By Ashton Johnson, B.S. Public Health – Fitness and Wellness | Personal Trainers Near St Louis Park MN
Despite being the building block of muscle growth, protein is a critical component in providing the body with energy, and helps your body carry oxygen throughout your body. Protein is commonly found in foods like milk, cheese, poultry, red meat and eggs, but is it possible to get enough protein without these foods? Absolutely! Most Americans are consuming twice the recommended amount of protein each day. Excluding protein dense foods such as meat and dairy products, should not interfere with adequate protein consumption. Personal Trainers Near St Louis Park MN
A popular reason for choosing plant based protein is heart health. Studies done on the effects of plant based diets and heart health found that those who consumed less red or processed meats were at a much lower risk for developing chronic diseases including heart disease, and rheumatoid arthritis. Another common reason to cut back on animal proteins is to protect the environment. Studies show that animal agriculture is responsible for a massive amount of carbon emissions released each year – some studies even suggest it contributes more to environmental damage than transportation as a whole!
Finding these plant proteins is also much easier than you think, and doesn’t require a life changing alteration to your diet. A cup of peas has a little more protein than a cup of milk. Instead of eating a full chicken breast, start with eating half, and pairing it with a side of lentils, or peas. This way you are getting the same amount of protein, if not more, without any major diet changes needed.
If including plant protein is something you are interested in, please use the resources below to learn more!
- https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/326176
- https://gamechangersmovie.com/
- https://www.pcrm.org/news/health-nutrition/replacing-red-meat-plant-based-proteins-reduces-risk-heart-disease