Protein is found in nearly all parts of the body and is necessary for growth and many bodily functions. Your body requires a constant supply of protein, which you must get from food. The minimum recommended amount of daily protein is 0.8 g per kg of weight, according to the Institute of Medicine. Since protein comes mostly from vegetable and animal sources, you must be very selective to find foods that are high in protein but low in fat and carbohydrates.
Tuna
Tuna is very high in protein, low in fat and has no carbohydrates. According to Nutri-Facts.com, a 3 1/2-oz. serving of cooked bluefin tuna has nearly 30 g of protein and only 6.28 g of fat, most of which is "good" fat, such as polyunstaturated and momounstaurated fat. One drawback, though: bluefin tuna is moderately high in cholesterol, with 49 mg, which is 17 percent of your daily allowance.
Turkey
Turkey is another high-protein, low-fat food with no carbohydrates. According to Nutri-Facts.com, a 3 1/2-oz. serving of turkey without the skin has more than 29 g of protein and less than 5 g of fat, only 1.6 g of which is saturated fat. Turkey is also high in cholesterol, though, with 76 mg per serving.
Cottage Cheese
In addition to poultry and fish, some low-fat dairy products are a good source of protein, and they contain few carbohydrates. Askmen.com lists cottage cheese among its best high-protein snacks. According to the website, a 1/2 cup of cottage cheese made with 2-percent milk has about 16 g of protein and only about 2 g of fat. Cottage cheese is very low in carbs as well, with less than 4 g in a 1/2-cup serving.
Beef
Though red meat is not generally thought of as a low-fat food, the right cut of beef with as much fat trimmed off as possible can make a good high-protein, low-fat food. Nutri-Facts.com lists a 3 1/2-oz. serving of bottom sirloin butt roast, trimmed to 0 fat, as having nearly 28 g of protein and less than 11 g of fat, which is only 17 percent of the recommended daily allowance. Beef also has no carbohydrates. Beef is another food that's high in cholesterol, however, with 83 mg in a 3 1/2-oz. serving.
References
- Harvard School of Public Health: The Nutrition Source - Protein: Moving Closer to Center Stage
- Nutri-Facts.com: Finfish, Tuna, Fresh, Bluefin, Cooked, Dry Heat
- Nutri-Facts.com: Turkey, All Classes, Meat Only, Cooked, Roasted
- Askmen.com: 9 High-Protein Snacks
- Nutri-Facts.com: Beef, Loin, Bottom Sirloin Butt, Tri-Tip Roast, Separable Lean and Fat, Trimmed to 0" Fat, All Grades, Cooked, Roasted
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