Protein is a key part of a healthy diet, especially as we age. Protein helps maintain muscle mass, which can help keep your body strong. When it comes to protein, beef, chicken, and pork might come to mind. Protein can also come from plant foods, like beans and nuts. Protein is important for growth and repair in the body. While both animal and plant foods are good sources of protein, they have some key differences. Animal protein sources are complete proteins. Most plant protein sources are not. So, what does this mean?
Protein is made of amino acids. Our bodies are unable to make 9 of the amino acids, so we must get them from the foods we eat. These 9 amino acids are called essential amino acids.
These 9 amino acids are called essential amino acids. Complete proteins, like eggs, cheese, fish, chicken, and beef contain all 9 essential amino acids.
Eating a variety of both animal and plant protein foods is good for your diet and your budget. Try mixing up your protein routine with plant proteins. Just remember to pair them with other plant foods, like grains, legumes, and nuts.
It is not a matter of time as much as a matter of planning ahead so you can enjoy an unhurried dinner. If you have meats thawed and ingredients on hand, most things can be tossed together in about the same time as it takes to order and wait for the food at a restaurant. Slow cooking something in the oven or crock pot is a hand option for making tasty food with little food preparation time.
Setting SMART goals can help us make small changes to improve our health at any life stage. SMART goals are especially valuable because they provide a step-by-step plan to reach our goal. They provide us with a sense of direction, motivation, and clear focus for actions to take.
