A nutrition expert has urged people to add a specific protein-packed superfood to their diets. Professor Tim Spector, the founder of Zoe Health, revealed a little-known food that could lower your risk of diabetes, stroke, heart disease and multiple cancers.
According to Tim, eating tempeh is an easy way to get both more protein and more fibre – something many of us Brits are lacking – into our meals.
Tempeh is a plant-based protein similar to tofu. Like tofu it is made from soy. However, it comes from whole soybeans rather than soy milk, meaning it is actually less processed than tofu.
It also has a nuttier flavour and is more dense and compact than tofu.
Tim explained that compared to tofu, tempeh contains far more protein – equivalent to that of eating a chicken breast.
In a video uploaded to his Instagram, Tim said: “Everyone tells you to eat more protein. These days, you may have heard of tofu. That gives you around 16 grams [of protein] per serving.
“I want to tell you about its older sister tempeh, that I discovered recently on a trip to Indonesia, which has even more protein than the tofu. 21 grams, which is about equivalent to that of a chicken breast.”
Even better is the fact that tempeh is rich in fibre, a type of carbohydrate that is vital for a healthy digestive system.
Tim continued: “But importantly, both tofu and especially tempeh have fibre, which the chicken breast absolutely doesn’t. So this guy has about six grams of fibre, which is about a fifth of your daily amounts you need.”
He added: “When you’re picking your foods, don’t just think about one narrow thing like protein, think of all the other things that it can bring and fibres particularly, something we’re all deficient in and your gut microbes will like you for it.”
In a caption Tim revealed that more than 90 percent of people in the US and UK aren’t eating the recommended 30 grams of fibre per day.
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“This is thought to be a driver of human gut microbiome depletion and an associated increase in disease,” he said. “Studies have linked eating more fibre with a reduction in your risk of diabetes, stroke, heart disease and multiple cancers.”
He referenced a meta-analysis published in The British Medical Journal in 2022. Study authors concluded: “The evidence is strong that healthy diets, in which fibre content is aligned with dietary recommendations, are protective against the development of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, cancer mortality, and all cause mortality.”
He listed other “great” sources of both fibre and protein:
- Green lentils – 24g protein and 20g fibre per 100g
- Kidney beans – 22g protein and 16g fibre
- Black beans – 22g protein and 15.5g fibre
- Bulgur wheat – 12g protein and 12g fibre
- Peas – 7g protein and 4.5g fibre