Reading: Protein (Thursday W6, T3)

 

Protein - Meat and Beans

Source: kids.britannica.com 

Protein along with carbohydrates and fats are the three main nutrients present in food. Nutrients are substances everybody needs in order to function. People can get the protein they need from animals or plants, such as meat, fish, eggs, beans, nuts, and grains.

Proteins are made up of molecules called amino acids. Amino acids consist of atoms of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and sometimes sulfur. About 20 kinds of amino acids combine into various patterns to make different proteins. Each protein has its own sequence of amino acids. This sequence determines the shape and function of the protein. Most common proteins contain more than 100 amino acids.

A body needs proteins to perform many different functions. Some proteins help control processes in the body. Others transport, or carry, substances from one place in the body to another. Proteins make collagen, which helps make the cells in our bodies and keeps the cells strong. Antibodies, which fight infections and diseases, are proteins. Enzymes are also proteins. Enzymes help the body digest food and build new cells.

Lack of protein can lead to different forms of malnutrition (this means not having the nutrition you need to survive), such as kwashiorkor or marasmus. Kwashiorkor causes weakness, anemia, failure to grow, and swelling of the belly. Marasmus prevents children from growing properly and causes their fat and muscles to waste away.

Meat for Protein

Animal tissue used as food is called meat. While meat can come from nearly every species of animal, most of the meat eaten by humans comes from farm and sea animals. In the United States, meat from farm animals is generally divided into two categories: red meat and poultry. Red meat, the largest category, consists of beef, pork, veal, lamb, and mutton. Poultry meat is the flesh of farm-raised birds. It includes chickens, turkeys, geese, ducks, and guinea fowl. Seafood includes fish, lobsters, oysters, clams, and crabs. Another type, game meat, consists of the flesh of all wild animals. In many countries humans eat the meat of horses, water buffalo, camels, goats, llamas, and rabbits.

The nutritional value of meat comes from its proteins, vitamins, minerals, and fats.  But its main contribution to our nutrition is a high quality and quantity of protein and a supply of fatty acids, B-complex vitamins, and minerals, including iron, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, and zinc.

The trouble with meat is that it’s not good for our environment, and it’s not very kind to the animals. So what can we eat instead?

Beans

Beans are a common and much loved food all over the world. They have an extremely high amount of nutritional value for their size. Beans are high in amino acids, the building blocks of protein. There are also two types of protein sources: complete and incomplete. Animal products, soy, and quinoa are all complete proteins, which means they contain all nine essential amino acids (essential means we need them).

Beans make an excellent source of protein for vegetarians and vegans. They are also lower in calories and saturated fat than some other protein sources, such as meat and full fat or low fat dairy products.

One of the products most commonly made from beans is Tofu. Tofu is a product made from soybeans which have been curdled, in a similar way to cheese, where an acid is introduced and it separates the solid part (tofu) from the liquid part. Tofu is a good source of protein and contains all nine essential amino acids. It is also a valuable plant source of iron and calcium and the minerals manganese and phosphorus. In addition to this, it also contains magnesium, copper, zinc and vitamin B1. The best part about Tofu is that it tastes great, and can be a great replacement for meat in meals if we want to be kind to the animals.