Lean Protein Foods

What are lean protein foods? Protein is an essential part of your diet. It is used to build muscle and is also very important for tissues and organs. For this reason, it is important to get an adequate amount of protein in your diet. Lean protein foods are those foods that are high in protein but low on fats and calories.

Very lean protein refers to those foods that have between 0 to 1 grams of fat per ounce and have less than 30 to 35 calories. Lean protein has between 1 to 3 grams fat per ounce of food and between 50 to 55 calories. High quality protein is that protein which has all the components needed to build muscle and is normally found in meat. Similarly, incomplete protein comes from plant sources, which do not have all the necessary components for growth, and are very lean.

Examples of lean protein foods. The list of lean protein foods contains foodstuffs like eggs, poultry, meat, seafood, dairy products, vegetables and grains.

Eggs: Known as the “complete planned food,” they give us all the nutrition we need. Eggs have very high quality protein, while at the same time, they have only 5 grams of fat. One egg has 280 gm of cholesterol. To make an egg even leaner, you can use just the egg whites.

Dairy produce: Cheese, milk and yogurt are also sources of lean protein, but only if you get low fat alternatives like skim milk, low fat cheeses, and yoghurt. Even whey protein, which is a constituent of many protein shakes, comes from dairy products, and is a very lean source of protein.

Seafood: White meats like lobster, crab or flounder, as well as red flesh like salmon or tuna are full of protein and very low on fat. Fish also has essential oils and amino acids. Of course, if you deep fry any food, the benefits are lost, so make sure to cook them in a healthy way.

Meat and poultry: If you select a lean cut of meat and poultry, it can be very low in fats. White meats are normally leaner, but a good cut of lean meat is extremely healthy. These include the round or center and tenderloin. Similarly, buffalo and mutton is also very lean and full of protein.

Grains and vegetables: Contrary to what meat-eaters believe, these can be very high in protein. Lentils, beans, soy and chickpeas are very lean protein. Similarly, grains including wheat and barley contain lean protein. In fact, many vegetarians believe that they can get all the protein they need from a vegetarian diet.

The lean protein list contains all of the basic foods needed, but keep in mind that your cooking style also influences how much fat gets into your diet.

Submitted on January 16, 2014