Protein is the most abundant constituent in the human body besides water. It is largely responsible for the structure of body cells and is essential for growth and development. Amongst other functions, it makes up the structure of your hair, nails, muscles, tendons and ligaments, and is required for hormonal and enzymatic function.

Daily protein can be obtained from:

Animal sources – such as meat, poultry, seafood, eggs and dairy foods, these are complete proteins, providing all the essential and non-essential amino acids your body needs.

Vegetarian sources – such as whole grains and legumes (great sources include chickpeas, lentils, quinoa, pepitas, chia seeds, soya beans, amaranth and even spirulina), generally these make up around a third of our daily protein intake. Unlike animal proteins, they provide both fibre and phytoestrogens.

On the downside, vegetable proteins are incomplete proteins – they don’t contain the full spectrum of amino acids. As a consequence, you need to consume a variety of plant-based proteins throughout the day in order to ensure all the amino acids are present in your diet and your body can make the best use of the protein you consume.

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