Four fruits, a perfect source of protein for a healthy diet

You say proteins and thoughts immediately turn to meat, fish, eggs, dairy products and legumes. Certainly not fruit. And instead we need to know that nature offers fruits rich in proteins. Of course, fruit it never contains protein levels comparable to those of the foods mentionedespecially foods of animal origin, but it’s worth knowing what they are the fruits that most of all concentrate proteins inside themso you never miss them at the table. First, however, let’s do a brief review of the protein topic with the nutritionist.

The importance of proteins in our daily diet

As underlined by Dr. Valentina Palazzobiologist and nutritionist from LabQuarantadue in Milan, «Proteins have a structural function in the organism and are fundamental to guarantee and maintain the physiological performance of the countless bodily functions (homeostasis). Protein foods are of both animal and plant origin. It’s true that meat, fish, eggs and dairy products have on average a greater quantity of proteins and a better amino acid spectrum compared to vegetable ones (legumes, dried fruit, cereals) for the same quantity, and for this reason they are defined as “noble proteins”. However from the combination of multiple protein sources and thanks to the increase in the daily protein quotavegans and vegetarians can easily make up for the medium-low biological value that legumes and dried fruit may have compared to, for example, a fish fillet. In fact it should be remembered that mixing protein sources increases the biological value of the meal. Furthermore Plant protein foods do not contain cholesterol or saturated fatsas happens instead in many animal protein foods, in which these lipid components are abundant (especially in fatty meats and cheeses). Furthermore, Plant protein foods are rich in fiberwhich are instead absent in protein products of animal origin.”

Here are the fruits richest in proteins

“There fruit she is often (and rightly) celebrated for her content of vitamins, minerals and fibrebut is less known for hers protein intake», confirms Dr. Palazzo. “However, some varieties of fruit contain significant amounts of proteinwhich can contribute to a balanced diet, especially if you follow a plant-based diet.” Let’s immediately find out which fruits are richest in proteins. «Let’s start with theavocado, which has a good protein content: contains approximately 2 grams of protein per 100 grams of pulp. Furthermore it is rich in healthy fatsespecially monounsaturated fatty acids, which are beneficial for heart health. It also contains vitamin E, potassium and fiberwhich contribute to overall health. Guava should be mentionedsweet tropical fruit, which contains approximately 2.5 grams of protein per 100 grams of fruit. In addition to protein, guava is good source of vitamin C, fiber and vitamin A. Of course, they are not in season, but blackberries boast a good amount of proteinequal to approximately 1.5 grams per 100 grams. In their nutritional report the presence of vitamin C, fibre, antioxidants, vitamin K and potassium. Also the kiwi it is a fruit that offers a good amount of vegetable proteins. With 1.4 grams of protein for every 100 grams of fruit, it is also excellent source of vitamins and mineralsincluding vitamin C, vitamin K and potassium.” Good to know.