Why do we require proteins in our bodies? Or as a matter of fact, why do we require minerals, vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates, fats, etc. in our food? Because they are the building blocks for our body and help us grow stronger and basically, keep alive. But we aren’t going to talk about them all. What we are more interested in, at the moment, is the role of proteins in our body. I mean, that is why we have put together this article so you can find the information you’re searching for, right? Many times, you will witness that people (including you and me) make unhealthy diet choices. With junk foods easily available, mistakes can be made, and thus, it can affect our overall health. So what does that have to do with proteins? Keep reading the article to find out.
Importance of Protein in Our Body
Proteins help make every bone, tissue, and nerve in our body. As we grow older and age, the consumption of proteins becomes that much important because they are responsible for growing and repairing our bones, tissues, and nerves. Thanks to amino acids, proteins are created in our body which also aid in producing hormones, enzymes, and red blood cells in our body. Apart from these advantages, protein is very much useful for:
- fighting and resisting certain illnesses.
- replacing lost proteins (through hair, nails, and skin).
- substituting lost proteins through everyday life.
- quickly healing and repairing any injuries.
- growing children.
- building our bodies after going through surgeries.
When protein is so beneficial, it is a smart move to include high protein snacks in your diet. Now that we summarized the benefits of protein, we will now look at some healthy snack options.
Healthy Protein Snacks for Kids
- Kids can be picky with their foods and when you want to include some high protein snacks for kids, they can be difficult to persuade. But these snacks will surely make them rush to the table. Take a look.
- The first option is to take gram crackers and peanut butter. Split the cracker near the lines and spread peanut butter on one side. Make a sandwich with the other cracker and serve with half a glass of milk.
- Take plain or vanilla soy milk and add fresh pieces of banana with ice. Mix well in a blender and serve as a smoothie.
- Split a banana in half, twice. This will give you 4 long slices of banana. Spread a thin layer of peanut butter on all 4 slices and serve it with either milk or 100% fruit juice.
- Purchase plain soy yogurt and cut fresh pieces of fruit (whatever your kid loves – banana, apple, grapes). Mix it all together and serve.
- Mix 3 cups whole grain oat cereal with ½ cup walnuts, raisins, coconut, dried cranberries, each, 1 cup granola, and ¾ cup honey. Bake this mix in a 250 °F oven for an hour and let it cool down. Serve with milk.
- Take wooden skewers to make cheese, bread, and fruit kebabs. Cut small cubes of cheese, bread, and fruit (apples) and serve them.
- Take plain yogurt and fruit juice to make Popsicles. First, add yogurt to the molds and place a craft stick in them. Freeze for 1 hour and then add fruit juice to make another layer. Again freeze for 1 hour and place another layer of yogurt. Freeze one more time and serve the Popsicles to them.
- These snacks are not just fun to make and eat, but they are healthy as well. Disguise their protein snacks with vibrant and fun-looking foods.
Healthy Protein Snacks for Adults
- As we mentioned earlier, the importance to include protein in our diet is necessary for all age groups. This is why we have put together the following healthy protein snacks for women and men. Take a look.
- Peanut butter with celery sticks or thin slices of apple.
- A bowl of plain yogurt with granola.
- Roasted potato tossed in olive oil, black pepper, and salt.
- Boiled pasta with canned black beans, grape tomatoes, and low-fat Italian salad dressing.
- Small cubes of low-fat cottage or cheddar cheese with whole grain crackers.
- Low-fat baked bagel chips.
- Hard-boiled egg slices with whole grain toast.
- Wholewheat toast with mashed banana on top.
- Banana strawberry smoothie made with orange juice.
Apart from the protein snacks mentioned above, you will find healthy protein snacks for diabetics as well. Just go to the article protein foods for diabetics for more information. The snacks mentioned in the article are a good source of protein and should be following by all age groups. If you would like to get a more personal opinion, I would recommend you consult with your doctor and get more defined results.
Tiffany is a Medical Student and also works as a fitness coach in part-time. She is also a writer and writes on health and fitness articles. Tiffany loves to engage with users and help them provide various useful information on General Health. She provides researched-based information and also featured on various blogs and magazines.