The demand for protein-rich plant-based foods is on the rise – and not just from customers following a vegan or vegetarian diet. Growing numbers of people are making new lifestyle choices. Consumers are putting their health and the environment above their desire for animal products and looking for alternative vegetable sources. How can you enjoy a protein-rich diet yet still reduce your consumption of animal products to a minimum? It’s a question that affects us all – not just those following a vegetarian or vegan diet. Regardless of the diet we choose, we should increase our intake of vegetable products and decrease our animal product consumption. Animal proteins are valuable in biological terms but also contain unhealthy saturated fats that can lead to increased cholesterol levels and other lifestyle diseases such as obesity, gout, type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular disease. The German Nutrition Society (DGE) recommends restricting our meat intake to 300 to 600 grams per week, including sausage products. According to the DGE guidelines, only a third of the fat required by adults should be consumed in the form of saturated fatty acids. Ideally, the other two thirds should be split between monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Similar reference values apply in Great Britain, Scandinavia, France and the Netherlands.

Read on here. Source: Innovations in Food Technology | February 2017 | www.innovationsfood.com