High-protein foods are great, but the ones that can do you the most good have additional properties that benefit your health. Because some sources of protein, such as fast food hamburgers, fried chicken and tacos, contain too much fat, sodium or calorie content, they don't qualify.
The Mayo Clinic suggests value-added foods with strong protein counts and one or more of these criteria: high levels of other beneficial nutrients; association with reduced risk for chronic disease; low calorie and saturated fat density. Your daily dose of protein (50 grams, as recommended by the Food and Drug Administration [FDA]) can serve to improve your diet in other ways when you choose one of these nine essential protein foods.
Animal
Animal sources of protein may offer the greatest portion of your daily dose, which the FDA expresses as the percent daily value (DV).
Sockeye salmon (3 ounces, 9 grams fat, 184 calories, 23 grams protein) isn't low in total fat, but is low in saturated fat. It also contains contain disease-fighting omega-3 fatty acids and nearly 50 percent DV protein.
Egg whites (large, 1 gram fat, 17 calories, 4 grams protein) have an incredible protein to calorie ratio. You can use them often in baking and to complement other nutritious foods in omelets and rice dishes.
Nonfat milk (1 cup, 0 fat, 83 calories, 8 grams protein) is equally versatile and adds essential vitamins A and D and calcium to your diet.
Legume
Kidney beans (1 cup, 1 gram fat, 215 calories, 13 grams protein) are low-fat protein foods that pack iron, potassium, magnesium, thiamin and plenty of fiber into 25 percent of your daily dose of protein. Kidney beans and other dry cooked beans may lower your risk for heart disease and cancer.
Peanuts (1 ounce, 14 grams fat, 166 calories, 7 grams protein) and peanut butter are good vegetarian sources of protein that offer health benefits common to other legumes, plus omega-6 fatty acids and monounsaturated fat.
Soy products such as tofu and soy milk deliver only 4 grams of fat with the same amount of protein. The phytonutrients in soybean products may help counteract osteoporosis.
Nut, Seed and Grain
Almonds (1 ounce, 14 grams fat, 163 calories, 6 grams protein) are recognized as non-animal sources of protein with beneficial monounsaturated fat, which lends itself to heart health.
Pumpkin seed kernels (1 ounce toasted, 8 grams protein) share almonds' fat calorie profile, as well as high magnesium, calcium and iron content.
Other super protein foods include low-fat wheat germ (1 cup, 414 calories, 27 grams protein), which can be added in small quantities to baked goods and cereals to add to your daily dose of protein.
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