Protein is a hot dietary topic at the moment. But do you really know WHY protein is so important in your diet, and where are the best places to get it?
Why is Protein Important in your diet?
Protein is made up of amino acids, when we eat protein our body breaks them down to make use of the amino acids to build, repair and maintain body tissues.
Whilst our body does make some amino acids itself, there are some that it does not and we have to obtain from food sources. Our body also cannot store protein like it can carbohydrates and fat, so it’s important to make sure you take in enough protein on a daily basis to provide your body with the amino acids it needs to keep us healthy.
Where Should I Get My Protein From?
The obvious sources of protein are animal based – meat and dairy – as they are what is referred to as complete proteins containing all the essential amino acids that our body can’t produce. If you don’t fancy loading up with meat, Tofu is also a complete protein.
Eating large amounts of red meat or processed meats to get your protein can be a bad idea, though, as it will also increase your intake of fat, salt and other things we don’t necessarily want. It’s more important to focus on keeping your diet varied and balanced than it is to focus too much on how much protein you consume.
Balancing your consumption of animal based protein with protein sources like beans, rice and grains will ensure that most people get plenty of protein in their diet to maintain their activity levels, lose weight and build muscle. Weetabix Protein contains wheat protein which is perfect to aid your consumption of non animal based protein.
To help you with a balanced diet and your protein intake Weetabix have offered a years supply of Weetabix Protein to one reader. That’s 30 boxes, enough for you to have 2 Weetabix for breakfast every day for a year!
Just follow the instructions on the rafflecopter widget below to be in with a chance of winning!
