Protein is an essential macro-nutrient required by almost every part of the body. From muscles to the hair, this macro-nutrient plays a big role in the health of a number of main functions of the body. Including adequate amounts of protein in diet is essential for a healthy body. This is because protein helps repair muscles after wear and tear from physical activity, and retain muscle mass as a person ages. Your protein requirement may differ based on the amount of physical and mental activity you engage in on a daily basis. But everyone needs a minimum amount of this nutrient in their diets. Whether you're a vegetarian or a non-vegetarian, a focus on dietary protein may go a long way in ensuring that you stay healthy. Moreover, maintaining a high-protein diet is essential for weight loss too.
Even though animal protein is considered the most abundant source of dietary protein, vegetarian diet also has plenty of foods that are good sources of healthy proteins. Healthy proteins are those that are present in foods with low amounts of cholesterol and fats. Soya is one of them and it is consumed in a number of forms. Soya is one of the most popular plant-based proteins and a number of soya products like tofu, soya milk, soya nuggets etc. are also available. The latter is commercially available and is a great way of adding vegetarian protein to your diet.
Also Read: 10 Best Soya Recipes | Easy Soya Recipes | Popular Soya Recipes
Interesting Ways Of Cooking Soya Chunks
Soya nuggets are also known as textured vegetable protein (TVP) and are de-fatted soy flour products made from de-fatted soy flour, which is a by-product of extracting soyabean oil. According to the data by United States Department of Agriculture, 100 grams of soya chunks or soya nuggets contain 52.4 grams of protein. We tell you some interesting ways of adding soya chunks to your meals:
1. Soya Rice Dishes
From biryanis to pulao and even Chinese fried rice, cooked soya chunks can be added to numerous rice dishes as meat analogues. Here is a soya fried rice recipe that you'd love to try!
2. Soya Manchurian
Turn your soya chunks into the delicious Chinese favourite Manchurian. It's a unique way of cooking this vegetarian protein and it packs in a lot of taste as well. Soya Manchurian will be ready a lot of more quickly as you won't have to prepare the Manchurian balls separately.
Also Read: Kids' Nutrition: Soya Star Paranthas For A Healthy, Exciting Meal (Watch Recipe Video)
3. Stir-fried Soya Nuggets
Stir-frying soya nuggets is another very interesting way of cooking this protein. It's an easy and quick-fix meal idea that you will find yourself going back to, again and again. Here's a recipe for soya stir-fry that you will love!
4. Soya Stuffed Sandwiches
Turn your soya chunks into delicious stuffings for sandwiches and paninis. You can simply cook the nuggets, chop them up and toss them with some sandwich spreads, some delicious and crunchy vegetables like sweet peppers, carrots and cucumbers and use this as sandwich filling.
Apart from these, you can add cooked soya chunks to your vegetarian curries and dry vegetable preparations as well. However, people who suffer from soy allergies must avoid the use of this food product.
(This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.)