MyAchyBack Potential Pain Solution: Weight Loss
Weight Loss Feature Article
EAT LEAN AND GET LEAN
High Protein Foods - Top 5 Lean Protein Nutrients To Build Muscle
How do you find the best protein foods? How can you tell if a protein food is lean or gives you great nutrition? Learn these terms and use this guide to help you make better choices.
- Very Lean Protein: 0-1 gram fat per oz and 30-35 calories.
- Lean Protein: 1-3 grams fat per oz and 50-55 calories.
- High Quality Protein: foods that have all of building blocks to make muscle tissue and body proteins. These are usually from animal sources and may or may not be lean.
- Incomplete Protein: Plant proteins that may have one or more building blocks missing so they are eaten in combination. Plant foods are usually very lean.
#1 Eggs: the very highest quality protein and most similar to our body's
tissue are eggs. A regular size whole egg contains 70 calories, 5 grams of fat
and 280 mg of cholesterol.
It can be easily fit into a healthy diet even if you are watching your
waistline. You can enjoy eggs and lower calories and fat by using egg whites in
all or part of your recipes. Try
any one of the many low fat liquid egg products on the market today. These are
extremely lean ways to use eggs in baked goods, filled omelets, coating foods
or in meatloaf-type recipes.
#2 Dairy: Another very high quality protein food includes the dairy food group of milk, yogurt, and cheese. You must choose these foods carefully because calories and fat can easily add up. The very leanest choices include non-fat or low fat milk, yogurt or cheese. Low fat cheeses are usually soft types and include feta, ricotta or cottage cheese. You can also find tasty low fat cheeses like cheddar, Swiss, havarti or mozzarella. Whey protein, popular today in lots of protein shakes, is actually made from milk protein and can be another lean protein choice.
#3 Fish: Super healthy and packed with lean protein! The very leanest
choices include white-fleshed fish like flounder or tilapia as well as most
shellfish like lobster. Dark meat fish like tuna and salmon are also lean and
the fat it does have is very healthy. These fish oils help your body regulate your
hormones and metabolism and can help reduce inflammation. The health benefits
are huge, just watch out how the fish is prepared. Watch out for store bought
tuna salad, deep fried fish or super saucy dips and dressings because this can
easily blow a calorie budget and cancel out the benefits of choosing fish as a
lean protein.
#4 Poultry & Meat: The trick to selecting meats and poultry is to
pay attention to the cut of meat that you will eat instead of whether it is red
or white meat. While it is true that white meats are generally leaner than red
varieties, you can include either in a healthy diet. Lean cuts of meat
include the tenderloin, round or center cut. Ground meats will be higher in fat
because it is mixed in during processing. Don't forget about specialty meats
like buffalo or ostrich. Both are full flavored and are extremely lean proteins.
#5 Vegetables and Grains: Plants have protein! They are naturally lean and are extremely healthy foods. Look for lentils and different types of beans like black beans, chickpeas or soy nuts and combine them with whole grains like barley or cracked wheat. These combinations make complete proteins and have all of the building blocks to make muscle. Low fat tofu or soy foods like veggie burgers, tempeh or seitan are also lean and healthful and are available in many groceries.
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