Main Sources of Protein

Protein comes in many forms of food, so it's easy to get enough of it in your diet. For example, while meat contains a lot of protein, people who are on a vegetarian or vegan diet need to find other ways to get protein. Protein is important because it helps your muscles build up and repair themselves.

Meat

• All kinds of meat are high in protein. However, if you have a diet that includes a lot of meat products, then your kidneys can begin to wear down over time. For example, if you eat red meat every night, your kidneys have to work extra hard to break it down, so mix it up with chicken, fish, turkey and pork.

Eggs

• Eggs are a good raw source of protein. They are added to many different recipes and can be cooked on their own as well. Eating eggs for breakfast helps keep your body going and your stomach feeling full. If you do not eat meat, this is a good protein substitute for you, especially if you eat just the egg whites (the egg yolk is mostly fat). Be wary of eating too many eggs if you have high cholesterol, as the fat content in the yolk can affect this adversely.

Legumes and Beans

• Legumes and beans are a protein staple for non-meat eaters. These help bolster your protein intake for the day. Legumes include peanuts and lentils. These are easy to cook with and peanuts make a good snack. They also provide carbohydrates so that you can keep your body going.

Soy

• Soy is used in many different dishes and is almost purely protein. You find it in Asian dishes like miso soup. You also find it in tofu, which is a common meat substitute that vegetarians and vegans eat. Also, edamame, or soy beans, are a vegetable that can be added to salads, pasta dishes or eaten on their own. These beans come in pods and are edible raw.