Food Sources of Dietary Protein

FOOD SOURCES

All foods except refined sugar, oils and fats contain protein to varying degree.

Food Sources of Dietary Protein

Food Stuff Protein %

Rich Sources :              

Meat, fish and liver        18 - 20

Eggs  14

Milk powder, full fat      26

Milk powder, skimmed  33

Cheese        18 - 20

Pulses         18 - 24

Nuts and oilseeds 18 - 26

Soyabean    35 - 40

Good Sources :            

Cereals and millets         6        - 12

Tender legumes, green peas, cow peas       7        - 8

Fair Sources :                

Potato         2       

Green leafy vegetables   2        - 6

Animal foods like meat, fish, egg and plant foods like pulses oilseeds and nuts contain high amounts of proteins and are classified as rich sources of proteins.

Cereals and millets and tender legumes such as green peas are moderate sources of protein.

However cereals are consumed in large amounts daily and contribute a considerable amount of protein to the daily intake.

Leafy vegetables, roots and tubers are poor sources of protein as they contain less than two percent proteins.

PROTEIN

One fifth of an adults total body weight is protein. Protein is found in every cell of our body.

All the tissues in our body such as muscle, blood, bone, skin and hair are made up of proteins.

Many hormones and enzymes are either protein or protein derivatives. The nucleic acids in the cell nucleus occur in combination with proteins as nucleoproteins.

Protein is thus essential to maintain cellular integrity and function and for health and reproduction.