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There Are Many Sources Of Protein
Familiarize yourself with the great variety of protein sources and the approximate number of grams of protein in each of those sources so you can begin experimenting and ultimately determine the daily amount of protein right for you.
There are two sources of protein: animals and plants, and each has its benefits and disadvantages.
In The Zone Diet, Dr. Barry Sears advocates lean protein in the form of skinless chicken, turkey, lean cuts of beef, fish, eggs and egg whites, and low-fat dairy (unless you have a dairy intolerance). Joshua Rosenthal, of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and author of Integrative Nutrition, adds that all such sources should be organic and recommends that you “vary your protein routine.” In other words, if you are going to consume animal protein, branch out and try duck, pheasant, buffalo, and lamb.
While animal-sourced food is high in protein, it is often full of saturated fat, which can increase cholesterol and cause heart disease, obesity, and high blood pressure. Because animal protein has no fiber or water, it is difficult to digest and spends a long time in the digestive system, which can lead to cancers of the intestines and colon. Meat can also be problematic because, unless it is organic, it likely contains hormones and antibiotics which are toxic to the human body.
Plants are also a source of protein though many people don’t realize this. Legumes—all beans and peanuts—are very high in protein. If you have a hard time digesting beans, soak them overnight in water, drain and then cook them longer than recommended—and chew them well once they’re cooked, which will help make them more digestible.
Of all legumes, the soybean is the highest in protein. It’s sometimes referred to as the “vegetable cow” because it has almost as much complete protein as meat. Unfortunately, soy is the second most common food allergen after wheat and can be difficult to digest. (More digestible is edamame, the young whole soybean.) Try soy for yourself and see if it is a good choice.
Because the protein found in plants is less “useable” by the body, it is beneficial to consume “complementary proteins.” In her book Food and Healing, AnneMarie Colbin explains that complementary proteins provide a higher amount of useable protein than merely eating the two sources of protein separately. For example, wheat has 30 grams of protein and beans have 70 but when combined, you gain 133 grams of useable protein, not the 100 grams if eaten separately. Rice-and-beans, lentil-and-barley, cous-cous-and-chick-peas, and fava-beans-and-millet are all common examples of complementary proteins. (The traditional proportion is one part beans to two parts grain.) These are great sources of protein if you are vegetarian or are trying to cut back on your consumption of animal protein.
Nuts, including walnuts, almonds, cashews, and pistachios are also good plant sources of protein. However, they are also high in fat and calories, so you may want to limit consumption if you are watching your weight.
Isolated protein powder, primarily available as soy and whey, is another easy source of protein. Either is good (if you have an allergy to milk products avoid whey). They both have a long shelf life and can be added to many foods that would not otherwise contain much protein such as shakes and smoothies, soups, oatmeal, stew, and flour to make pancakes, muffins, cookies, and cake.
