How to Meet Your Protein Needs without Meat

Did you know that most foods, including vegetables, have some of the essential muscle-building nutrient? Without looking closely, it is easy to miss some great sources. (Who knew a cup of broccoli had 3 grams!)


There is no need to consume certain foods in special combinations as nutritionists once thought! When your diet includes a variety of each of these types of foods, you can rest assured that you're consuming all the amino acids you need for muscle growth and cell repair. What's the difference between a high protein diet and high protein foods for weight loss?

High protein foods are important for building and maintaining muscle for healthy weight loss. They also help you to stay full longer.

Plus, if you're interested in the best protein sources of protein for weight loss, you probably also care about your appearance and how you'll feel while losing weight and maintaining a healthy weight. So consider the fact that your hair, nails and hormones are mostly protein.

Protein is also necessary to make enzymes. And, besides muscle, it's a very important component in your skin, bones, cartilage, blood and the building and repairing of tissue and every cell in your body.

The Best Protein Sources for Weight Loss

As you can see, high protein foods, especially the best protein foods for weight loss, are very important to you. But the problem with most high protein diets is they're also generally low-carb diets.

And just like you need the best protein for weight loss, you also need the best carbohydrates to look and feel your absolute best.

Good carbohydrates have essential vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber, which help you to look and feel good too. But good carbs also help protect against heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer.

On the other hand, eating protein foods that are high in unhealthy fats increases your risk for heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer.

That's why the best protein for weight loss is so important. And for the best protein sources, you need to consider the whole protein package.

• A 6-oz porterhouse steak with 38 protein grams can has 41 fat grams (mostly unhealthy fat) and a whopping 540 calories.

• The same amount of salmon with 36 protein grams has 18 fat grams (mainly healthy omega 3 fatty acids) and 348 calories.

• While a cup of high fiber lentils with 18 protein grams has only 1 fat gram (mainly healthy fat) and comes to just 230 calories.

Choose the Best Protein for Weight Loss

Here's your guide to the best protein for weight loss and optimum health.

• Seafood: Some fish, like salmon, have important omega 3 oils. Other seafood, like lobster and sole are high protein with low fat.

• Poultry: White meat turkey and chicken (without the skin) is low in fat, low in calories and one of the best protein sources. A 2-oz serving has 14 protein grams, 2 fat grams and only 70 calories.

• Dairy: Low-fat dairy, like yogurt, skim milk and cottage cheese, are good protein sources for calcium. Eggs, although high in fat, are also an excellent, complete protein when used sparingly.

• Beans: Legumes and beans are the best sources for vegetable protein. Plus they're high in fiber, which helps you to feel full longer.

• Nuts: An ounce of almonds offers 6 protein grams and healthy fatty acids. So use nuts sparingly to add protein and flavor.

• Grains: Brown rice and whole grain breads, crackers and cereals, like oatmeal, provide some protein and lots of healthy fiber.

• Meat: Although meat is a high protein food, red meat has been shown to increase the risk of inflammation and some cancers. So eat very lean meat only occasionally and avoid all processed meats.

More Infomormation::

Nuts
Nuts provide a good dose of protein along with some heart-healthy fatty acids and antioxidants (vitamins A and E). They are also packed full of fiber. Take your pick! Many nuts have a significant source of protein ready to work for your body. Peanuts, almonds, pistachios, cashews, and pine nuts are among the highest in protein, while chestnuts and hazelnuts, although they do still have some protein, are the lowest. Think out of the box when you’re adding nuts to your diet. They can be grated, toasted, ground or eaten raw and are great when combined with salads, wraps, soups and stews and baked goods. But pay special attention to portion size! Nuts are a great source of many nutrients, but do come with a hefty dose of calories, thanks to the healthy fats they contain. A single serving is just 1 oz! Many nuts are best when stored in a refrigerator, which helps keep their fats from going rancid (for up to 6 months).

Nuts, 1/4 cup	Protein	Calories	Fat
Peanuts, raw	9 g	207	18 g
Almonds, dry roasted	8 g	206	18 g
Pistachios	6 g	171	14 g
Hazelnuts	5 g	212	21 g
Pine nuts	5 g	229	23 g
Cashews, raw	5 g	197	16 g
Walnuts	4 g	164	16 g

Seeds
Seeds are another great way to grab a few grams of protein and many other nutrients. Healthful unsaturated fats, as well as phytochemicals, make seeds a powerhouse for heart disease and cancer prevention. Just a quarter cup of pumpkin seeds (also called pepitas) has 8.5 grams of protein. Add this amount to a salad or eat them plain for a quick snack. Sunflower seeds are easy to add to pasta or salads, or sandwich wraps, while sesame seeds are easily ground and sprinkled onto steamed veggies for a protein dusting.

Seeds (1/4 cup)	Protein	Calories	Fat
Hemp seeds	15 g	232	18 g
Pumpkin seeds, roasted	9 g	187	16 g
Flaxseed	8 g	191	13 g
Sunflower seeds, roasted	8 g	205	18 g
Sesame seeds, roasted	6 g	206	18 g

Legumes
Dried peas, beans and lentils belong to a group of food known as "pulses" or "legumes." Aside from soybeans, these plants have a very similar nutrient content, which includes a good dose of protein. On average, they have about 15 grams of protein per cup, and tagging along with the essentials protein are fiber and iron. Adding beans, lentils and dried peas to your meals is a great way to replace meat (a beef burrito can easily become a black bean burrito, for example) while still getting your much needed protein. Add pulses to soups, salads, omelets, burritos, casseroles, pasta dishes, and more! Make bean dips (such as hummus, which is made from garbanzo beans, or black bean dip) to spread on sandwiches and use as protein-packed dips for veggies or snack foods.

Legumes, 1 cup cooked	Protein	Calories	Fiber
Soybeans	29 g	298	10 g
Lentils	18 g	230	16 g
Split peas	16 g	231	16 g
Navy beans	16 g	258	12 g
Garbanzo beans (chickpeas)	15 g	269	12 g
Black beans	15 g	227	15 g
Kidney beans	15 g	225	11 g
Lima beans	15 g	216	13 g
Pinto beans	14 g	234	15 g

Soy
Soybeans are a complete protein that is comparable in quality with animal proteins. Eating soybeans (and foods made from soybeans) has been growing trend in America for only five decades, but this protein-rich bean has been a staple in Asia for nearly 4,000 years! This plant powerhouse is used to create a variety of soy-based foods that are rich in protein: tofu, tempeh, textured vegetable protein (TVP, a convincing replacement for ground meat in recipes), soymilk and "meat analogs," such as vegetarian "chicken" or faux "ribs" are all becoming more popular as more Americans practice vegetarianism. 

Soy Foods	Protein	Calories	Fat
Soybeans, 1 cup cooked	29 g	298	10 g
Tempeh, 4 oz cooked	21 g	223	13 g
Edamame, 1 cup shelled	20 g	240	10 g
TVP, 1/4 cup dry	12 g	80	0 g
Soy nuts, 1/4 cup roasted	11 g	200	1 g
Tofu, 4 oz raw	9 g	86	5 g
Soy nut butter, 2 tablespoons	7 g	170	11 g
Soymilk, 1 cup sweetened	7 g	100	0.5 g
Soymilk, 1 cup unsweetened	7 g	80	0.5 g

Grains
In a culture that focuses largely on wheat, it's easy to overlook the many types of other grains available to us. Some of these grains are very high in protein and can be included in your diet for both whole-grain carbohydrates and muscle-building protein. Quinoa is unusually close to animal products in protein quality, making it an excellent grain to replace white rice or couscous. It can also be cooked and mixed with honey, berries and almonds in the morning for a protein-packed breakfast. Other grains high in protein include spelt, amaranth, oats and buckwheat. Choose whole-grain varieties of cereals, pastas, breads and rice for a more nutritious meal.

Grains	Protein	Calories	Fiber
Amaranth, 1 cup cooked	9 g	238	9 g
Quinoa, 1 cup cooked	9 g	254	4 g
Whole wheat pasta, 1 cup cooked	8 g	174	6 g
Barley, 1 cup cooked	7 g	270	14 g
Spelt, 4 oz cooked	6 g	144	4 g
Oats, 1 cup cooked	6 g	147	4 g
Bulgur, 1 cup cooked	6 g	151	8 g
Buckwheat, 1 cup cooked	6 g	155	5 g
Brown rice, 1 cup cooked	5 g	216	4 g
Whole wheat bread, 1 slice	4 g	128	3 g
Sprouted grain bread, 1 slice	4 g	80	3 g

Dairy
If you consume milk products, dairy is a great way to add some extra grams of protein to your day. Low-fat milk, cheese and yogurt are easily accessible, quick to pack and fun to incorporate into many meals and snacks. Whether you’re drinking a cup of skim milk with your dinner or grabbing some string cheese before you run errands, you can pack about 8 grams of protein into most servings of dairy. You’re also getting some bone-building calcium while you’re at it! Keep in mind that low-fat varieties of milk products are lower in calories and fat, but equal in calcium to the full-fat versions; low-fat varieties may also be higher in protein.

Dairy	Protein	Calories	Fat
Fat-free cottage cheese, 1 cup	31 g	160	1 g
2% cottage cheese, 1 cup	30 g	203	4 g
1% cottage cheese, 1 cup	28 g	163	2 g
Fat-free plain yogurt, 1 cup	14 g	137	0 g
Low-fat plain yogurt, 1 cup	13 g	155	4 g
Parmesan cheese, 1 oz grated	12 g	129	9 g
Whole milk yogurt, 1 cup	9 g	150	8 g
Goat's milk, 1 cup	9 g	168	10 g
1% milk, 1 cup	8 g	102	2 g
Swiss cheese, 1 oz	8 g	106	8 g
2% milk, 1 cup	8 g	121	7 g
3.25% (whole) milk, 1 cup	8 g	146	8 g
Low-fat cheddar/Colby cheese, 1 oz	7 g	49	2 g
Part-skim mozzarella cheese, 1 oz	7 g	72	5 g
Provolone cheese, 1 oz	7 g	100	8 g
Cheddar cheese, 1 oz	7 g	114	9 g
Blue cheese, 1 oz	6 g	100	8 g
American cheese, 1 oz	6 g	106	9 g
Goat cheese, 1 oz	5 g	76	6 g
Feta cheese, 1 oz	4 g	75	6 g
Part-skim ricotta cheese, 1 oz	3 g	39	2 g

Eggs
Eggs contain the highest biologic value protein available. What this means is that an egg has a near perfect combination of amino acids within its shell; when assessing protein quality of all other foods (including meat), nutrition experts compare them to the egg. This doesn’t mean that all other sources of protein are less healthful or less important but does mean that an egg is an awesome way to get a few grams of protein. At 6 grams for one large egg, there are endless ways to add it to your diet. Salads, sandwiches, breakfasts or snack—an egg can fit in anytime!

Eggs	Protein	Calories	Fat
Egg, 1 boiled	6 g	68	5 g
Egg white, 1 cooked	5 g	17	0 g
Liquid egg substitute, 1.5 fl oz	5 g	23	0 g