Protein is an important part of your diet. You should consume quality protein sources at each meal. Your body uses protein to build muscle and organ tissue. Skin and bones also use protein for maintenance. Select protein sources that are low in fat to avoid consuming too many calories.
Protein in the Diet
Protein, along with carbohydrates and fat, provides calories for your body. Each gram of protein contains 4 calories. Between 10 to 35 percent of your caloric intake should come from protein, suggests MayoClinic.com. Based on a 2,000 calorie diet, you can have 200 to 700 calories from protein. This is equal to 50 to 175 g of protein each day. You should eat 5 to 6 oz. of meat or meat substitutes each day. Spread your protein consumption into several meals throughout the day. This will provide your body with the protein it needs all day long.
Seafood
Seafood is high in protein and some types offer beneficial fats. Salmon, herring and trout, for instance, are high in omega-3 fatty acids. This type of heart-healthy fat may reduce your risk for cardiovascular disease, reports MyPyramid.gov. A 5-oz. serving of salmon contains approximately 40 g of protein; 6 oz. of herring provides 24 g of protein, and 6 oz. of trout has about 40 g of protein. Other seafood high in protein includes shrimp, lobster and crab. A 5-oz. serving of shrimp contains about 35 g of protein, 4 oz. of lobster provides about 20 g of protein and 4 oz. of crab also has approximately 20 g of protein.
Poultry
Poultry meats include chicken, turkey and duck. White meat contains less fat than dark meat. Remove the skin as an additional way to cut fat and calories. Dark chicken meat contains about 26 g of protein per 4-oz. serving, while the same amount of chicken breast has as much as 35 g of protein, says HeartSpring.net. Roasted turkey provides 25 g of protein per 3-oz. serving and 4 oz. of broiled duck contains 26 g of protein.
Beef
Beef is high in saturated fat, which can raise your cholesterol and lead to atherosclerosis. Select lean cuts of beef whenever possible. Ground beef that is 80 percent lean has 22 g of fat for a 3 oz. serving. Deli-style roast beef provides 21 g per 4-oz. serving, 6 oz. of beef ribs have nearly 40 g of protein and 6 oz. of sirloin steak contains over 50 g of protein.
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