The primary job of protein is to build, repair and maintain muscle tissue. Some foods are high in protein, giving you large quantities of this necessary nutrient. Other foods are high in carbohydrates and fats. These nutrients indirectly help you to build muscle by providing your body with energy, allowing you to use protein for muscle. But you still have to eat plenty of protein-rich foods to meet your body's needs for muscle building. Generally, eating between 1 g and 1.6 g of protein per pound of your body weight is sufficient, but speak with your doctor for specific guidelines.
Meats
Meats and seafood are high in protein and contain all the essential amino acids. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. For example, salmon gives you 34 g of protein in 6 oz. The same amount of broiled porterhouse steak has 38 g. Just be careful of the fat content in the meats you purchase. Too much fat in your diet could lead to excess body fat, which covers up muscles. A 6 oz. broiled porterhouse steak may be a good source of protein, but it also has 44 g of fat. Compare that to a cup of lentils that has about half the protein, but less than 1 g of fat.
Dairy Products
Vegetarians can get plenty of protein from non-meat sources, including dairy products. Milk, cheese, yogurt and cottage cheese are just some examples of dairy products that contain protein. One cup of milk has 8 g of protein and 1 oz. of cheese has 7 g. Dairy products are complete proteins with all the essential amino acids.
Soy
Vegetarians can also use soy products for a complete source of amino acids. Soy products are also good for vegans looking to add muscle. Vegans do not eat any foods from animals, including dairy. Tempeh, tofu, soybeans, seitan and textured vegetable protein are all soy-based products that contain large amounts of protein. For example, 3 oz. of the meat alternative seitan contains 31 g of protein. One cup of tempeh has 41 g. You can also find soymilk, soy yogurt and a host of dairy-alternatives, including soy cheese to soy ice cream that contain some protein.
More Foods
Beans, nuts, vegetables and grains provide amino acids for building protein that are suitable for everyone to eat, unless they have food allergies. These foods do not give you all of the essential amino acids, but as long as you eat a variety of them, your body can still get all of the amino acids it needs to build muscle tissue. Your body breaks down the giant protein molecules into amino acid molecules so that it can absorb the smaller molecules. Lentils, black beans and kidney beans are good sources of protein. They contain 18 g, 15 g and 13 g of protein, respectively, per cup.
References
- Kids Health: Different Kinds of Protein
- Harvard School of Public Health: The Nutrition Source Protein
- The Vegetarian Resource Group; Protein in the Vegan Diet; Reed Mangels, Ph.D., R.D.
- Muscle and Strength; Planning Your Muscle Building Diet; Damien Mase
- National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse; Your Digestive System and How It Works; April 2008
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