Why protein are so important?
Proteins play various functions such as:

• They are essential for red blood cells.
• Proteins regulate hormones and enzymes.
• They are important for growth and repair of body tissue.
• Proteins control functioning of antibodies.

Foods rich in protein:

• Nuts
  Nuts such as peanuts, cashew nuts, walnuts and almonds are one of the best sources of protein. You can serve them raw, chopped or roasted.
• Egg whites
  Egg white is cholesterol and fat-free. Also it has only 15 calories and four grams of protein. Prepared with onions and peppers is a great and quick nutritious mini-meal.
• Fish
  Fish such as anchovies, salmon and tuna become more and more popular as people realize on the value of their oils and fats. If you want to provide protein to your body you should choose yellow fin tuna (30 grams per 100 gram serving), snapper (26g), salmon (27g), anchovies (29g), tilapia (26g) and halibut (27g). Also you can think about fish eggs. Fish eggs can give you 28.6 grams of protein in a 100 gram serving, caviar will provide you 24 grams.
• Oatmeal
  Oatmeal is a good option to keep balance of good carbohydrates and protein, which give you energy necessary to make it through an intense workout. You will find approximately five grams of protein in only one packet of instant oatmeal. You can eat it alone or with cinnamon.
• Cottage cheese
  A half cup of 2% cottage cheese will provide 16 grams of protein to your body. What is interesting it has only two grams of fat and 102 calories. It is really good news since other types of cheese can be really high in fat. Of course you can try other types of cheese – especially Parmesan, Romano, Swiss and mozzarella are rich in protein.
• Lobster and Crab
  Lobster and crab are served steamed, in bisque or baked. A 100 grams serving of crab contains 19.4 grams of protein per 100 grams serving. The same amount of lobster contains 26.4 grams.
• Others
  You can find proteins in: lentils, beef, mature beans, lean meats, watermelon seeds, peanut butter and yeast extract spread.

How much protein you need?
According to experts we should consume 0,8 – 1,0 g of protein for one kilogram of our weight. For sport athletes like cyclist or runners are from 25 to 50% more. It is important news since protein deficiency can affect tissue development, especially skin, hair, nail and muscle tone. Lack of protein can occur because of heavy exercises, prolonged illness, surgery or stress.