How Shoprite is helping
With South African consumers facing rising food and fuel costs, Shoprite is stepping in to help where it can by highlighting sources of affordable, nutritious, and protein-rich food. According to the Household Affordability Index, in March 2022 households bought core foods like maize meal, rice, flour, and sugar over nutritionally and protein-rich foods, like meat, eggs and dairy.
How much protein should you eat every day?
According to the Dietary Reference Intake report for macronutrients, an inactive adult should eat 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. That means that the average inactive man should eat about 56 grams of protein per day and the average woman, 46 grams.
What is protein?
Protein is made up of amino acids with about 20 amino acids joined in different ways making up different proteins. A person’s digestive system breaks down protein into amino acids before they are absorbed into one’s bloodstream which distributes them to the cells where they are combined to make human tissue. Protein is essential as every cell in the human body contains protein and people need protein in their diets to help their bodies repair cells and make new ones. Children also require protein to grow.
Food that contains protein
Complete proteins contain all nine essential amino acids in about the same proportion as the body needs them. These proteins are found in dairy products, eggs, meat and soya beans. Only soya beans contain complete proteins, while proteins in other plant foods do not, as different plant foods have different combinations of essential amino acids.
Meat
Meat is a good but often expensive source of protein, however, there are more affordable options. For example, the Dorsland or Karoo wors available from Shoprite and Checkers retails for less than traditional boerewors. Chicken feet and necks are an excellent and popular source of protein. Tin Stuff’s tinned chicken feet and necks are highly nutritious, have a long shelf life and are available exclusively from Shoprite for just R19.99.
Other affordable options of protein are pork, which is mostly cheaper than chicken or red meat, liver, frozen chicken, and ground mince. Shoprite also offers consumers the choice of Value Ground Beef Mince, which retails for up to R10 per kilogram less and does not sacrifice the nutritional protein values associated with meat.
Pilchards, sardines and eggs
Tinned fish like pilchards and sardines, sold under the Ritebrand private-label branding Shoprite supermarkets, are another affordable protein option. It is also one of the best sources of calcium and vitamin D which are essential for bone and muscle health, as well as omega-3 fatty acids. Eggs are almost pure, very high-quality protein and provide virtually the entire adequate intake of vitamin B12 and choline for young children, while the essential fatty acid content is good for pregnant mothers. Eggs are available at multiple price points to aid consumers with different buying habits and requirements.
Pulses and cereal
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Fatima is the editor of Food&Home. Trained in English Literature and recipe development, she can be found eating her way through Cape Town armed with a cookbook in her bag and her camera at the ready.