Protein is the building block of muscles, organs, hormones, and skin. Your body needs it to repair and maintain tissues and in children for growth. Eating a high protein diet can help you lose weight since it helps in preventing overeating. The diet helps in building lean muscle when accompanied by exercise. With lean muscles, you can burn more calories during the day, which is also necessary for weight loss. Although eating protein is beneficial, you should eat a balanced diet to stay healthy.
We can get proteins from various foods like milk, beans, eggs, poultry meat, beef, and a meaty snack called biltong. What is biltong meat? It is meat thinly sliced, cured, and dried and is common among Southern African nations like Botswana, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.
Here are some nutritious yet common high protein foods:
Eggs
Eggs are low in carbohydrates and calories. An egg provides you with up to 8 grams of protein. It makes them nutritious with a complete supply of proteins and essential minerals, and vitamins. As a source of protein, they make up a healthy eating pattern. However, you should not take more than three eggs in a day. Some specialists limit the consumption of eggs to one per day. You can take more eggs if you consume a limited amount of red meat.
Milk
Milk contains nearly all the nutrients needed by your body in small amounts. It is a source of high-quality protein, high in calcium, riboflavin, and phosphorus. In case you are concerned about fat intake, zero or low-fat milk can be an option. For those intolerant to lactose, taking milk leads to gastrointestinal symptoms, and those with milk allergy can experience severe symptoms. In such cases, it is advisable to use other alternatives like soy milk.
Fish
Fish is a source of micro-nutrients and protein, which is useful when combating malnutrition. It is a source of essential nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, iodine, and calcium.
Fish is considered among the most important protein source. It is because it contains fat-soluble vitamins that can dissolve in oils and fats. Such minerals are necessary for pregnant women and children. You can consume fish twice a week.
Beans and Legumes
Beans and legumes are rich in fiber, making them excellent sources of protein. They also keep you fuller for an extended period since they are fiber rick. On the other hand, animal sources of protein lack fiber which can lead to digestion problems. Plant-based proteins naturally have low cholesterol that helps in weight loss and, good for your heart. In every kilogram of body weight, you should take 0.9 grams of plant-based protein.