What Are The Best Sources Of Protein?

What are the best sources of protein? Some of the best sources of protein are chicken, beef, turkey, fish, eggs, nuts, etc. The amount of protein you need depends on activity level, age, body size, etc.

The current minimum recommended dietary allowance, (RDA) is around 0.36 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight.  The types of people that need more protein than most are physically active people, pregnant women, older adults, and women that are breastfeeding.

What are the best sources of protein? Photo credit: iStock- Piotr_malczyk

Research has shown that physically active people need at least 0.54 to 0.9 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight per day.

Here are some foods that provide great sources of protein:

Almonds is high in plant-based protein, and it is rich in essential nutrients like fiber, vitamin E, manganese, and magnesium. Some of the health benefits of eating almonds is its ability to lower heart disease and lower all risk factors on cholesterol levels.

Chicken Breasts provide a great source of protein and provide B vitamins, zinc, and selenium.

Greek Yogurt is a type of yogurt that is high in protein and some of the nutrients it provides is calcium, vitamin B12, Vitamin A, selenium, zinc.

Beef is one of the most solid forms of protein out there. It also is high in iron, zinc, selenium, B12 and B6. It is perfectly ok to have red meat in your diet. You just need to make sure it is within moderation, so you are not exposing yourself to a higher risk of heart disease or higher cholesterol levels.

Fish has a good source of protein and provides important minerals and vitamins such as vitamin B12, iodine, selenium, and vitamin B6. Research has shown that people who eat fish tend to have a lower risk of health conditions like heart disease or type 2 diabetes.

Quinoa is a complete protein as it contains about nine of the essential amino acids that your body can’t make on its own. It contains fiber, zinc, copper, folate, etc.

Turkey Breast contains mostly protein and a little bit of fat. It is high in vitamins, minerals, selenium, zinc, Vitamin B-12, Vitamin B6, etc.

Pumpkin Seeds contains plant-based protein, fiber, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, etc.

Peanuts and peanut butter have nutrients such as protein, folate, magnesium, Vitamin E, etc. 2 teaspoons of peanut butter contain about 7.2 grams of protein.

The Bottom Line is there are many protein food sources to choose from such as chicken breast, turkey breast, fish, salmon, eggs, quinoa, lean beef, etc.

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References

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