Here's the low-down on high
protein foods
Are all
high protein foods
created equal? Let's find out, This article looks at
the some high protein foods and ranks them based on
nutritional information and benefits to increased
muscle and fitness levels. Before we begin, let's
have a look at the types of protein. For the
nutritional information of various foods, see the
Food Nutrition
Guide.
Understanding animal versus vegetable high protein
foods
Amino acids are the
molecular building blocks of protein and high
protein foods. Of the 140 known amino acid-like
compounds, only 20 of those are used in the human
body to make muscle tissue, enzymes, antibodies,
hemoglobin, and hormones. Of these 20 amino acids,
11 can be manufactured by the human body and are
called non-essential. The remaining 9 amino acids
cannot be manufactured and are called essential,
meaning the body must take in these proteins from
other sources.
Sources of amino acids in
our diet can be from animal proteins such as meat,
fish, poultry, milk, eggs, cheese. Or from vegetable
proteins, such as grains, legumes, seeds and
vegetables.
Animal proteins are
complete, meaning they contain all essential amino
acids, while vegetable proteins are incomplete,
meaning they do not have enough of one or more
essential amino acids
Ranking high protein foods
Here's a list of top high
protein foods. Remember that animal proteins are not
necessarily superior just because they are
complete protein foods. Incomplete protein foods
(the veggie ones), often low in fat and high in
other nutrients, can be combined to create a
complete protein food source.
#1
Egg whites
Eggs contain all the
essential amino acids, which makes them about as
perfect a protein as you can get. While the yolk
contains about 300 milligrams of cholesterol (close
to your daily limit), egg whites are the rare
no-fat, high-protein food.
#2
Fish
Fish contains complete
animal proteins plus healthy fats and oils--the
omega-3 fatty acids.
#3
Milk and milk products
Milk is another one of our
complete high protein foods. In the dairy family,
low fat cottage cheese has 16 grams of protein per
1/2 cup serving.
#4
Poultry
Chicken and turkey have
long been favorites of bodybuilders and athletes.
White meat has just 120 calories and 26 grams of
protein per 4 oz. serving.
#5
Beef
Lean beef cuts rank as good
high protein foods. However keep in mind that 55% to
60% of calories for red meat come from fat. Lean
cuts include: top sirloin, top round, extra lean
ground beef.
#6
Soy
Soy is an exceptional
vegetable protein source. Soy products rank as a
high protein foods because they are low in saturated
fat and they contain omega-3 fatty acids available
in fish.
#7
Beans, chickpeas, and lentils
This group of veggies make
it onto the list of high protein foods because they
have little fat, protein, fiber and complex
carbohydrates for energy. For example, 1/2 cup of
chickpeas contains 20 grams of protein.
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