Protein is found in every cells, tissue and organ in your body. Protein is constantly being broken down and replaced as amino acids. Amino acids are sort of the building blocks of your body. There are 20 different types of amino acids that the body cannot make, which can be found in your diet. Most people eat enough protein, or even more than we need on a daily basis. MyPyramid (see Resources) can tell you how much you need from the meat, beans and milk groups for your age, height, weight and activity level.
Complete Proteins
Complete proteins come from animal-based foods such as meat, poultry, fish, milk, eggs and cheese. Complete proteins contain all of the essential amino acids. Fish and poultry are some of the healthiest choices of complete proteins. Fish contains the same amount of protein as a portion of meat with fewer calories and much less saturated fat. Low-fat or fat-free milk, yogurt and cheese are still healthy sources of protein with reduced fat intake. Other high sources of complete proteins include duck, chicken, halibut, salmon, turkey, haddock, rockfish, tuna salad, cottage cheese, veal, lamb and beef.
Incomplete Proteins
Incomplete proteins are proteins that are low in at least one of the essential amino acids. Complementary proteins are at least two incomplete proteins that provide an adequate amount of all of the essential amino acids when they are together. Beans, nuts and whole grains are great sources of protein as they have healthy fiber, vitamins and minerals. Nuts provide a great source of healthy fat. You can pair certain foods to get complementary proteins in your meals. Good combinations include hummus and pitas, rice and beans, trail mix, yogurt and granola, peanut butter on whole-wheat bread or with rice cakes, lentil soup and a roll, vegetarian chili with corn bread, meatless tacos with pinto or black beans, and vegetable stir-fry with tofu on rice or pasta.
Selecting Your Meats
You can choose healthy portions of protein and still enjoy great flavor. When you choose your meat, look for key words on the packaging. Lean sources of beef include round, chuck, sirloin or tenderloin. Try to purchase 90 percent or higher sources of beef. Lean sources of pork or lamb include tenderloin, loin chops or leg. The leanest poultry source is white breast meat with no skin.
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