Protein Dense Foods

Whether you are trying to lose weight on a low carb diet or enhance your ability to gain muscle, identifying the pros and cons of protein dense foods is the best way to start. These foods come from a variety of sources, each a little different in their total nutrient profile. Learning more about foods high in protein allows you to make an educated decision on the best choices to meet your health goals.

Types

• Protein dense foods contain greater amounts of protein in grams versus other nutrient components, namely fat and carbohydrate. Meats such as lean beef, chicken, lamb and turkey are protein dense. There are also protein dense foods that come from plant sources including nuts, nut butters, seeds, beans and tofu. Fish is high in protein, and along with nuts, also contains healthy fats.

Function

• Switching from a diet high in carbohydrates to one that focuses more on protein intake can be beneficial for weight loss. Many high protein foods have fewer calories than high carbohydrate foods, leading to a lower daily caloric intake. Protein also takes more time to digest so it causes you to feel fuller longer. Protein is an essential nutrient for building muscle mass. Each time we exercise we damage muscle fibers. The amino acids in protein allow the body to repair and build cells. This repairing and rebuilding is what allows muscles to maintain and grow in size and strength.

Prevention/Solution

• Including more protein dense foods from plant sources is a healthy way to get necessary protein and improve health. Nuts such as cashews, pecans and peanuts, and seeds such as pumpkin and sunflower are great to snack on throughout the day. They add more protein to your diet, and instead of unhealthy saturated fat that accompanies many protein dense meats, they contain polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, both which can reduce the risk of heart disease. Polyunsaturated fats can lower total cholesterol--both HDL (good) and LDL (bad). Monounsaturated fats can lower total cholesterol and LDL, but raise HDL.

Misconceptions

• While grains are known as carbohydrates, there are some that more closely resemble seeds in nutrient content, such as quinoa. These foods are classified as grains and they contain protein, including necessary amino acids. Quinoa is a complete protein, meaning it has all nine essential amino acids including lysine, which may be lacking in some other grains. It is important to remember that just because something is called a "grain" doesn't mean it can't contribute to your protein intake.

Warning

• Protein dense foods offer necessary nutrients for body function, weight loss and muscle gain; however, excess protein intake can cause health problems. When protein is metabolized ammonia is produced in the body. Unfortunately, the long-term effects of exposure to this excess ammonia are still unknown. In addition, some research suggests that high levels of protein intake increases the amount of calcium excreted in the urine. This could deplete calcium stores, leading to fragile bones and osteoporosis. The average person should get about 15 to 20 percent of their calories from protein. Endurance athletes need about 1.2 to 1.4 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. Strength training athletes may need as much as 1.6 to 1.7 grams per kilogram.