In today’s world, we’re bombarded with information on nutrition and diet. The real difficulty is to be able to separate facts from fiction. There are plenty of food myths out there and it can be overwhelming to decide what to follow. We decided to debunk some common myths around Calcium, Iron and Protein. What are Protein, Calcium and Iron? Why do we need them? Protein Proteins regulate our body tissues and organs and are essential in maintaining these systems. However, for the longest time, the meat industry has spent a ton of money to spread the message that meat is the perfect source of protein. We’ve also been conditioned to believe that we need to include protein in our diet every day, in every meal – which isn’t true. Ever thought of what these animals eat to build their protein? Chickens, Goats, Buffalos, Cows, etc. all of them sustain on plant food. This shows how we’ve failed to question the information fed to us. First of all, protein isn’t built in the body by eating protein but from converting amino acids in food. The common myth that you cannot obtain sufficient protein by consuming plant food is so wrong. Here are some excellent plant-based protein sources – Spinach, Almonds, Hazelnuts, Cashews, Peas, Tofu, Hemp Seeds, Quinoa, etc. Calcium Calcium is essential to your bone health. Muscle contraction, blood clotting and heart action are the other important functions. Haven’t we been told umpteen times that milk is the source of calcium? Cow’s milk is for the calf and not for a human infant. Cow’s milk is coarser and is the most mucus forming food in the human diet. The calves don’t have to suffer for human calcium. Calcium can also be found in abundance in plant-based foods like broccoli, kale, beans, oranges, cabbage, tomato, almonds, etc. Iron If you don’t have enough iron, your body can’t make enough healthy oxygen-carrying red blood cells. You could suffer from anaemia. But the answer to iron is not red meat as much as we’ve been told it is. Some studies even reveal that vegans and vegetarians have higher iron levels compared to their meat-eating counterparts. Turn to plant-based iron sources like lentils, soybeans, tofu, quinoa, pumpkin seeds, pistachios, sunflower seeds, cashews, etc. We must realise that we are basically a vegetarian species and move to a cruelty-free diet. Hope this dietary wisdom might help you bust some common food myths! What are some of the food myths you’ve heard of? Comment to let us know.