Henar Fernández, host of the podcast “At ease with the Earth”, and Noelia López, nutritionist at Nestlé, discuss vegetable proteins in a new installment of this space for dissemination on sustainable food
Proteins are essential nutrients that we absorb from food; They are transported through the blood in order to reach the tissues and organs of the body.
They provide the energy our body needs for its structural and regulatory functioning, that is, “We need them to create tissues, such as muscle, and create hormones, enzymes and neurotransmitters,” explains the nutritionist.
In addition, this food source is important for the immune system as it helps to make antibodies.
How are plant proteins different from animal proteins? Can vegetarians have problems meeting their protein needs? These are some of the questions from the sixth episode of the sustainable food podcast “At ease with the Earth”.
Difference – Animal and Plant Proteins
Both animal and vegetable proteins have the same function and both are made up of amino acids, but they differ in the origin and units that form them.
«Imagine a necklace where many pearls are joined together with each other. These would be the amino acids of proteins. We can find up to 20 types of pearls and among all of them there are 8 amino acids that are essential because we need to ingest them through food since our body is not capable of manufacturing them by itself»
This is how Noelia López relates.
What happens in this case? As meat and fish contain all these amino acids, but they cannot be ingested in this type of diet, we must look for a veggie alternative that has them.
Legumes and cereals generally lack some of these amino acids or have them in low amounts so our plates must contain a variety of foods that cover this need.
«Some perfect recipes for this are scrambled eggs with asparagus, salad with couscous, pesto and hummus; couscous with chickpeas, raisins and pomegranates; lentil salad with rice; or vegan spaghetti bolognese”, recommends the nutritionist.
Are plant proteins enough?
If an adequate menu is prepared, vegetable proteins are more than enough, indicates the nutritionist.
There are vegetable options that provide all the necessary protein for our body: hemp seeds, chia, legumes such as soybeans or chickpeas, pistachios, quinoa and amaranth.
Using these foods in recipes, the amino acid part is complete. In fact, there are green leafy vegetables, such as spinach, that also have all the essential amino acids, although with low amounts that do not completely cover the protein need.
“You have to take into account the digestion capacity of the proteins themselves. Our digestive system finds it more difficult to take advantage of the proteins in plant foods because the walls of these cells are more difficult to break down»
emphasizes the expert.
Furthermore, naturally vegetables also have antinutrients such as fiber or phytateswhich hinder the absorption of proteins and other nutrients.
Therefore, the functions of proteins are the same no matter where they come from.
“A well-planned and thought-out vegetarian diet is healthy and sufficient, as is one that includes meat,” the expert concludes.
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