Add These 6 High Protein Foods To Your Diet
As children, we’re taught that healthy food means fruits and vegetables… while unhealthy food means candy and chips.
But eating a balanced diet is a lot more complicated than that. You need to take in a healthy mix of fat, protein, and carbs.
The specific mix that’s best for your body varies from person to person. But there are a few guidelines that most people can follow without issue…. especially when it comes to protein. And those guidelines are covered here in this article.
TRENDING: Women Who Eat These 3 Cheeses Are Losing Pounds of Stubborn Belly Fat (Research Proven)Protein is important to your body for many reasons… so getting enough is important. And, generally, it can be delicious too!
Why Your Body Needs High Protein Foods
Your body needs a balance of all three macros—fat, protein, and carbs—to stay healthy.
Protein, however, is unique among the macros. That is because at your most basic level, you are made up of proteins.
Your DNA is made of protein. This means that every part of you is made up of protein, too.
And when your body needs repairs—whether it’s because of injury, working out, or illness—it uses protein to fix whatever needs fixing.
Protein is also an energy source. It takes longer for your body to burn protein than either fat or carbs.
Because of this, you are able to get longer-lasting energy boosts from high protein foods than any other. Protein also keeps you feeling full… which works as a sort of low-grade appetite control measure.
How Much Protein Does Your Body Need?
As mentioned above, the ideal macro balance is different for everyone. It depends on things like your activity level, chronic conditions you may have, and the way your body handles certain foods.
Generally speaking, however… there is a baseline for the amount of protein the average adult needs. Most people need 0.36 grams of protein per pound of body weight.
So to find your general protein requirements, simply multiply your weight in pounds by 0.36. Your answer is the amount of protein (in grams) that you need every day.
SPECIAL: Researcher Discovers The “Million-Year-Old” Diet That Allows This Tribe To Stay Slim & Healthy… Even While Eating SugarAnd of course there are some exceptions. Very active people—gym enthusiasts, serious athletes, and older people or people with conditions that break down protein—should double the answer from the equation given above.
However, unless you’re working out intensely four to five days a week for at least 30 minutes… you don’t need to double your protein intake. And many Americans already eat a lot of protein, so there is a good chance you’re already meeting your daily needs.
6 High Protein Powerhouse Foods
When most people think of high protein foods, they think of meat. Meat really is a great way to get certain kinds of protein because you get a ton of other minerals—especially iron—at the same time.
But protein comes in both plant and animals forms. Some, such as seitan (fermented gluten)… are even vegan and offer probiotics thanks to the fermentation process.
Unfortunately, these take some time to get used to and some practice to prepare well.
This shouldn’t stop you from trying them, of course. But if you want something that is easy to keep on-hand or stores well… the 6 high protein foods on this are great options!
1) Eggs
Some people might be surprised to see eggs on this list. After all, eggs have been given a pretty bad reputation since roughly the late ‘80s.
But it turns out that eggs might actually not be bad for you.
And if you’re looking for a good source of protein… then you should probably make sure you’re eating eggs a couple of times a week. Just one large egg offers 6g of protein… which is a pretty concentrated amount for so small a serving.
Of course, some people—myself included—just don’t like eggs. But don’t let that stop you!
Omelets and hash variations are a great way to bring in other textures and flavors so you get a wide range of nutrients and the protein of the egg… without a taste or texture you don’t like!
BRAND-NEW: 5 “Living Nutrients” That Can Trigger Rapid Fat Loss!2) Certain Kinds Of Cheese
Cheese is one of those foods that almost everyone loves. Something about the flavor and versatility of it just pulls most people in.
Well, as it turns out… some cheeses also give you a big boost of protein with all of that flavor.
Varieties like Parmesan, Swiss, and Gouda have about 36 grams of protein per 100 grams of cheese. Of course, those are just three options. There are at least 15 types of cheeses that can bring a tasty hit of protein to your next meal.
You can melt your chosen cheese onto a sandwich or over some noodles. Or you can put together a cheese board with some of your favorite fruits, olives, and crackers.
So long as you keep an eye on the cheese’s fat content, your stomach and your protein levels will thank you.
3) Greek Yogurt
A few years ago, it seemed like everyone was in love with Greek yogurt.
It appeared on restaurant menus and dessert cooking shows. Supermarkets started stocking up on brands and flavors that hadn’t been there before.
And then the fad seemed to fade away, which is a real shame… since plain Greek yogurt has very little sugar and 10-20 grams of protein per serving.
Greek yogurt’s other main benefit is that it is so versatile.
You can add it to smoothies to thicken them up. Adding fruit and honey turns it into a sweet, high-protein dessert. And pairing it with grilled meats and hot sauce turns it into a delicious dinner condiment.
4) Packaged Fish
I can see the face you’re making from here… but give me a chance! When most people think of packaged fish, their minds go to cans of lackluster tuna.
And while that tuna can turn into some great meals, it isn’t always the most appetizing thing at first glance.
But there are so many other options. Pouches of tuna have wildly different textures from the canned variety… while fish such as salmon and sardines are also sold in easy-to-use packs.
And if you’re still uncertain, you can always give Alton Brown’s sardine recipe a try. That man certainly knows how to turn the unappetizing into the delicious!
BRAND-NEW: This “Golden Herb” Supplement Reduces Chronic Pain & InflammationOn top of a high protein count, canned fish also offers a hearty dose of omega-3 fatty acids. These are known as healthy fats and they offer some great benefits you might not want to pass up.
5) Peanut Butter
If you want a shelf-stable source of protein and you don’t have a nut allergy… you can’t go wrong with peanut butter.
It does have a fairly high fat content compared to some other protein sources. But it is also wildly versatile and packs 8 grams of protein per 30 grams of peanut butter.
Now, you might be a little skeptical about its versatility. Most Americans only think of peanut butter in connection with a PB&J sandwich or peanut butter cookies.
But there are so many other uses. One of my favorites is a delicious savory-sweet peanut sauce that is delicious over vegetables.
6) Turkey
Most Americans don’t think of turkey unless it’s late November. And that really is a shame, since 100 grams of meat offers 30 grams of protein!
While a nice slice of roast turkey is delicious just about any day of the year… there are many other ways to work turkey into your diet. Even if you’re not a fan of the meat on its own, you might enjoy it in a pot pie.
If pot pie isn’t to your taste either, there are many ways to prepare this protein-packed bird. From chilis to casseroles to meatloaf, there is something for everyone.
The Takeaway
Protein is an important part of the human diet. It can come from plants or animals, which makes it easy for most people to get their daily amount.
SPECIAL: These 3 Delicious Smoothie Recipes Are Specially Designed To Burn Off More Fat… So You Lose More WeightWhether you prefer to source from plants, animals, or both… there are many options for high-quality, pantry-ready protein. Most of these options are easy to add to any number of recipes.
And once you find out the way you like to prepare them most… you can make your own recipes, so you have high-protein go-to meals anytime you need them!
Another Powerful Reason To Add More Protein To Your Diet…
One of the great things about high-protein foods is that they keep you feeling full for longer.
This is especially beneficial if you’re trying to lose weight… since the fuller you feel, the less you’ll eat!
But it gets better—did you know that protein can help you lose weight in another way, too?
That’s because protein can actually help your body burn more fat.
In fact, one recent study found that people who increased their protein intake by just 15-30% (which is a totally reasonable & doable amount)… increased their calorie burn by 441 calories every day!
So really, all you have to do is eat MORE protein in order to burn MORE fat!
And with delicious high-protein foods… like the ones in this article… that’s super easy (and tasty) to do.
So to get started on optimizing your body’s fat burn… here’s how much protein you should be eating to lose more weight… plus 2 more really easy tips, just like this one, for helping your body burn more fat: