Protein is an essential nutrient that is found in the cells, tissues and organs of our body. The body uses protein to produce hormones, enzymes and other body chemicals. Protein builds and repairs tissue, causes muscles to contract, forms blood cells and helps the body resist disease. The human body uses extra, unused protein for energy. Eating a variety of high-protein foods helps keep your body healthy and strong.
Fowl and Fish
Fish, chicken and turkey are healthy, nutritious foods that provide your body with high amounts of protein. One 3-oz chicken breast contains 26.3 grams (g) of protein, 1 cup of cooked turkey contains 41.05 g of protein and 1/2 cup of a cooked duck has 51.89 protein grams. One haddock fillet has 36.36 g of protein, a rock fish fillet comes in at 35.82 g of protein and one flounder or one sole each contain 30.68 g of protein. A 3-oz serving of canned tuna, packed in water, contains 23 grams of protein while one fresh 3-oz fillet of tuna has 26 g of protein.
Lean Meat
Lean cuts of red meat, pork and lamb contain a lot of protein. One 3-oz lean, round steak contains 22.9 protein grams, 3 oz of pork loin or shoulder contain more than 27 g of protein; and 3 oz of braised, lean beef chuck has 26.40 g of protein. The shoulder and loin of lamb both have more than 25 g of protein, while a 3-oz serving of broiled beef sirloin contains 25.01 protein grams. Veal ribs have more than 20 g of protein in every 3-oz portion. And 3-oz serving of lean ground beef has 24 protein grams.
Dairy
There are a large variety of healthy, nutritious dairy products that have a high protein content. A 3-oz serving of cheddar cheese contains 21.1 protein grams; 3.5 oz of low-fat Parmesan cheese has 41.6 g of protein; and 3.5-oz. of Swiss, mozzarella or Romano cheese contain 25 to 30 protein grams. A 1/2 cup of low-fat cottage cheese has 15.6 g of protein and one cup of non-fat yogurt has 12 protein grams. One cup of skim milk has 8 g protein, and one medium egg has 6 g of protein.
Nuts and Legumes
Nuts and legumes are highly nutritious foods that provide your body with a lot of protein. A 1/2 cup of peanuts contains 19 g of protein; a 1/2 cup of almonds and 1/2 cup of pine nuts both contain 15 protein grams. Walnuts and cashews both have 13 g of protein per 1/2 cup serving. A 1/2 cup of black soybeans has 14 g of protein, while 1/2 cup of green soybeans has 11 protein grams. Kidney beans, re-fried beans, chick peas and black beans have 8 g of protein in every 1/2 cup serving.
Milk and Cheese
References
- Oklahoma State Univesrity Cooperative Extension Service: Protein and the Body
- United States Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Library: USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference Release 20
- HealthAliciousNess: Top 10 Foods Highest in Protein
- Good Cooking: Good Cooking's Metric, Ounces and Pounds
- Northwestern Health Sciences University: Eat Well The Protein Content of Common Foods
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