Protein is an essential building block of any healthy diet. Ensuring you’re eating enough of it, especially as you age, is extremely important when it comes to practically every area of your health; it plays a role in muscle building, tissue repair, digestion, hormone regulation, metabolism, and more. However, not all types of protein are created equally. You may have heard by now that red meat, for example, can take a toll on your health when eaten in excess. In general, opting for lean proteins is always your best option. In fact, there’s one type of protein that experts say you should be adding to your plate regularly to achieve your healthiest body and live your longest, happiest life: plant-based protein.
To learn more about the benefits of incorporating plant-based proteins into your daily diet over 40, we spoke to dietitian Dana Ellis Hunnes, author of Recipe for Survival. She told us all about how foods like beans, nuts, legumes, and more can nourish your body, fight inflammation, and even aid weight loss. Find all of her insight below!
Plant-based protein
When you think of protein, some of the first options that pop into your mind may be meats like chicken, fish, or turkey. However, Hunnes’s top recommendation for a healthy protein isn’t a meat at all. It’s plant-based options! “I always recommend plant-based proteins from beans, legumes, nuts, and seeds,” she says. Plant-based proteins have so much to offer and so little downsides. As Hunnes notes, they’re “known to be extremely healthy, high in fiber, high in micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) and more than sufficient in protein content.” What a win!
Additionally, it’s worth noting that your body may not need quite as much protein to thrive as you think it does. “We don't need nearly as much protein as the media says we do,” Hunnes tells us. “We only need 0.8-1.0 gram per kilogram in our 40s. So, a 140 pound woman only needs 51-64 grams of protein per day, which can easily be obtained from these foods.” That means you don’t need to go overboard with meat-heavy meals. In fact, swapping meat for plant-based options every now and then could make a huge difference in your overall health thanks to all the incredible benefits offered by beans, legumes, nuts, and seeds.
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As Hunnes tells us, many plant-based options offer anti-inflammatory benefits, “which is good for decreasing the risk of chronic disease (diabetes, heart disease, stroke, kidney disease.” Meanwhile, processed meats and options like red meat can actually worsen your risk of these diseases. Not only that, but plant-based proteins “tend to be lower in calories” than the alternative, which is a major upside if you’re trying to lose weight.
And we haven’t even touched on how delicious and versatile these foods are! Whether you’re packing beans into a grain bowl, topping your oatmeal with nuts, or swapping ground beef for legumes in your chili, there are so many ways to enjoy these nutrient-packed options.
Overall, there’s just about no reason you shouldn’t add plant-based proteins to your plate every day. As Hunnes says, “there is really nothing bad to be said about them (unless you're allergic!).”
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