Foods for Giving Good Plant Protein to your Children

Vegetarian diet (no egg and no milk also) is undoubtedly much superior to non-vegetarian diet in terms of preventing certain chronic diseases like ischemic heart disease, certain cancers, diabetes type-2, obesity and hypertension. Plant protein is also much superior to animal protein for muscle building and enhancing immunity.

Some planning is essential to gain the most of plant protein in vegan diets. To begin with, let us understand some important concepts:

1. Human body is able to create 11 amino acids, the remaining 9 have to be taken in food.

2. Children, pregnant women, lactating mothers and athletes need about 1 to 1.2 gram protein per kg per day. Others need about 0.8 gram protein per kg per day.

3. Soya is an excellent source of protein. But it cannot be eaten regularly (It has inflammatory properties and also enhances estrogens). Once or twice a week is good. Tofu, also known as soybean curds contains about 20 grams of protein per cup.

4. Whole lentils (red or green) contain about 18 grams of protein per cup of cooked lentils. Examples are green gram, bengal gram, black gram, turdal, masoor dal, peas, rajma, chickpeas, lobia and horse gram. Use whole grains with skin (without skin has less nutritional value). Soak for at least 24 hours and use. Beans have to be eaten with rice. Separately, both of them are incomplete protein. Together, they give 7 grams of protein per cup.

5. Chickpeas or chole, is an excellent source of protein. It contains about 15 grams of protein per cup of cooked chickpeas.

6. Peanuts contain about 40 grams of protein per cup. Hence an excellent source of protein. However, peanuts have lot of allergens and hence I do not recommend them to be eaten regularly. One or twice a week should be ok. Peanut butter has 8 grams of protein per table spoon.

7. Nuts are also excellent sources of protein, the best of which are almonds. We must buy mamra almonds for health benefits (this type will also have Vitamin E). One cup of almonds has 33 grams of protein.

8. Spirulina (blue or green algae) contains 4 grams of protein in one table spoon. It is also rich in iron and vitamin B proteins (not B12) and manganese. It is available as powder or capsules and can be added to water, fruit juice or smoothies. It can also be sprinkled on salads and snacks.

9. Quinoa is a pseudo-cereal. There is 8 grams of protein in one cup of cooked quinoa. It is also rich in magnesium, iron, fiber, and manganese.

10. Seeds are excellent sources of protein (and low-calorie too). Examples of seeds are sesame seeds, hemp seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds, watermelon seeds, musk melon seeds and sunflower seeds.

11. Potatoes give 8 grams of protein per serving. It is also rich in potassium and vitamin C.

12. Many parents presume that dals (split lentils) and besan (bengal gram flour) are good protein sources. The truth is, they do not have any useful protein value and they are more towards carbohydrate rich foods.

Below are some plant protein rich foods that you can give your children:

1. Chickpeas curry: The famous Chole is a very good source of protein. It can be eaten as a snack or as a meal with rice, batura, poori or roti. Make chole at least thrice a week.

2. Whole Lentils can be soaked (for 24 hours) and cooked with other vegetables like tomato and onion and garnished well. The dish can be eaten with rice or roti.

3. Pesarattu, a telugu household delicacy, is a type of dosa made with soaked green gram (Green gram soaked overnight and ground with jeera, green chillies, ginger and salt). It is garnished with onions and is eaten with peanut chutney and ginger chutney.

4. Green peas, soaked chickpeas, potatoes, onion, carrot and beans can be steamed and mashed and patties made out of that mash can be toasted with little ghee or butter on tawa and given as evening snack to kids.

5. Hummus, made out of soaked, boiled and mashed chickpeas and roasted sesame seeds, can be used in place of cheese in sandwiches and burgers.

6. Chutney powder can be made with roasted flax seeds, watermelon seeds, musk melon seeds, sesame seeds and sunflower seeds. This mixture can be roasted along with bengal gram dal, urd dal, jeera and red chilli. Salt, jaggery powder, hing (pink) and amchur powder (pinch) can be added to this mixture and ground to make excellent chutney powder that can be eaten with rice, idli or dosa. It can also be added to sambar.

7. Chia seeds can be added in fruit juices.

8. Add peas everyday in the foods, either in biryani, or in curry, or in snack patties.

9. Soaked and then roasted chole is a good evening snack.

10. Tofu can be used in place of paneer (cottage cheese) in all paneer based dishes.

11. Almonds can be soaked overnight and then the peeled almonds can be grated or ground and then added in various dishes. Almond milk can also be made with soaked and peeled almonds.

12. Roasted nuts or seeds, or both; can be mixed with jaggery (melted or ground) and sweets can be made with that combination for kids to eat as snack. The nuts and seeds can be ground and mixed with jaggery. The ground mixture can be added in curries to enhance protein value. One table spoon of such mixture will have 3 grams of protein.

13. Boiled quinoa can be eaten with chole curry or rajma curry (made with lots of tomatoes and onions) and a veggie patty (made with potatoes, beans, carrots, onions and green peas) and hummus. This combination when served in a bowl is very pleasing to look and makes a yummy meal!

14. Til powder or sesame powder is a telugu delicacy and can be eaten with rice. It is made with roasted sesame seeds, red chilies, jeera and salt.