Healthy Food Choices for Protein

Protein foods are important for maintaining the muscle content in the body. Learn about protein sources in your diet with tips in this nutrition video.

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Eat lean meats
Increase plant sources of protein
Eat fish or seafood twice a week

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Mary Hondros graduated from University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Science in Dietetics. She currently works as a nutritionist for New Hanover County Schools in North Carolina. Her main focus is to teach children to improve nutritional habits.

MARY HONDROS: And now I am going to talk to you a little bit about protein foods. Protein foods are obviously important for maintaining the muscle content in our tissues in our bodies because they are mostly made of protein. To the typical person needs about 40 to 75 grams of protein per day and that depends on your age, your weight and your activity level. The best sources of protein come from lean meats like lean ground beef, lean chicken without the skin, eggs, beans, milk and even something like tofu can be a great source of protein. The average American consumes enough protein from animal sources but does not consume as much protein from plant sources which is something like tofu because it comes from soybean. So four tips on consuming the amount of protein that you need, first try to choose meat that is like tenderloin or sirloin. Those are the leanest part of the animal. Secondly, choose fish or seafood twice a week. Those are both sources of protein and can be eaten in place of your dish for a meal. Remember also that a half a cup of beans has as much protein and more fiber than three ounces of meat. And those are tips for consuming your protein each day.

Healthy Food Choices for Protein Video

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