Foods high in protein should be a diet staple for everyone. In addition to being essential for proper muscle growth and development, new research indicates that foods high in protein also preserve healthy muscle mass.
Foods high in protein are the best source for the protein that your body needs to stay healthy. Eating foods that are high in protein as part of a regular balanced diet is better than trying to get the protein you need from supplements.
However, a delicious protein shake in between meals is a great weight to keep your metabolism up and running without eating a harmful snack to fight off midday munchies, etc.
Why We Need Protein Every Day
You hear all the time about foods high in protein, protein shakes, protein bars, protein this and protein that, but do you really know why protein is so important for good health?
The bones, tissues and nerves of the body are mostly made up of protein. Protein aids in cell structure, growth, hormone production, tissue repair and enzyme production. Amino acids make up protein. The body produces some amino acids known as nonessential amino acids. The essential amino acids in the body we must get from eating foods high in protein.
Proteins that contain all of the essential amino acids are known as complete proteins. Complete proteins can be found in milk, meat and eggs. Incomplete proteins come from plant sources and do not contain all of the essential amino acids.
Adult women need forty-six grams of protein each day; adult men need fifty-six grams per day. If you pay attention, you will notice that there are a lot of protein shakes currently available on the market. If you notice how they are marketed, you will see that the majority of protein shake drinkers are bodybuilders.
This leads many people to the belief that by drinking the protein shakes he or she going to build muscle. However, this is simply just not the case. As a matter of fact, the more protein you have in your body, the more calories you have in your body and the more sugar you have in your body that is broken down and stored as fat.
A List of High Protein Foods
The biggest problem that you will run into when you are trying to eat more foods high in protein is that most are also high in saturated fat.
If you need to add a little more protein to your regular diet, try including some of these delicious foods high in protein and low in fat, such as:
- Almonds
- Baked potato
- Broiled beefsteak
- Cashews
- Cheddar cheese
- Cheese pizza
- Cooked broccoli
- Cooked corn
- Cooked kidney beans
- Cooked lentils
- Cooked macaroni
- Cooked rice
- Cooked split peas
- Cottage cheese
- Eggs
- Extra lean hamburger
- Fish
- Lentil soup
- Low fat yogurt
- Peanuts and peanut butter
- Roasted chicken breast
- Skim milk
- Soymilk
- Tofu
- Turkey
- Water-packed tuna
- Whole milk
By adding just a few of the items on this list to your meals this week, you will effectively give your body the necessary tools it must have to grow and maintain healthy muscle mass, as well as improved overall health and well-being.
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