Feb 2021 Nutrition Soundbites No.3: Essential Protein – Moving Away from Meat Consumption?

Many people are moving away from consumption of meat and eating more plant based food, this is great for increasing the amount of fibre and micronutrients in your gut and of course the environment. But its important not to skip and miss out on the essential macronutrient ‘protein’ when we being to eat more ‘healthily’. Ideally I like to eat 80% plant based protein and 20% oily fish and organic chicken, turkey or lamb. Its up to you whats you do but the key is to make sure you eat a sufficient and diverse range of plant based proteins daily: organic brown rice, chickpeas, lentils, beans, nuts and seeds. Diversity is the key in order to consume the range of amino acids that perform all the varying functions in the body. Protein is critically important for our immune system, hormone production, enzymes, blood transport, muscle and skin growth and repair, without decent protein we will get sick pretty quick.