Protein is a source of energy and is vital to your heart. Consuming healthy proteins from plant and animal sources as part of a balanced diet can help lower your risk of heart disease.

Proteins are found in every cell of the body and are needed for many of the important functions that make our body work properly. We need protein to help the body grow and repair itself. 

Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. When we digest proteins, they are broken down to amino acids, which the body uses to make new proteins. Some can be produced by the human body whereas others we can only get from the diet. 

We can divide food sources of protein into two groups: animal protein sources and plant protein sources such as:

Meat and fish	Eggs	Dairy products	Seeds and nuts	Legumes (like beans and lentils)

Protein is found in a wide range of food and it is recommended that we eat more pulses like beans, lentils, chickpeas that are naturally low in fat and high in fibre.

We should aim to eat 2–3 portions a day and 2 portions of fish, 1 of which is oily fish, per week.

Healthy choices of protein

For meat, try to choose leaner meats such as chicken, turkey or goat. Trim any visible fat off of meat and go for skinless chicken to reduce the fat content.

The other animal sources of protein can be found in eggs and dairy products such as paneer and yoghurt. It's important to remember that dairy products can be high in fat and sugar so stick to lower fat and sugar options where possible.

White fish is a good source of protein and is low in fat. Oily fish such as salmon, tuna steaks or mackerel is important in the diet as it provides our body with omega-3 fatty acids, which are important for our health. 

Plant based foods such as lentils, beans, chickpeas and seeds are naturally very low in fat and high in protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals. 

You can use these to bulk out dishes and replace some of the meat in dishes such as curries or stews. 

What should we limit?

We should try and cut down on our intake of red and processed meat like bacon, ham and sausages. They can contain a lot of saturated fat and salt, both of which we want to reduce in our diet. Reducing your meat intake and replacing it with plant based sources of protein such as lentils, beans and chickpeas is also a good way to keep food costs down as they tend to be much cheaper than meat.