If you’ve done your homework regarding important nutrients in your diet, then by now you probably have an inking as to why you need lots of protein in your diet (and why so many people drink protein shakes).
Your muscles use up protein to rebuild your muscles. So, after a grueling workout at your nearby UFC Gym, you can make sure you take in lots of protein for your stressed muscles.
You feel more satiated when you eat a protein rich meal, which reduces your cravings for in-between-meals snacks. It strengthens your skin, cartilage, and bones, and it also build antibodies to fight off infection. People who consume more protein generally have lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure, and a significantly low risk of fractures and osteoporosis as they get older.
But aside from protein shakes, what foods are the best sources for protein? Here are some foods you should try to include in your diet to make sure you’re getting enough protein. We opted for low-carb options, since most people these days already take too much carbs in their diet.
Chicken Breast
This is an excellent source of protein, as your typical 130g of chicken breast gets you 34g of protein. What’s more, it’s considered a complete source of protein as you also get the 9 essential amino acids you need to maintain your health.
Greek Yogurt
A hundred grams of Greek yogurt gets you 10g of protein, which is around twice as much protein as you get from regular yogurt. It also contains a healthy dose of calcium, which helps not only with bone strength but also with muscle contraction.
Your best bet here is to opt for unflavored Greek yogurt and just top it off with fresh fruit.
Peanut Butter
A spoonful of peanut butter (that’s about 30 grams) gets you 8g of protein, so it’s a great snack. Instead of putting the peanut butter on bread, reduce the carb content by putting this on celery stalks instead. A whole stalk of celery only comes with 1.2g of carbs.
Just be mindful of the calorie content, though. Each spoonful of peanut butter also comes with 172 calories. You might not lose weight with 5 spoonfuls of peanut butter for your afternoon snack.
Ezekiel Bread
In most cases, bread is more known for its carb content than for the protein it can get you. But Ezekiel bread is the exception to the rule, as it’s a complete source of plant-based protein (which means you also get the 9 essential amino acids).
It doesn’t hurt that this bread also contains lots of healthy nutrients. You’ll get dietary fiber (which makes you feel full), vitamins C and E, and folate.
Snack Cheese
The amount of protein you get really depends on the type of cheese you’re munching on. Your best bets are gouda, edam, pecorino, Swiss, and parmesan cheese. That gets you anywhere from 26g to 35g of protein for each 100g serving, with only about 1.3g of carbs.
Lean Beef
Yes, it’s true that your doctor might have warned you about eating too much red meat. But lean beef like steaks isn’t all that bad if you only eat it every now and then. You can then get 26.4g of protein for each 100g serving of the lean beef, and you get lots of amino acids as well.
You’ll also get plenty of iron (which your body uses to release cell energy) and zinc (which is helpful in maintaining testosterone levels).
Pumpkin Seeds
Each 30g serving of pumpkin seeds gets you 9g of protein, so you can just snack on these seeds. What’s more, you get as much as 20% of your body’s daily zinc requirement with each handful.
Perhaps the only problem with pumpkin seeds is that they’re not really all that tasty as is. But you can coat the seeds in Tamari, before you toast them in the oven. That should get you a flavorful snack!
With these protein snacks, you may not even need a lot of protein shakes throughout the day.