Best Food For High Protein

Choosing the best protein-rich food is easy as long as you know what you’re looking for. One food source is not made up of purely protein, we need to understand what it comes with to know if it will fit the diet we chose or more importantly, the diet that is best for us.

When we say protein we immediately think red meat and fish. But a 6-ounce grilled porter house steak, for example, contains about 38grams of protein, but it also has 44grams of fat. 16grams of which is unsaturated. Red meat also has cholesterol, vitamin a, riboflavin, beta-carotene, potassium, calcium, iron, zinc and the list goes on. Beans, nuts and wheat are also high in protein but it also has healthy fiber content and vitamins. We need all of these but how much depends on our diet.

Below is a simple list of protein-rich food. This should be useful not only for people who religiously checks the nutrient content of everything they put in their mouths but also for those who are starting to watch what they eat.

Beef
* ¼ lb Burger Patty – 28 grams of protein
* 1lb Broiled Steak – 38 grams of protein
* ¼ lb of other beef cuts – 28 grams of protein

Chicken
* Chicken breast, 3.5 oz - 30 grams protein
* Chicken thigh – 10 grams (for average size)
* Drumstick – 11 grams
* Wing – 6 grams
* Chicken meat, cooked, 4 oz – 35 grams

Fish
* Most fish fillets or steaks are about 22 grams of protein for 3 ½ oz (100 grams) of cooked fish, or 6 grams per ounce
* Tuna, 6 oz can - 40 grams of protein

Pork
* Pork chop, average - 22 grams protein
* Pork loin or tenderloin, 4 oz – 29 grams
* Ham, 3 oz serving – 19 grams
* Ground pork, 1 oz raw – 5 grams; 3 oz cooked – 22 grams
* Bacon, 1 slice – 3 grams
* Canadian-style bacon (back bacon), slice – 5 – 6 grams

Eggs and dairy
* Egg, large - 6 grams protein
* Milk, 1 cup - 8 grams
* Cottage cheese, 1 cup - 30 grams
* Yogurt, 1 cup – usually 8-12 grams, check label
* Soft cheeses (Mozzarella, Brie, Camembert) – 6 grams per oz
* Medium cheeses (Cheddar, Swiss) – 7 or 8 grams per oz
* Hard cheeses (Parmesan) – 10 grams per oz

Beans including soy
* Tofu, 1 cup - 40 grams protein
* Tofu, 1 lb - 37 grams
* Soy milk, 1 cup - 6 -10 grams
* Soy beans, 1 cup cooked – 28 grams protein
* Split peas, 1 cup cooked – 16 grams

Nuts and seeds
* Almonds, 1 cup – 32 grams
* Peanuts, 1 cup – 36 grams
* Cashews, 1 cup – 20 grams
* Pecans, 1 cup – 10 grams
* Sunflower seeds, 1cup – 24 grams
* Pumpkin seeds, 1 cup – 32 grams
* Flax seeds – 1 cup – 32 grams

Chicken and fish are favorites for people who does not want too many calories and unsaturated fat in their high protein diet. For vegetarians who need high doses of protein soy, nuts and beans are prefered. Ovolactovegetarians eat poultry like egg(usually the whites) and milk to get higher doses of protein. These days there are also alternatives like ready to drink protein sticks and powdered whey protein that body builders use to make shakes.