List of High Protein Foods

A good, easy to use list of high protein foods may be more important than you realize.

You can go directly to the list of high protein foods now. Or keep on reading to better understand how healthy protein rich foods can help you lose weight, look and feel your best, build resistance to disease and have more sustained energy.

Are Foods High in Protein Good or Bad?

There are people all around the world who don't get enough protein. Protein malnutrition can lead to a condition (kwashiorkor) that causes growth failure in children, a weakened heart and respiratory system, loss of muscle mass, low immunity and even death.

But in the U.S. and other developed countries, most everyone manages to get enough protein. The exceptions are some vegetarians and those on extreme weight loss diets.

However, although most people get enough protein, few get great quality and optimum amounts. This is because high levels of saturated fat come along with most of our modern protein choices, leading to obesity, diabetes, stroke and heart disease.

Much of your body is made up of protein, which is necessary for balanced hormones and the structure, growth, proper functioning and repair of all your 73 trillion living cells.

So it's vitally important to get an optimum amount of the right kind of protein rich foods in your diet by paying close attention to the entire package in your protein food choices.

Optimum and Complete Protein Foods

Scientists say that the minimum daily requirement of protein (to avoid malnutrition and deficiency diseases) is 7 grams for every 20 pounds of body weight. So, if you weigh 150 pounds, you'd need a bare minimum of 53 grams of complete protein a day.

They also know that you need calcium to digest protein. And, if you're not getting enough calcium, your body will leach it from your bone structure, causing weak bones.

The scientific rule of thumb for optimum protein intake is half your ideal body weight. This means that a person whose normal healthy weight is 150 pounds should ideally get 75 grams of complete protein instead of the minimum 53 grams.

Complete protein has all 8 of the essential amino acids (9 are essential for children). Essential means your body can't manufacture that amino acid.

Animal sources tend to be complete, while vegetable sources are mainly incomplete.

But even though fruits, vegetables, grains, beans and nuts are lacking or low in one or more of the essential amino acids, some combinations, when eaten together, make up a good complete protein. An excellent example is beans and brown rice.

Using Your List of High Protein Foods

Remember, it's the protein package that makes the difference to your health.

For example, a 6-ounce steak that has 38 grams of complete protein, can also have 44 total grams of fat, with a whopping 16 grams of saturated fat.

The same amount of salmon provides 34 grams of protein, with 18 grams of beneficial fats, such as omega 3. And one cup of cooked beans served with a half cup of brown rice has about 25 grams of complete protein, with less than 2 total grams of fat.

Use your list of high protein foods wisely and, without any downside, you'll get all of the extraordinary health benefits that high quality protein foods can provide.

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Note: The information contained on this website is not intended to be prescriptive. Any attempt to diagnose or treat an illness should come under the direction of a physician who is familiar with nutritional therapy.

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