Proteins for the Vegetarians / The Wisdom of a Thali

It made headlines when some of our athletes changed-over to a non veg diet because a non veg diet is better to build muscles and improve stamina and meat is an important part of the diet set by many coaches. But reportedly, Virat Kohli, one of the fittest sportsperson of our times.

India has the maximum number of vegetarians in the world , and almost 4 out of 10 people in India are vegetarians. So can they or can they not get adequate protein from their vegetarian diets?

If properly planned veg diet can be nutritionally adequate and healthy.

Proper planning : Why and how?

A balanced vegetarian diet can provide all the essential nutrients your body needs when meals are planned thoughtfully. Since many vegetarian foods contain different amino acids in varying amounts, combining a variety of foods throughout the day helps create a more complete protein intake.

Read on and you will understand the wisdom of the Indian thali.

The main source of proteins for the vegetarians in India comes from cereals for example wheat, rice , bajra, jowar. it is represented by the roti, bhakri, rice.The proteins present in the cereals are not of good quality as they are deficient in the amino acid lysine.

Add some dal or pulses to the meal . They lack the sulphur containing amino acids which are present in cereals. But they contain lysine. Therefore the two complement each other well. By increasing the ratio of dal to cereal one can improve the quality of protein in our meal.

Add dairy products like yogurt or dahi, paneer and you are set on the right proteins path.