The Best Protein Sources

Let's say it: Protein is good. Protein is necessary for many reasons, including building muscle, losing body fat, maintaining your health and staying full.

Not as clear is where to get your proteins and the best sources. All the options make it easy to see how. There are many options for meats, dairy products, powders, and vegetarians.

While your individual needs will depend on your body and your goals, here's how to make the protein column in your shopping cart a little more manageable.

Understanding Your

Protein Options

"Lean Proteins"

The best food protein sources are those that have high protein levels and are low in fatty oils (kind of obvious). The majority of meat has no carbohydrate or alcohol content. These "lean meats", which have roughly 100 calories for every 20 to 25 grams, are very similar in macronutrients and nutritional content to many protein supplements.

You can find lean meats in warm-water fish, white chicken meat, and other extra lean sources. (Remember, red meats and pork tend to be higher in fat. Egg whites qualify as well, and many protein powders fit into this category.

Cold water fish (salmon being an example), red meats, poultry, and other lean meats are all good sources of protein. Whole eggs are also included in this category since the yolk contains essential fatty acids.

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If a meat is coated with breading, it will be covered in carbs. Although this is not necessarily a bad thing, you need to know that any meat can be fried and still be considered lean.

Dairy products aren't as lean than the leanest meats, but they still have high fat content. It would be wise to read the label or search online for nutritional information.

The food groups that have the highest levels of protein are

As we mentioned previously, animals are the best source on a caloric basis of protein. In general, the order in which food groups and total protein content rank is the highest to the lowest on a caloric scale.

Meats and dairy products (lean).

Most Vegetables

Meat, Dairy products (fatty).

Substitutes for meat

Obstacles and harvest vegetables

Most grains

Vegetables find themselves in a peculiar position. They typically have 3-4 grams per 40 calories. This is roughly 30-40% according to caloric mass. Because of their filling nature, it is unlikely they will make up a significant amount of your dietary intake. However, they are decent protein sources from an energy perspective.

Most root vegetables and harvest vegetables, such as squash, pumpkins, potatoes, and others, are listed further down. You will find them listed further down because they have a significantly higher amount of carbs. While some grains do contain high amounts of protein (like quinoa), most grains that are consumed as part of a normal diet tend to have a high carbohydrate content. Instead of focusing on increasing protein content, the focus is placed on micronutrition.

Vegetarian, vegan and vegetarian proteins

Supplementally, a rice/pea combination as well a blend of both soy and hemp are all viable options for vegan proteins. You can also make your own vegetable products from soy, if you can consume enough. There are also some microalgae-based protein sources, such as spirulina and chlorella.