Protein Food Types

Usually, an adult person only needs between 45 to 55 grams of protein per day. However, high levels of protein intake can help with weight loss, building muscle, increasing power, speed and endurance. There are many different ways that a person can get these high levels of protein, but you will have to plan your meals to get increased levels over several small meals a day.

Meat

Meat is one of the best ways to get a high amount of protein into your diet. Red meat has some of the highest levels of protein. A veal fillet offers 30 grams of protein, while a serving of canned corn beef offers 27 grams of protein. In comparison, a beef burger has 18 grams of protein. Freshwater fish has 21 grams of protein per serving while ½ cup of canned tuna offers 14 grams of protein. According to Drugs.com, a leg of lamb offers 25 grams of protein and 3 ounces of roast turkey or chicken provides 24 grams of protein.

Vegetarian

If you do not like meat or consider yourself a vegetarian or vegan, there are other ways you can get protein. According to the Vegetarian Resource Group, eating tempeh, which is a cultured and fermented form of soybeans, provides a high source of protein at 41 grams of protein for a 1-cup serving. Wheat gluten or seitan provide 31 grams of protein in a 3-ounce serving. In addition, protein can also come from beans and legumes. For example, ½ cup of soybeans offers 34 grams of protein. In contrast, 1 cup of pinto, kidney or navy beans provide 15 grams of protein. If you prefer peas or legumes, you can get 17 grams of protein from dried peas and lentils.

Dairy

Some dairy foods can be excellent sources of protein as well. For example, cottage cheese has 14 grams of protein in a single serving. A ¼ cup of nonfat dry milk provides 11 grams of protein, while a 1-cup serving of any kind of fresh milk offers 8 grams of protein. In addition, an 8-ounce cup of plain or fruit yogurt can provide 8 grams of protein. Adding a dairy item to each meal of the day can quickly add up and provide almost all of the necessary daily allowance of protein.

References

• Drugs.com; High Protein Diet; 2009;
• The Vegetarian Resource Group; Protein in the Vegan Diet; 2009;