Foods that contain protein provide your body with amino acids, which work to build the different tissues within your body. According to the website KidsHealth, of the 22 amino acids that your body requires, 13 of them you can produce on your own, but the remaining nine amino acids need to be obtained from your diet. High-quality proteins provide you with all nine essential amino acids. Choosing lean, high-quality proteins will help ensure a healthy diet.
Poultry
All animal products provide the essential amino acids, making them high quality proteins. This includes items like beef, pork, eggs, chicken, turkey and fish. Poultry tends to provide leaner options for high-protein meals. For instance, according to the website CalorieKing, both a 4 oz. serving of roasted chicken and a 4 oz. serving of extra lean beef provide roughly the same number of calories, but the chicken offers 6 additional g of protein and 2.5 fewer g of fat. The website FamilyDoctor.org suggests removing skin and visible fat before cooking poultry for the leanest option.
Soy
Vegetarians who don't eat eggs or drink milk may have a hard time consuming complete proteins. Even though soy products come from a plant, the soybean, they provide a complete protein including all of the nine essential amino acids. A cup of soybeans, commonly known as edamame, delivers 22g of protein, 254 calories and 11g of fat--nutritional statistics similar to other lean proteins.
Milk
Because milk is an animal byproduct, it provides all nine essential amino acids, making it a healthy complete protein. A single glass of skim milk contains only 90 calories, less than a single g of fat and almost 9g of protein. Also, if you're looking to lose fat and gain muscle, drinking milk following a workout seems to do the trick. According to a 2007 study performed by McMaster University professors, consuming milk following a workout resulted in study participants losing fat and gaining muscle, probably because of the ratio of essential amino acids provided in milk.
References
- FamilyDoctor.org: Nutrition: How to Make Healthier Food Choices
- KidsHealth: Learning About Proteins
- Soy Information Clearinghouse: Frequently Asked Soyfood Questions
- EurekAlert!: To Gain Muscle and Lose Fat, Drink Milk: Study
- CalorieKing: Chicken: Broilers or Fryers, Breast, Roasted, Meat Only, Without Skin
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