Tuesday, February 21, 2012

High Protein Foods


Getting your adequate daily protein intake can be challenging. Knowledge of good protein sources is a must, but organization in your daily routine is key.

To determine your suggested daily protein intake, take your weight in kilos and that should equal the minimum of how many grams of protein you should be having/day. For example, I weigh 56 kilos, so my daily protein intake is a minimum of 56 grams. Athletes can go to twice as much as their body weight in grams. Knowledge of great protein sources is the first step to getting enough.

Best sources of protein:
Source (100gr)                                Amount of Protein (gr)
Cheese, parmesean, hard                                       35.5
Beef, grass-fed lean steak                                        33
Chicken breast                                                            30
Tuna, yellowfin (not canned)                                 29
Turkey, lean                                                                 28
Salmon, Wild Atlantic                                         25.25
Sardines                                                                    24.6
Goat cheese, soft                                                     18.5
Egg, hard boiled or poached                               12.5
Kefir, plain                                                                    11
Yogurt, plain                                                                  8

Vegetarian Sources (100gr)         Amount of Protein (gr)
Soybeans, mature roasted                                   39.6
Pumpkin seeds, dried                                               30
Yeast extract (aka:Vegemite)                              27.8
Peanuts, dried                                                             25
Almonds                                                                        21
Tempeh, cooked                                                          18
Walnuts                                                                         15
Tofu, firm                                                                   12.7
Lentils                                                                           9.5      
Black beans, cooked                                                 8.9
Chickpeas, cooked                                                    8.6
Quinoa, cooked                                                             8
Oats, rolled                                                                     6         


Obviously, for the vegetarian protein sources, you have to consume a lot more to get your daily protein intake, which can result in additional calories, so be careful. However, the foods above, although many are high in fat, they are all sources of healthy fats and high in fiber.

Protein powders and protein bars can be great sources as well, however, should be considered supplementary. Many of powders and bars come with some unfriendly ingredients, so be weary.

Now that you know what to eat, stock up. Most dietary mishaps occur because we are not organized. If we have the right foods on hand with the time to prepare them, there is no excuse to be reaching for wrong items.

Resources:
 USDA – Virtual Nutritionist – www.virtualnutritionist.com

                                   


No comments:

Post a Comment