The Power of Protein...

Protein is a ‘macronutrient’ that is used as a source of energy by our bodies. It is required by our bodies for multiple different functions. As protein is the core component of our muscles, it's very important for our growth and repair.

It's also vital for various other functions in the body, such as: enzymatic activity (how we break down foods or other components in our body), our immune system and the communication between our cells.

It's therefore very important that children are getting enough protein in their diet to support their growth and development. We take important factors like this into consideration when we curate our menus!

 

Where can protein be found?

Protein can be obtained from multiple animal and plant-based sources.

These include:

• Meat (e.g. Chicken, Beef, Pork, Lamb etc.)

• Fish (e.g. Salmon, Tuna, Mackerel)

• Dairy and Fortified Dairy Alternatives (e.g. Milk, Cheese, Yogurts)

• Beans and Pulses (e.g. Peas, Lentils, Chickpeas)

• Meat Alternatives (e.g. Soya Protein, Quorn, Seitan)

• Nuts and Seeds

• Eggs

• Grains

  
  

Proteins are broken down into amino acids; these amino acids are the building blocks our bodies use to create new proteins such as muscle fibres and haemoglobin (used to transport oxygen around the body in our red blood cells).

Different sources of protein contain different combinations of amino acids.

In isolation, proteins from animal sources generally contain all the ‘essential’ amino acids. Plant-based foods can still be great sources of protein too; however, individual ingredients (e.g. pulses) do not always contain all the amino acids we require.

It is therefore important (particularly for vegetarians and vegans) to consume protein from a variety of different sources throughout the day to ensure we obtain the full range of amino acids our bodies require to function.

Food high in protein such as meat, dairy and pulses, are also often important sources of nutrients such as Iron, Calcium and Fibre respectively.

What are the requirements?

The Government currently recommends that we consume 0.75g of protein per kilogram body weight per day for adults. Protein requirements may be higher for some groups of people such as children, pregnant women, older people and athletes.

The average daily intakes of protein in the UK are 76.0g/day for adults aged 19-64 years. This is often more than sufficient.

There are also recommendations based on the Eatwell guide it is important to be aware of including:

• Aiming to eat at least 2 portions of fish a week, including 1 portion of oily fish.

• Choosing lean cuts of meat and skinless poultry whenever possible.

• Trying to eat less red and processed meat like bacon, ham and sausages.

• Eating more pulses that are naturally low in fat and high in fibre.

How do we include protein in our menus?

When developing our menus we ensure every meal contains a source of protein, whether that's Dairy, Meat or Plant-Based. Our recipes are then checked by the Nutrition team to make sure they include enough protein per portion.

We limit processed meat products to once a week in primary schools and twice a week for secondary, in line with the School Food Standards legislation and Eatwell guide recommendations. We also use plant-based protein sources in combination with meat (hybrid products) to support government recommendations to reduce red meat intake and increase intake of beans and pulses, as well as including a ‘Plant-Based’ day once a week as part of our Food for Life accreditation.

We offer a variety of different sources of protein in our menus including Meat, Eggs, Fish, Mycoprotein (Quorn), Pea Protein (Eat Curious), Beans and Pulses. By providing protein from lots of different sources, we're actively meeting the protein requirements children need and doing so with a variety of flavours and textures.