There are various macronutrients necessary for the human body and protein is one of them. Protein is responsible for maintaining good health and you should consume it every day to fulfill varied needs of the body. Before you go ahead and increase your protein intake, there are certain things you need to know such as – daily allowance of protein for the men is 56 grams per day and 46 grams per day for women.
And the types of protein you are including in your diet will also make a huge difference on your weight loss. It is important more amount of lean and low-fat sources of protein are added.
What Is Protein And Why It Is Important?
Protein is one of the key macronutrients along with fat and carbs. Protein is made of small units known as “amino acids”. There are 22 amino acids and out of them, 9 should be consumed as your body is not able to make them. Entirely depending on their amino acid profile, some foods will provide you better protein as compared to others.
Generally, animal products are considered as complete protein as they contain all the essential amino acids, in the right amount, required by your body. Some of the common ones are eggs, meat, poultry, and fish.
Protein tends to play following important roles in your body –
- Enzymes – Majority of the enzymes are proteins and different chemical reactions that take place in your body are guided by them.
- Repair & Maintenance – Protein is a key component of your hair, bones skin, and muscles. With the help of new protein, these tissues are continuously replaced.
- Transportation & Storage – There are various proteins delivering key molecules, throughout your body, where they are required. For instance – proteins hemoglobin is responsible for carrying oxygen to the blood cells.
- Hormones – Chemical messenger proteins let the cells and organs communicate with each other.
Let us discuss top 7 high protein diets for weight loss as suggested by US Department of Agriculture.
The recommended amount is 1 Ounce is equal to 7 Grams of Protein
If you really want to have a huge boost of healthy protein then make sure you have incorporated fish, lean meat, and various other poultry products including turkey, tuna, salmon, and sole. Even an average chicken breast or salmon fillet will give you from 4 ounces to 8 ounces of protein.
All those people turning to high protein diets prefer adding lean chicken breasts and fish to their diets as they are known to offer various health-related benefits and they are low in fat as well. In order to have desired results, make sure you have avoided breaded or fried fish or chicken.
1 Egg contains 6 Grams of Protein
Eating one or two eggs every day is an effective way of adding a healthy amount of protein to your daily diet. If you have a tight schedule and it is not possible to make eggs before you go to work or college, don’t worry you can opt to hard boil 5-6 eggs at the beginning of the week and you can have them in the morning.
In case, you are one of those individuals who dislike the taste of the egg then you can whip one or two eggs and include them in your morning smoothie and you won’t be able to taste them at all.
Eggs contain small shares of key vitamins and minerals including Vitamin B5, selenium, Vitamin E, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, iron, manganese, potassium, zinc, calcium, and Folate.
1 Ounce is equal to 1 Gram of Protein
When you drink a glass of milk every day, you are actually giving your body both protein and calcium, both of them are good for your bones. If you are not into drinking raw milk, then you can add it into your smoothie or with a bowl of cereal to provide your body the much-needed nutrients.
If you have an allergy to casein or an intolerance to milk products, then you can also go for various milk substitutes including – soy milk containing 8 grams of protein per cup. In addition, there are following benefits of drinking milk –
- Alleviate PMS symptoms.
- Boosts energy.
- Cut down stress levels.
- Fights diseases.
- Muscle growth.
- Healthy bones.
- Amazing complexion.
1 Ounce is equal to 7 Grams of Protein
Cheese is a carrier of healthy protein as long as you have monitored your servings. Having few slices of cheese regularly will boost your protein intake considerably. When it comes to protein value, make sure you know that 1 ounce of cheese is equal to 1 ounce of chicken. Swiss and cheddar hard cheeses contain 100 calories per ounce.
If you really like cheese, then you can also go for naturally lighter options including shredded Parmesan cheese (containing 20 calories per tablespoon) and soft Camembert (containing 85 calories per ounce) and also feta cheese and goat’s cheese (containing 75 calories per ounce).
½ cup is equal to 9 Grams of Protein
If you are looking to add lentils to your diet, then you have the convenience of choosing from a wide variety. You can have lentils in different colors, shapes, and sizes, you will often find them in various Mediterranean diets. Lentils is a valuable non-meat protein option for the vegans, they are low in calories and high in fiber, therefore you will feel full for a longer duration.
The healthy legume is known to reduce the blood cholesterol levels and with its healthy source of soluble fiber, it helps in keeping the cholesterol levels healthy. Lentils is also known to reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke, and cardiovascular disease. Being an important source of fiber, lentils also offer protection to your arteries by keeping them clear of dangerous plaque.
1 Ounce is equal to 7 Grams of Protein
If you are fond of eating chocolate and chips for your afternoon snack, then replacing them with nuts will give right amount of protein to your diet. If you dislike eating nuts on their own, you can also consider both almonds and walnuts to enjoy health benefits.
Researchers from Harvard praise the benefits of nuts and support nuts as a part of any diet. Harvard School of Public Health assert that consuming a diet containing nuts will offer protection to the cardiovascular health, it also prevents heart disease, especially in men. Nuts are also beneficial for improving the functioning of the blood vessels and also keep the cholesterol levels low, alleviates cholesterol levels, provide essential mono and polyunsaturated fatty acids offering protection to the heart.
If you love peanut butter, then this is, undoubtedly, one of the easiest and delicious ways of adding a healthy amount of protein to your diet. Peanut butter can be easily added to various things including – vegetables, wraps, and sandwiches. But, if you lead a busy life and you don’t have time to prepare healthy meals, then having a small quantity of an apple will give you 16 ounces of protein in a day.
Most of the people consider peanut butter as a breakfast or snack option, of course you can choose from a huge variety of healthy raw nut butters macadamia, almond, and raw peanut butter for spreading.
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