Many fitness enthusiasts supplement their regular protein intake with protein powder or pre-made shakes. We sell both of those here at the gym. However, for the average person the best way to ingest protein is simply to eat healthy and choose foods that are high in protein, avoiding low protein products. We thought we could help you along a bit and list foods that are high in protein.
Lets start with the animal kingdom:
*Turkey and chicken breast (make sure it's a quality bird and avoid the skin for a leaner option)
*Lean beef and veal (avoid any fatty pieces, the white stuff, that's the fat)
*Pork loin (chops that is. Again, avoid any fat bits, cut it off)
*Tuna, salmon and halibut (wild catches will be more nutritious than farmed as the fishes diet is more varied. And may I suggest choosing dolphin friendly tuna at all times, that part is more beneficiary to your conscience than the nutrition)
*Lobster and crab (seafood in general are good sources of protein)
Vegetarian options (which should also be eaten by meat eaters):
*Tofu (not all tofu products are all that good for you, a lot of soy is genetically modified etc. Choose organic tofu and fermented soy products like Tempeh)
*Soy beans (Same here, organic is best)
*Cheese (Low fat mozarella or cottage cheese will be among the best for you)
*Eggs (especially the egg whites. You might have heard about body builders drinking raw egg-whites, they don't necessarily have to be raw though, even though all food is most nutritious raw)
*Yoghurt, milk and soymilk (yoghurt has many benefits to it, especially the natural organic varieties)
*Nuts and seeds (Pretty much any nuts and seeds will be good sources of protein. Some of the best seeds are pumpkin, watermelon, squash, sunflower, flax and sesame, and for nuts I can recommend almonds, pistachios, peanuts and pecans)
*Spirulina (Possibly the least known to you on this list, it is a dried seaweed and it's is packed with protein)
A protein rich diet alone will not build muscle. Although protein is good for many functions in the body, if you want it to assist you in building muscle mass you will have to put in some work at the gym (or wherever you decide to exercise). One thing is for sure, eating less junk and more protein rich food will benefit any body tremendously, and in combination with exercise you are guaranteed to see and feel great change.
Choosing organic (when you can) will always insure that you need to eat less volume, as each bite will be more nutritious. Raw food will retain more of all the good stuff than cooked food, not possible with all foods naturally, but do try to keep your vegetables raw instead of cooking them. From the moment vegetables and fruits are harvested they start loosing their nutrients, it is therefore a good idea to shop for local and recently harvested produce (the ultimate is growing your own and picking things straight onto the plate). Fruit and veg that has traveled a long way to your dinner table will have lost a lot of their original goodness, which means you'll need to eat more to feel satisfied. Keep a balanced diet, nutrients and vitamins of all kinds are beneficiary to building good physique. A handy little trick to intake as many different nutrients as possible is to make sure there are a lot of colors mixed in any one meal, this helps keep a good spread of nutrition in your diet. We do recommend reading up a bit more on nutrition than that, but the colors is an easy thing keep in mind when shopping. P.S. Original colors are the only thing that counts, food coloring does not apply!!!
But don't just take our word on all of this, do your own research for a diet that is good for your specific body and training. We are all different and it's important that you find what works for you.
