I was wondering about protein the other day. Well, I am a person of random thoughts. When one thought comes to my mind, IT STAYS. Proteins are the building blocks of life. Every tissue of the human body contains protein. Doubtlessly, every food group has its distinct importance. However, protein has a vital tie to our over-all existence. Protein helps us to repair damaged cells and grow new ones. It regulates the tissues and organs of our body and promotes growth and development in young people and pregnant individuals. I was wondering where we stand with being the “takeaway generation” in terms of protein intake.
Takeaway Consumer’s take on Consuming Protein
Apparently, we order different cuisine meals, both for lunches at work and for dinners back home. Mostly, these dishes are meat based and occasionally fish based. The question is, are we getting enough protein as the previous generations when people used to pack their lunch and make their dinner no matter what the constraints were (and of course online ordering was NOT a thing).
In my opinion (I am not a professional, don’t rely on my words please), it is fair to say, in most cases, we are still getting a decent amount of protein in the system. When we are taking Indian or Japanese food especially. Even most of the takeaway dishes (usually Indian cuisine meals) contain pulses, lentils or beans. These grains or beans are high in plant-sourced proteins.
Actually, it depends more on the quality of meat/grains served by the restaurants and/or takeaways in question. Because of the way many of these dishes are prepared, many things can be “passed” as “meat” or “fish fillet”. Also, there are other health concerns like too much oil and fat or questionable ingredients, colours and taste enhancers in use.
If such “source concerns” can be overcome, takeaway meals are good enough for protein.
The Itchy Bits: Proteins and Allergy
Well, there is some protein containing food that fires up dietary allergic reactions. The unfortunate part is, many popular takeaway meals contain those. In case you are wondering, such food items are: eggs, fish, cow’s milk, peanuts etc. It is way easier to avoid such items if you are cooking the meals on your own. But in case of ordered takeaway meals, you cannot control it. Some of such food items are served on the side; you can separate and avoid if you are allergic to those. But if those food items are used in preparing the dishes, like used as marinade, batter or sauce, it gets harder or even impossible to avoid those. It is a wise practice to check the allergen info before you order the takeaways. Some of us are just too unlucky to be denied the taste of some delicious protein food items. Life is not fair!
Too Much Protein: Is There a Risk?
As vital protein is for us, it also comes with some drawbacks. Of course, the drawbacks I am talking about are about OVERCONSUMPTION of protein and NOT general protein intake. Taking too much protein can lead to gastrointestinal complications, liver complications, increased risk of gout.
