: combine one cup of yoghurt with granola and mixed berries in layers. Granola provides an additional 4 grams of protein in your parfait per 28 grams.
Don’t have the time and inclination to go into the layering that a yoghurt parfait calls for? Combine your yoghurt with the high protein nuts that we discussed in the earlier point, or, better still, just add a serving of trail mix to your yoghurt. This has the added advantage of giving you textural differences in your high protein snack.
TIP: In addition to being a great source of protein, Greek yoghurt is high in calcium, which is important for bone health.
Roasted Chickpeas As A High Protein Snack
Chickpeas have an excellent nutrient profile in comparison to other legumes. Also known as garbanzo beans, chickpeas are one of the recommended sources of proteins for vegans, as they cannot get their proteins from meats and animal byproducts. Every 82 grams of chickpeas has 7.5 grams of protein, making chickpeas an excellent high protein source.
Roasted chickpeas work great as easy munchables, a snack that you can eat as you walk along; this portability means you have no excuse to not carry a healthy snack along with you.
By roasting the chickpeas, you add a crisp texture and smoky flavour to your chickpeas, making them yummy and healthy!
To make interesting roasted chickpeas, bake about 500 grams cooked, drained and dried chickpeas on a greased baking sheet in a preheated oven (400 degrees F) for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, and drizzle with half teaspoon to one teaspoon olive oil to coat. Mix together half teaspoon cumin powder, half teaspoon chilli powder, half teaspoon garlic powder, half teaspoon sea salt and quarter teaspoons each of onion powder, coriander powder and pepper powder in a small mixing bowl.
Sprinkle the spices over the roasted chickpeas, stir gently on the tray to coat, and return to the oven to roast for another 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and stir, then return to the oven, and bake for another five to 10 minutes, until the chickpeas get crisp. Allow the chickpeas to cool in the oven; they will also crisp up as they cool.
TIP: The fibre and nutrients in chickpeas might help reduce the risk of several conditions such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers.
Cottage Cheese As A High Protein Snack
Cottage cheese, or paneer as we know it, is popular in Indian households for it's silky texture and versatile nature. It is also wonderfully high in protein. This is one high protein snack that almost everyone enjoys feasting on.
You can bake your paneer or snack on it raw, sprinkling it with salt and chaat masala, to satiate your evening hunger pangs.
Paneer is a very good source for protein; 113 grams of cottage cheese contains 14 grams of protein.
TIP: Cottage cheese is also a good source of calcium, phosphorus and vitamin B12.
High Protein Snacks: FAQs
Image: loufre/ pixabay
Q. How Much Protein Should I Include In My Daily Diet?
Image: shutterstock
A. Each and every person’s body is different, and so is their desired protein intake. Additionally, protein intake completely depends on the lifestyle one leads. The general recommended amount of protein is roughly 1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight. If you are not eating enough protein, the deficiency will start reflecting in your body. You will feel fatigued without having exhausted yourself, and you will end up burning your existing muscles, making you weak.
Q. Do We All Need Protein Powder?
A. Not necessarily. You can get all the proteins required by your body through natural sources such as eggs, chicken, beans, nuts, cottage cheese, etc. The average individual does not need to consume additional supplements if they ensure they receive enough protein through their diet. Athletes and bodybuilders consume protein powder on a daily basis because they need to build and maintain body mass at a quicker pace than the rest of us.
Q. How Often Should One Snack In A Day?
A. Nutritionists usually recommend eating three balanced meals a day along with one to three snacks in between meals. The meals and the snacks also depend on each individual’s calorie consumption that will differ with height, weight, gender, and lifestyle.Also see: 3 Exciting Recipes with Paneer
#EatHealthy: High Protein Snacks To Keep at Hand - Femina
Read More
No comments:
Post a Comment