Top 9 Protein Rich Foods
We’re going to talk about 9 high protein foods that are delicious, will help you reach your protein goal and your weight loss goals.
let’s talk about my top 9 high protein delicious foods to help you reach your weight loss goals.
Getting enough protein every day is essential for overall health. It is essential for weight loss and it is the most important macronutrient for you to make sure that you’re consuming enough of every single day.
And as a reminder, the three macronutrients are protein, carbs, and fats.
All of these are essential, but protein takes the cake for the numero uno spot of most important. Top 9 Protein Rich Foods
Protein helps keep you full and satisfied, and protein is really good for your overall health.
It is really important to make sure that you eat enough protein daily, not only just to keep you full and for your health, but to also build and maintain your lean muscle.
We naturally lose lean muscle as we age, so it’s important to combat that loss with strength training as well as eating enough protein.
And if you’re in the phase of your life that you are trying to build, muscle protein becomes even more important.
You should actually be having protein with every single meal and snack. There should not be a meal or snack that you consume during the day that doesn’t include a source of protein.
Now, you might be wondering, well, how much protein am I supposed to have? That is where personalized macros and calories comes in.
Definitely have your macros and calories done so you know what your protein goal is as well as the other calorie and macronutrient goals. So high protein, healthy food, number one is going to be eggs.Top 9 Protein Rich Foods
Eggs
Eggs are a powerhouse of protein and healthy fat, and it is shown study after study that having eggs for breakfast actually helps boost weight loss and we’re talking whole eggs.
The white, the yolk, the whole egg. Eggs are an excellent source of vitamins, minerals, healthy fats and antioxidants.
Remember that egg whites are almost pure protein, but whole eggs that include the yolk provide many more nutrients including vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and healthy fats. Top 9 Protein Rich Foods
One whole egg has 6.3 grams of protein. That’s pretty incredible for only about 70 calories.
Almonds
Food at number two is almonds and an honorable mention for great nuts and seeds that have a good amount of protein is also going to be pumpkin seeds.
But let’s go ahead and focus on almonds. Almonds are a nutritious tree nut rich in essential nutrients like fiber, vitamin E, manganese, and magnesium.
They’re also high in plant-based protein. Eating almonds may benefit your health in several ways, including lowering heart disease.
Risk factors like high LDL, the bad cholesterol and high blood pressure, one ounce of almonds, 28 grams is going to give you six grams of good quality plant-based protein, pistachios and cashews are also great nut options that deliver protein and like I said, pumpkin seeds for the seed family or one of the best that you can consume for protein and healthy fat.
Cottage cheese
Number four is a staple in my life. This is a food I eat every single day, and that is cottage cheese. Top 9 Protein Rich Foods
Cottage cheese is a type of cheese that is low in fat and calories yet high in protein. It’s rich in calcium, phosphorus, selenium, vitamin B12 riboflavin, which is vitamin B two and various other nutrients.
One cup of cottage cheese is going to give you 28 grams of protein. That’s the same amount of protein in chicken breast and that’s in one cup.
Top it with your favorite fruit for some healthy carbs and some fiber. Make savory cottage cheese. There’s a lot of things you can do with cottage cheese.
We all know about blending it up and making dips out of it, melting it down. If you are someone who doesn’t like the texture of cottage cheese, melt it down, put it in your eggs, it melts like cheese.Top 9 Protein Rich Foods
You’ll never know it’s there, but you’ll get in all of that Protein.
Greek yogurt
Number five is another staple for me, and this is going to be Greek yogurt, whether it’s plain flavored, non-fat, full fat, of course, watch your sugar and added sugar in flavored yogurts, but Greek yogurt is an amazing source of protein.
Greek yogurt, also called strained yogurt, is a very thick type of yogurt high in protein.
It has a creamy texture and is a good source of many nutrients like calcium, Vitamin B12, vitamin A, selenium and Z one seven ounce container of Greek yogurt is going to deliver about 18 grams of protein.
Again, that is a huge bang for your protein above unsweetened low fat yogurts can give you about 12 to 15 grams per little cup. Top 9 Protein Rich Foods
It’s just a really great addition to your diet, and you can substitute plain non-fat or whole milk creek yogurt for things like sour cream.
You can make dips and spreads out of it, and that way you still get that tang and texture of sour cream in the like, but you’re getting in a lot more protein.
Lentils
Next up is lentils, and this may come as a surprise because people often put beans in a bad category saying they’re full of carbohydrates.
Now granted, they are a source of carbohydrates. They’re also a source of fiber and a source of protein and lentils.
Lentils are some of the best that you can get for your protein. Lentils are among the richest source of plant-based protein, making them an excellent choice.
If you follow a vegetarian or vegan diet, they’re loaded with other nutrients like fiber, folate, magnesium, potassium, iron, copper, and manganese.
Studies show that people who regularly consume lentils and other legumes have a lower risk of developing health conditions like heart disease and fatty liver disease.
A hundred grams or about a half of a cup of lentils is going to give you nine grams of protein. Top 9 Protein Rich Foods
That’s pretty impressive in a legume, chickpeas and black beans. Those are other excellent sources of protein and these are really good plant-based proteins.
Quinoa
Next up is going to be quinoa and queen. Quinoa also gets not a bad wrap, but people don’t associate quinoa as a source of protein.
They associate quinoa, kind of like lentils as more of a source of carbohydrates. And similar to lentils, yes, it has carbohydrates, but quinoa, quinoa’s an excellent source of protein.
It’s a great rice or pasta substitute, and it’s actually one of the world’s best superfoods.
Quinoa is rich in fiber, folate, copper, iron, and zinc, and it’s higher in protein than many grains out there. Top 9 Protein Rich Foods
Quinoa is often referred to as a complete protein because it contains all nine essential amino acids that your body cannot make on its own.
One cup of cooked quinoa is going to give you eight grams of protein. I don’t know, another rice or pasta out there that is going to deliver that amount of protein for the amount of calories that’s in quinoa.
And like I said, it’s packed full of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients, and it’s a hundred percent a complete protein. That’s pretty impressive.
Protein powders
Next is going to be protein powders. Now of course you can do protein shakes and bars in this category, but I really like a good protein powder because it’s so incredibly versatile.
When you’re pressed for time and unable to prep a meal, protein powder can come in handy.
You can easily add protein powders like whey and pea protein to shake smoothies, energy balls, yogurt, and more to increase the protein and fullness factor.
Now, you’re going to get anywhere between 15 and 30 grams of protein per scoop of protein powder.Top 9 Protein Rich Foods
Uh, this is of course, depending on the brand and type of protein you choose. Now, plant-based proteins, pea proteins, those are actually going to have less protein than whey protein.
Now, if you’re similar to whey, use those plant-based and pea proteins, but just know you’re going to get a little bit less protein per scoop.
Now, I have a few favorite brands of protein, clean simple Eats and devotion are my all time favorite brands of protein.
I literally eat clean, simple eats protein every single day. You can bake with them. You can make waffles and pancakes.
I love devotion for that Just having a few protein powders in your house is really great for when you’re in a time crunch or when you just need to add in some extra protein to reach your protein goal.
Ezekiel bread
Now, Next may come as a bit of a surprise as well, and this is going to be Ezekiel bread. Now, bread in general, people are like, no, bread’s a carbohydrate It’s bad.
Not all breads are created equal, and Ezekiel Bread is actually an excellent source of whole grains, fiber and protein.
Ezekie bread is different from most other breads. It’s made of organic and sprouted whole grains and legumes, including millet, barley, spelt wheat, soybeans, and lentils compared with other breads like white bread.
Ezekiel bread is high in protein, fiber, and various important nutrients. One slice of Ezekiel Bread delivers six grams of protein. Top 9 Protein Rich Foods
That’s amazing, six grams of protein in your bread. Now you typically find Ezekiel bread in the frozen section of your grocery store or health food store.
Some stores keep it in the regular bread section like Trader Joe’s and Sprouts. It’s in the regular bread section, but typically you can find it in the freezer section.
Now, there’s different types of Ezekiel bread out there. There’s different brands of sprouted bread.
The nutrients and the nutrition information is going to vary, but you can look at anywhere from about six to eight grams of protein per slice,
Peanut butter
Last One is going to be peanuts and peanut butter. Peanut butter also gets a bad wrap. Oh, it’s so high in calories and fat.
Now granted, peanuts and peanut butter are more a source of fat than protein, but they do contain protein as well, and putting those two together is a powerful combination.
Peanuts and peanut butter are packed with nutrients like protein, folate, magnesium and vitamin E. Top 9 Protein Rich Foods
Eating peanuts and peanut butter may help you feel full due to their high protein content.
And in fact, studies show that adding peanut butter to a high carb meal can help reduce blood sugar spikes after the meal.
Now, one, serving a peanut butter is going to give you between seven and eight grams of protein, and a one ounce serving or 28 grams of peanuts is going to give you about seven grams of protein as well.
Now, one of my favorite things to do is to take a rice cake and put peanut butter on it. That is exactly what we’re talking about here, is pairing peanut butter with a carb.
Putting those two together so that it helps regulate your blood sugar. It’s a great pre and post-workout snack Or if you’re craving something sweet and crunchy, that’s an excellent choice.
A rice cake with some peanut butter, and make sure that you’re including peanuts and peanut butter in your diet. Top 9 Protein Rich Foods
These are not bad foods. These are healthy, great sources of protein and fat. Getting in enough protein is essential for your health, not just for weight loss and containing in maintaining build muscle, but for your overall health.
Everybody is different, so everybody’s going to have different protein needs. Again, that is why I recommend having your personalized macros and calories done so you know what your protein goal is every single day.