What are the Health Benefits of Protein?

• What does protein do? Why does my body need protein?
• What are examples of protein-rich foods?
• Plant-based protein
• Protein Supplements & Benefits

As should be done every day, eating a healthy diet regularly and building up your defenses from the inside should be a must during this coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic. Good nutrition is crucial for health especially in times when the immune system needs to be in its best shape. While keeping a balanced diet is important, let’s focus on the health benefits of protein.

Protein is an important macronutrient that plays a major role in the entire body. It’s responsible for building hormones and enzymes in our body while helping us keep our muscles, bones, blood, hair and nails healthy.

Protein helps build and repair muscle to give you strength and mobilityand increase fat burning.It maintains and repairs tissues helping to heal wounds and keep organs healthy. Protein is also responsible for making antibodies that optimize the immune system, helping to fight infections and diseases.

While limited access to fresh foods may seem like a roadblock to eating healthy these days, that’s not the case! Stocking on protein-rich foods may be easier than you think once you breeze through our list below.

Note: Must be refrigerated.

Seafood is an excellent source of essential nutrients including immunity supporting zinc and magnesium. It is high in protein and often low in fat. Fish such as salmon is a little higher in fat, but it is the heart-healthy kind: it has omega-3 fatty acids.

White meat poultry is an excellent source of lean protein, especially chicken breast. Dark meat is a little higher in fat.

Read meats are a good source of high-quality protein provided that the options are lean, like lean beef or pork tenderloin cuts.

Eggs are an excellent source of protein, nutrients, and healthful fats. While whole eggs are high in protein, it’s good to note that eating just the egg whites is almost pure protein. Eggs and food containing eggs are not suitable for people with an egg allergy.

An alternative to fresh eggs is our VPA^® Egg Protein.Not only is egg protein powder perfect for those with dairy allergies and are lactose intolerant, it contains complete protein with all 9 essential amino acids and is low in fats and carbohydrates.

Dairy products are excellent sources of protein and calcium to keep bones and teeth strong. They are also good sources of probiotics, which are good bacteria that can help promote a healthy gut and immune system.

Probiotics are also found to be effective for fighting the common cold and influenza-like respiratory infections. For those on a dairy-free diet or who are lactose intolerant, we suggest the  plant-based milk soy milk which is also high in protein. Note that almond milk, other nut milks, and coconut milk are not suitable high protein milk alternatives.

During quarantine or self-isolation you might find it convenient to stock up on protein supplements . Protein powder can be stored easily, does not expire quickly, and can help you meet your daily protein requirements. The best protein powder to buy are dairy protein if your diet allows for it. Whey protein powder and casein powder are the most bio-available proteins you can buy and are a cheap protein to add to your diet.

Our more popular products are our pure protein powders Whey Protein Isolate (WPI) and Whey Protein Concentrate (WPI). If you are wondering “what is the difference between WPI and WPC?”, you can read more about that here, but in summary WPI is more refined and has a higher whey protein content than WPC. Both whey protein powders make a great addition to your cooking, baking, breakfast smoothies and more!

See some of our meal-prep hacks and protein recipes.

Grains and cereal-based products are also sources of protein but are generally not as high in protein as meat and meat-alternative products. This would include oats, quinoa, whole wheat pasta, couscous, buckwheat among others.

Nuts and seeds contain protein, but also have a high fat content. This is something to be aware of if you are watching what you eat. Almonds, pine nuts, walnuts, macadamias, hazelnut, cashews, pumpkin seeds, pistachios, peanuts, sunflower seeds are all plant based sources of protein and essential nutrients. Which is why peanut butter is always a good snack and a great source of protein.

Lentils, soybeans, kidney beans, and chickpeas are among the world’s top sources of plant-based protein and are an excellent choice for vegetarians and vegans. Legumes can be incorporated in various ways to any nutritious meal and are inexpensive and loaded with fiber to keep you feeling full for hours and maintaining your gut health.

A common question we hear is: “Are plant-based protein powders effective?” Why, yes they are!

Our VPA^®plant-based protein powder doesn’t skimp on the amount of protein per serve as well as its awesome and tasty range of flavours. Plant-based protein powder is a great alternative for vegans and those who require dairy free protein. Premium Plant protein powder combines protein from different sources to deliver a complete plant based protein product.

Our pea protein isolate is sourced from Canadian yellow peas, a perfect alternative protein source works with many special diets. It is rich in iron and can aid muscle growth, weight loss and heart health.

So there you have it, a succinct summary of the health benefits of protein, a summary of the the best protein-rich foods, and a look at the best protein powder options to help reach your macros and maintain optimal health and immunity.