9 Healthy Sources of Protein and What Tips for Selecting Them
Protein is a very important part of our diet as humans. It provides us with energy and a number of different nutrients that our body needs to thrive each day. Protein often comes from meat or animal products, but there are also plant-based sources of protein that you can consume regularly. In this article, we’re going to talk about 9 different healthy sources of protein, and tips that can help you select them when you go grocery shopping each week.
Fish
Fish is an excellent source of protein. If you’re looking to lose weight or maintain a healthy lifestyle, fish isn’t a food source that is high in fat. It also doesn’t cause the kind of bodily inflammation that you’ll experience when you eat something like red meat. The healthiest fish that you can pick out for consumption include salmon, tuna, halibut, and haddock. These fish give you excellent levels of fish oil and essential fatty acids.
Eggs
The egg white is really what contains the most protein. While the yolk in eggs contains a high level of cholesterol, this is still a very healthy part of the egg. Some people who want to keep their cholesterol levels down will just eat the egg whites. Just make sure that you think about the type of eggs that you’re purchasing whether you’re consuming just the whites or egg whites and yolks. The living conditions of the chickens that produce the eggs impact the quality of the eggs themselves. Choose a brand of eggs that are organic, free-range or both organic and free-range.
Almonds
Almonds are a great protein source, but they also have a lot of nutritional value to consider. You can consume a couple of handfuls of almonds. You’ll get tons of protein, but the calorie content is very low. This is the perfect mid-afternoon snack if you’re looking to watch your caloric intake. They leave you very full, but you get a lot of energy and protein from them. Choose a plain almond that isn’t coated in a flavoring that is overly salty. The salt content of many nuts can contribute to high blood pressure.
Lentils
Lentils are a fantastic source of protein. You get approximately 9 grams of protein in every 100 grams of lentils that you eat. You also get a few carbohydrates in there as well, which means that you’re going to get a ton of energy after a meal of lentils. If you’ve never cooked with lentils before, you can eat them both cold and warm. You can put them on top of a salad or create a lentil salad where they are the base. You can also use lentils to create a patty in place of a hamburger.
Beef
Beef can be a bit controversial. Some people like to stay away from red meat because of its high cholesterol content. However, eating beef in moderation is perfectly safe. Beef has a very high protein content. If you would like to keep things a little leaner, you can opt for veal. You can also be careful about the different cuts of beef that you’ll see when you’re choosing what to buy at the grocery store. A chuck steak/roast or a Delmonico steak are going to have a higher fat content than something like filet mignon or sirloin. You get tons of B vitamins from beef, which also help with your energy production.
Beans
There are many varieties of beans that you can work into your diet if you’re looking for more protein each day. Beans can be used in salads, as part of a Mexican dish, in chili, create a burger patty or on their own as a side dish. Beans contain very minimal calories, they have tons of protein and they help burn fat fast. You’ll find that beans help you stay full for a very long time.
Dairy Products
Dairy products like milk and yogurt have high levels of protein and great nutritional value. Not only that, you get calcium from dairy products. Calcium is a very important part of maintaining healthy bones. Dairy products tend to fill people up for a bit. You’ll have an easier time losing weight and maintaining your weight goal. You’ll have plenty of energy to get a workout in thanks to the protein you’re consuming. Just watch out for high levels of added sugar. Yogurt tends to have an astronomical amount of sugar in it. Opt for something plain. You can add your own fruit or granola in.
Cottage Cheese
If you choose a low-fat variety of cottage cheese, you can get as much as 32 grams of protein for every 100 grams that you eat. This is a healthy food item that doesn’t contain refined sugars, it doesn’t contain artificial ingredients and you can often find a cottage cheese product that has added probiotics. Probiotics are great for your health. You can top cottage cheese with fruit or vegetables to make it even healthier. It’s a perfect breakfast or snack.
Chicken and Turkey
Both chicken and turkey contain around the same amounts of protein per serving. A half-breast of chicken or turkey contains roughly 27 grams of protein. From the white meat family, these two protein sources also contain essential amino acids that our bodies need to thrive. You can grill or boil chicken to lessen the calorie intake.
If you’re looking to add more protein into your daily diet, take some time to research different forms of protein. It’s important that you think about what you enjoy eating and think about what would be easy for you to work on your diet. Not all forms of protein are going to work for you. For example, some people simply don’t tolerate dairy because of an issue with lactose intolerance. Other people have incorporated a vegan or vegetarian diet into their lifestyle. This would eliminate things like meat, eggs, and dairy from the mix. You could still use beans and other plant-based items to increase your protein intake. Whatever your lifestyle choices are, there are plenty of options for you to get the protein you need in your diet.