Fitness and Health - One Day at a Time

List of High Protein Foods

Protein should be a part of your everyday diet and it can also help you achieve your fitness goals. Protein combined with a daily exercise routine can help you achieve that lean body you have been looking for or it can help you build lean muscle mass. In a previous post I answered How Many Grams of Protein Should I Eat in a Day? To follow up I thought it would be a good idea to compose a list of high protein foods. There are a variety of sources of protein out there that you can take advantage of, so let’s get started on that list of high protein foods.

List of High Protein foods from Animal Sources (Lean Meat):
We can start out the list of high protein foods with good old fashioned protein that you get from animal meat. We will focus on lean sources of protein so the effort you put forth in the gym or fitness center pays off.

1) Chicken – skinless baked, broiled, roasted or grilled (Focus on white meats)
2) Beef – focus on leaner cuts like sirloin tip steak and eye round roasts
3) Eggs – cut back on the yolk and just use the egg whites or use egg substitutes
4) Turkey – lean smoked or baked
5) Venison – steaks, sirloins, or ground
6) Pork – lean cuts like tenderloin or loin roasts
7) Buffalo – contains less fat and calories than chicken or beef
8) Ostrich – naturally low in fat and very low in saturated fat

List of High Protein foods from Seafood:
Seafood can give you ample amounts of the protein you need to feed your body while keeping the fat intake to a minimum. All of the listed seafood options are low in fat and calories. Remember not to fry these in fatty oils. Use healthier cooking alternatives such as baking or grilling.

1) Orange Roughy
2) Tuna
3) Salmon
4) Shrimp
5) Ocean Perch
6) Halibut
7) Haddock
8) Cod

List of High Protein foods from Dairy Products:
To continue the list of high protein foods we can move into the dairy category. Again we will focus on the lean sources of protein so you can maximize your efforts in the gym.

1) Milk – focus on 1% or skim
2) Cottage Cheese – great source of protein, lean towards low fat or fat free cottage cheese
3) Yogurt – go light or fat free

List of High Protein foods from Vegetarian Products:
Not everyone can eat meat day after day. Luckily there are plenty of vegetarian products out there that will help you get the daily protein you need.

1) Nuts – almonds, walnuts, cashews – get unsalted nuts to cut down on sodium, peanut butter
2) Soy Products – soy milk, tofu (firm), burgers – Tons of soy products out there, remember to check the nutrition label
3) Beans – black, white, kidney, lima, soy, pinto, chickpeas, vegetarian baked beans
4) Spinach
5) Tempeh
6) Vegetarian substitutes – veggie burgers, veggies dogs, etc.

List of High Protein foods from Supplements:
If you don’t have time to get your protein fix for the day, try one of the many protein supplements out there. These are packed with protein and are usually low in calories and fat.

1) Whey protein
2) Soy Protein
3) Egg Protein

Read my review of Meal Replacement Supplementsto better understand how protein supplements can help you.

posted by Oshburg @ Thursday, March 16, 2006