Ingredients Blog: Plant Protein

Greetings, Nakee enthusiasts! Today, let's chat ingredients and dive into the deliciousness together, because knowing what's in you're eating is just as important to us as it is to you!

One of the ingredients that we feature front and center on every pouch of Nakee Butter – both flavors – is plant protein, something that may sound simple on the face of it but is actually something we invested a lot of time and thought into.

There are a lot of options when it comes to plant protein, but we ultimately chose to add brown rice and peas, which may at first make our pouches sound like boring family dinners circa 1983. However, it's not the flavors of these plants that matter – they blend together perfectly into the palate of both types of Nakee Butter – but instead the specific benefits of the protein they provide.

They provide a complete amino profile, meaning that they contain adequate quantities of the nine amino acids indispensable to human life. Deficiencies in specific amino acids can lead to a range of health issues, which emphasizes both their general importance and why the inclusion of plant protein is such an important asset to Nakee Butter.

There are other perks to the inclusion of plant protein, though, that make it an even better deal. It also contains:

• Fiber, which helps with blood sugar control and weight loss, as well as lowering cholesterol levels and maintaining healthy and regular bowel function;

• Iron, which is necessary to produce myoglobin, which carries oxygen to the muscles; as a result, increased iron can help to boost one's exercise performance. It also helps with memory and cognitive function, as well as the strength of nails and hair;5

• Calcium, which helps maintain bone strength, facilitates muscle movement and function, and has various enzymes which support multiple bodily functions;6

Additionally, it has been shown in studies that brown rice helps with both weight loss and liver health as well as lowering cholesterol. Peas, meanwhile, are good for cardiovascular health and help you stay full for longer, reducing cravings.

These perks, alongside the fact that plant protein is lower in saturated fat than its meat-based counterpart and is easier for the body to handle, mean that despite sounding like the name of a Seattle grunge band, plant protein is one of Nakee Butter's most critical elements. 

We hope this helped give a bit of insight into why we so prominently mention plant protein on our packaging. Blogs like this one, where we'll be discussing every major element of Nakee Butter, will be an ongoing series this year! This is Brendan, signing off; thanks for reading!