Experts recommend the ‘versatile’ food you can add to almost any meal to fight infections this cold and flu season
If you’re looking for an easy method to boost your protein intake, the health experts at ZOE have you covered. Issuing advice for people who follow a vegan diet, the health gurus recommended sources of protein anyone can add to their meals to ensure they’re enjoying a balanced diet.
While there are lots of delicious options to choose from, one standout food product sure to delight those looking for a convenient solution is tofu. As per ZOE’s guidance, reviewed by New Zealand-based dietician Michelle Jospe, PhD, tofu is a great source of protein, iron and calcium; it’s also really versatile, meaning it’s easy to add to a number of dishes.
Tofu can be beneficial when you’re dealing with a cold, as it offers nutrients that support your immune system and provide energy. It’s a great source of lean protein and is particularly high in zinc, which may help reduce the length of respiratory infections.
Additionally, being a fermented food, tofu is packed with probiotics that promote healthy gut bacteria, aiding your body in warding off illnesses. ZOE’s team explained: “Tofu is a soybean product. Making it involves boiling soy milk, separating out the bean curds, and pressing them into a block.
“A quarter block (122 g) contains 15g of protein. Tofu is also a good source of iron and calcium. There are different consistencies, ranging from silken, the softest, to super firm.”
If you’re unsure how to incorporate tofu into your favourite meals, there are plenty of tasty options. “Tofu is versatile — it can take on almost any flavour. You can add it to soups, sauces, stir-fries, and any other dish that could use a protein boost,” the team at ZOE explained.
Other vegan protein sources recommended by the experts at ZOE were edamame, lentils, beans, split peas, oats, whole wheat pasta, quinoa, hemp seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and peanut butter. Meat, eggs and fish are also good sources of protein for those who don’t follow a vegan diet.
Explaining the importance of protein in your diet, ZOE’s gurus detailed how protein provides energy, moves molecules around your body and makes essential molecules, including antibodies. Or as Berkshire Healthcare, an NHS Foundation Trust, puts it: “Protein is one of the major energy giving nutrients.
“Protein plays many vital roles in maintaining our health this includes maintaining muscle strength, wound healing, making new cells and repairing old. Protein also plays a vital role in making hormones and enzymes which carry out key functions.”
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If you’ve recently had surgery, you might even be advised to eat more protein than usual, such is its importance. Guy’s and St Thomas’, an NHS Foundation Trust, explains:
- protein is important for wound healing
- protein contains essential vitamins and minerals, including zinc and iron
- protein helps to make substances called antibodies that fight infection
“Healthy adults need about 1 gram (g) of protein for each kilogram (kg) of their body weight every day. For example, if you weigh 60kg, you should aim to have about 60g of protein every day,” the Trust says. However, if you’ve had surgery a dietician may recommend eating more protein to help make new cells, repair old cells, and keep your muscles strong.
