We know that protein is an absolutely critical nutrient for ensuring growth, repair, and maintenance of muscle tissue.

Keeping protein relatively high is useful from both a muscle building and fat loss perspective.

And one of the simplest nutrition rules to follow is to make sure you are always getting adequate protein.

But some people still struggle to get adequate protein depending on dietary habits, lifestyle factors, and food preferences.

While there are a lot of different options available for protein sources, some are certainly better than others.

The Gold Standard For Protein Sources

Protein is made up of amino acids, both essential and non-essential:

Essential amino acids: cannot be produced by the body and must be obtained through dietary sources

Non-essential amino acids: can be manufactured by the body on its own

The amino acids found in protein sources are the building blocks of muscle tissue.

Complete proteins contain all of the essential amino acids necessary for the body to synthesize protein. Sources of complete proteins are things like meat, dairy, and eggs (others will be covered below). These are considered the gold standard for protein sources.

Incomplete proteins on the other hand, do not contain adequate amounts of all the essential amino acids. These are things like plant proteins.

A dietary shortage of one of the essential amino acids will impair muscle growth and development.

Therefore, the majority, if not all of your protein intake should come from complete protein sources.

If you are relying on an incomplete protein source as your main source of protein, it should be balanced with another protein that will round out the amino acid profile. So if one particular protein is deficient in a certain amino acid, the other protein you pair it with should make up for the deficit by containing adequate levels of that amino acid it is deficient in.

What About Nuts or What About ‘X’ For Protein?

I want to note that the foods included on the list below are the ones that derive the majority of their calories from protein.

Some of the most common questions I’m asked when it comes to which foods people can eat for protein are:

“What about nuts for protein?”

“Isn’t quinoa a good source of protein?”

Same thing for legumes, etc.

Look, there’s nothing wrong with them. Go ahead and eat them. They are not going to hurt you.

Do they contain protein?

Yes, they do. And there’s nothing wrong with the protein in them. However, the majority of calories in these items come from carbohydrate and/or fat. So while they do contain protein, they are not necessarily good protein sources.

If you eat these foods as your primary source of protein, you are going to accumulate a lot of additional carbohydrate and fat calories, and likely undershoot your protein targets.

If we look at quinoa for example:

A cooked 6 oz portion contains roughly:

• 8g protein
• 36g carb
• 3g fat

=203 calories

If you want to get 20 grams of protein from quinoa, you’re going to have to eat 15 ounces… which not only is a lot of quinoa, but also yields a lot of extra calories.

15 oz quinoa:

• 20g protein
• 90g carb
• 7.5g fat

=508 calories

For something like walnuts, ¼ cup (30 g) and you’re looking at:

• 5g protein
• 4g carb
• 20g fat

=216 calories

216 calories… and just 5g of protein, of which only 20 of those calories are actually coming from protein.

For a 200 calorie portion of a lean protein source, you can get 40+ grams of protein on average.

I think you get my point…

Top Protein Picks

The foods included below are ones that contain high quality protein, and get the majority of their calories from protein.

Poultry (Chicken or Turkey Breast)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chicken and turkey are a staple in most bodybuilding diets, and probably one of the first that comes to mind. The breast portion is a great lean source of protein. The thigh is also an option, but at the cost of additional fat content.

Red Meat

 

 

 

 

 

 

Red meat contains high amounts of natural creatine, b-vitamins, iron and zinc. All criticial micronutrients for muscle building.

Lean cuts of steak such as top sirloin or eye of round, or extra lean ground beef are both good options.

Wild Game meats such as bison, kangaroo, venison, or boar are other options. Game meats vary in leanness. Something like bison or kangaroo is very lean (comparable to chicken breast), while venison and boar contain more fat.

Whole Eggs

 

 

 

 

 

One whole egg contains about 6 grams of high quality protein. But keep in mind that the yolk of the egg also contains 5 grams of fat. Although there’s nothing wrong with fat itself (the fat in the yolk is actually very nutrient dense with valuable vitamins and minerals), consuming too many whole eggs can add up to a lot of fat, which can quickly bump up your overall caloric intake too high if you don’t monitor your intake.

Egg Whites

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When you don’t have much room for extra fat in your diet but need the extra protein, egg whites are your go-to.

The actual egg white itself is virtually pure protein, which makes a combination of whole eggs and egg whites a great option depending on your macronutrient targets and requirements.

Salmon

 

 

 

 

 

Salmon is known for its very high omega-3 content. Although fresh salmon usually tastes best, canned salmon is also an option.

Lean Fish

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Most types of fish are fairly lean sources of protein so I won’t list them all here, but some options include:

• Tuna
• Tilapia
• Mahi mahi
• Cod
• Halibut
• Sole

Shellfish

 

 

 

 

 

 

Most types of shellfish are also very lean, and a tasty option to get some variety in your diet when you get tired of sitting down to another chicken breast.

Some examples include:

• Shrimp
• Crab
• Clams
• Mussels
• Scallops

Whey Protein Powder

 

 

 

 

 

Whey is derived from milk, and although commonly thought of as a ‘supplement’, it is really just a whole food product and can be thought of and consumed the same way as any other food. I typically wouldn’t recommend relying on whey protein for more than two meals per day due to satiety reasons (it wont keep you full as long), but it’s still one of the most cost-effective and convenient ways to help you hit your protein targets.

Be sure to look for a powder that is low in carbohydrates and fat. 1 serving that has roughly 25g of protein should contain approximately 1-3g of carbohydrate and a gram of fat or less.

Greek Yogurt

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Greek Yogurt is rich in casein protein (a very slow digesting protein), and makes for a good snack. I often like to combine it with whey protein to get a mix of both fast and slow digesting proteins.

There are a lot of different things you can do with it, such as adding it to smoothies, making protein pudding, or having it with some nuts or granola.

Be mindful when choosing which greek yogurt to buy, as the macronutrient profiles can vary greatly depending on the type that you get.

For comparison’s sake:

1 cup of  Plain (unflavored) yields:

• 24g protein
• 8g carb
• 0 fat

= 128 calories

1 cup of Strawberry flavored yields:

• 17g protein
• 29g carb
• 0 fat

= 184 calories

Lean Pork

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pork tenderloin is actually a relatively lean source of protein, and doesn’t contain much more fat than a chicken breast. A pork chop on the other hand is slightly higher in fat.