The Top High Protein Foods You Need to Add to Your Diet
If you are interested in strength training, you probably know that it takes more to acquire muscle mass than just repeatedly lifting heavy things. You also need to consume enough protein in your daily diet.
Combining strength training with eating more protein will yield an increase in muscle mass and help you retain what you currently have as well. While serious fitness enthusiasts will ingest a gram of protein per pound of body weight a day for optimal results, most people cannot handle as much in their diet. If you can take in a gram of protein for every two pounds of body weight, you will generally get plenty of positive gains. For instance, if you weigh 180 pounds, try for 90 grams of protein per day and then continue to build it up if you can.
Not All High Protein Foods Are Equal
Even though you want to eat foods that are high in protein, you still must be aware that you need to avoid foods that are high in calories and bad fats. You want to add muscle, not gain pounds of fat along with it. If you stick to these foods below to supply that extra boost of protein, you should be in good shape both figuratively and literally.
Chicken and Turkey
Both of these meats are usually pretty high in protein while remaining lean at the same time. There are just about 40 grams of protein per cup of chicken if you would like to dice it up and consume it that way. Turkey is slightly underneath that. These meats offer high-quality protein, so eat it frequently throughout the day. It only takes a few seconds to cut off a slice, eat it quickly, and then continue on through your day. When you're cooking and consuming it, I recommend using seasonings instead of sauces. Many sauces, especially the creamy ones, have a lot of calories and fat in them. There are plenty of low calorie seasonings out there that will add plenty of flavor!
Greek Yogurt
Greek yogurt offers up a nice little treat for those who have a sweet tooth while providing a protein punch. In one little tub of Greek yogurt, you can get about 20 grams of protein. Read the back of the package for the exact information on how many grams it provides as each brand can differ slightly. To make plain yogurt taste amazing, you can add in a half scoop of our Pure Super Greens to make that plain yogurt berry flavored.
Nuts and Seeds
Many people avoid eating nuts because of their high-fat content. But for the most part, those fats are considered good fats. Both nuts and seeds provide a good amount of protein. Peanuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds, and hemp seeds all should be in your cabinet for a quick snack. Mix these with some dried fruits for a tasty trail mix!
Milk
There is generally eight grams of protein per cup of milk. If you are concerned about the number of calories, skim milk is always a good option. Do not be too concerned about the amount of fat in milk as, once again, it is essentially good fat for the most part. By doing some simple math, drinking a cup of milk five times a day will give you 40 grams of protein. If you need even more, throw in a scoop of protein powder and you could gain another 25 grams of protein per cup of milk.
Other High Protein Options
Protein is everywhere, if you know where to look! A few other items to look into and to pick up at the grocery store are eggs, tuna, cheese, salmon, oats, peanut butter, and black beans. Shop wisely, and make sure you're getting plenty of protein in your diet!