High-protein diets are very hip nowadays, due to their efficiency in helping people shed pounds quickly, but it's important to remember that your body needs more than only protein: you should always balance your meals with vegetables, fruits and grains, so you can have good sources of vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates and essential fats.
The top ten best high protein foods are listed below with options for vegetarians and vegans as well!
1. Chicken Breast
The number one best high-protein food is definitely the chicken breast, with 30 grams of protein in a 3.5 oz. piece. Always give preference to boneless, skinless chicken breast, which has only about 10 grams of fat, depending on how you prepare it.
The breast is the leanest part of the chicken and the best way to prepare it is grilled, so you can keep it low fat.
A few suggestions for consumption are having it in a salad or with a side of vegetables and brown rice, so you can have some good carbohydrates and vitamins as well. A very popular dish among dieters is the grilled chicken salad, which is fast and simple to prepare and has few calories, besides being very filling.
2. Turkey Breast
Turkey breast is the second best food as a source of lean protein, offering 19 grams of protein and 3 grams of fat in a 3 oz. roasted piece. Turkey is also a great source of iron, zinc, phosphorus, potassium and B vitamins. Healthy ways of eating it are as deli meat in sandwiches, cooked, baked, grilled or ground, as long as you don't use oil, butter nor any type of stuffing.
The good old turkey sandwich your mom used to make is still a great option if you want a fast low fat, low calorie lunch: use whole wheat bread and you will have lean protein and good carbohydrates together.
3. Tuna
Tuna comes in third place in our high-protein foods list, with 40 grams of protein and 6 grams of fat per 6 oz. can. This is the nutritional value for a water packed, solid white can of tuna; obviously, if you use an oil packed can the numbers will be higher.
The most common ways of consuming tuna are using it in a salad or as a sandwich, but if you get creative the possibilities are limitless.
For example, here is a healthy, fast and tasty recipe: In a large skillet, add one tablespoon of oil and cook 1 chopped onion and 2 crushed garlic cloves until translucent. Add broccoli florets and mushrooms and cook for 3 minutes; add a can of white tuna and a can of chopped tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes more. Now just mix in cooked brown rice and you have a low fat, low calorie dinner!
4. Salmon
Rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, tasty, versatile and high in proteins, salmon is our 4th top ten best high protein food. A jack of all trades, salmon can be roasted, baked, broiled, grilled and even eaten raw (sashimi and sushi).
Very low in calories, a 3 oz. piece of salmon comes with 23 grams of protein and 9 grams of fat.
5. Eggs
Eggs: the first vegetarian food in our list! There is a lot of discussion as to how healthy eggs are due to their cholesterol levels. One large egg has 213 milligrams of cholesterol, 5 grams of fat and 6 grams of protein. Although a diet high in dietary cholesterol can elevate blood cholesterol levels, it is not clear how much of an impact it actually has.
Some scientists argue that saturated fat and trans fat (found mainly in butter, pork, beef, cream and cheese) are worse than dietary cholesterol and, very recently, even the American Heart Association announced that you can have one egg daily as long as you control your other sources of dietary cholesterol. The recommended amount of dietary cholesterol per day is 300 milligrams if the person is healthy. For people who suffer from high blood cholesterol levels, it is recommended to consume less than 200 milligrams in a day.
6. Milk
Milk, not nectar, is definitely the beverage of the gods. The benefits of milk are numerous: it helps to prevent osteoporosis, hypertension, colon cancer and may help to reduce the risk of kidney stones.
It is already known to many people that milk has calcium, so it is good for the bones and the teeth, reducing the incidence of tooth decay. What most people DON'T know is that milk is also an exercise recovery drink: it has been shown in studies that the ratio of carbohydrates and protein found in milk helps the resynthesis of glycogen after strenuous exercise, meaning that it reduces exercise-induced muscle damage.
Best is to drink either skim or lowfat (1%) milk; both provide you with 8 grams of protein per 8 oz. glass, but skim milk doesn't have any fat whereas lowfat milk has 3 grams of it.
7. Cottage Cheese
A big favorite among dieters, cottage cheese is great in entrees, salads, side dishes and desserts. It can be eaten as a snack, alone, in sandwiches or with fruit. Besides being a high protein food, it is also low in fat and in carbohydrates and a good source of calcium and vitamin D.
One cup (8 oz.) of lowfat (1%) cottage cheese has 28 grams of protein and only 4 grams of fat.
8. Almonds, Peanuts, Cashews
Our number eight top foods are commonly thought of as nuts, although in fact, they are drupes and legumes, meaning they are actually in the fruit family. Besides making a good snack, these pseudo-nuts offer great health benefits, helping to prevent osteoporosis, heart diseases and even cancer.
Almonds, peanuts and cashews are excellent sources of vitamin E, protein, dietary fiber, magnesium, copper, phosphorus, potassium, selenium and folate. Once ounce of almonds has 6 grams of protein and 14 grams of fat; peanuts have 7 grams of protein and 14 grams of fat and cashews have 5 grams of protein and 12 grams of fat.
Although it seems like these foods contain a lot of fat, they are mostly unsaturated and monounsaturated fat, the type that helps to raise the levels of good cholesterol in your blood, protecting against cardiovascular disease.
9. Peanut Butter
A peanut butter sandwich, the most popular kids' lunch, is the perfect combination of protein, good fats and carbohydrates. If you make it with whole wheat bread, it is even better, because then you are adding fiber to it.
Peanut butter offers 8 grams of protein and 16 grams of fat per 2 tablespoons. Don't be fooled by the high amount of fat: as we said above, the fat in peanuts is mostly monounsaturated fat, which is actually good for you.
10. Yogurt
A delicious snack, lowfat yogurt offers between 8 to 12 grams of protein and 2 to 4 grams of fat per cup. It is perfect for diets, because it has low calories and gives a sensation of satiety, which will make you feel fuller for longer.
