After last blog I got few inquiries about various protein sources and their health benefits. So although I thought I had done a superb and flawless job at explaining proteins, I obviously failed. It became clear to me that there is still some misinformation about how to incorporate healthy proteins in your diet. So, now that you have hopefully read and learned all about protein chemistry and physiology, here is a more practical blog on how to eat healthy proteins. I will go over each dietary protein, go over what is myth and what is real, and then at the end provide some examples on how to incorporate each one in your diet.
To recap (for those slackers who did not read the last blog) proteins are an essential macronutrients and should be in all your meals. Besides building muscles and making you look strong and sexy, proteins are essential in various body functions such as the nervous system and immune system. So, a healthy source of protein should always be in your meal.
But before we talk specifics let me make one generalized statement, If you truly want to be healthy then you should always buy your meat (red, chicken, pork) from fresh natural sources. There is good data that the protein and fat content in industrialized meat is very different than what is found in a natural animal. And by natural I mean a truly free grazing animal fed only its natural diet. Unfortunately most of what you find in grocery stores does not meat this criteria. Even labels such as Humane, Free range, Grass Fed and Organic do not mean totally natural meat. For instance, free range could mean that the animal has free range in its space, which can be a very small confined area, it does not mean true free range. In some cases grass fed can be applied if the cow was fed grass the last 2 days of its life. In addition, some producers use growth hormones or other genetic manipulations to make poultry grow faster and bigger. Have you seen those chicken rotisseries at Costco?!! They are more the size of an eagle than a chicken. Now, there is no evidence that the different proteins and fats in industrialized produce are harmful, but that could just be because no one has studied them. Personally, and this is my own personal view, I would think that an animal that is active and eats a healthy natural diet with no stress has to be healthier than a animal that is confined and inactive, eats mostly artificial diet or a diet that is not meant for that animal and is genetically modified to grow faster and bigger. For example, It is well documented that corn fed cows are slaughtered much younger, because they grow bigger sooner, and due to a corn diet instead of grass, most of them get liver disease and will not survive for long. Do I want to eat the meat from that cow? No thank you.
If you are a vegetarian then this does not apply to you. But if you like your meat but have doubts about the health risks of eating meat, then I recommend that you eat less meat, but higher quality meat.
Where is the best place to get natural meat? Directly from the farmer. I get mine from Shaker Heights Farmers market Tea Hills Farm You can always chat with the farmer and get an idea if what they are selling is truly natural. Even better, you can take a day trip to their farm. There are plenty of healthy options in rural Ohio less than hour drive for most of us.
And don't focus on "Organic". In order to be labeled organic a farmer has to spend a lot of money and time to get the stamp. Most small farmers do not have the resources to apply for this. So although their produce is not labeled organic, but it is really much healthier than the plastic rapped meat you buy at the store with the label organic.. It is also important to know that Organic is not necessarily healthy. To be organic a producer can not use certain banned substances, but to make up for it, at times they use equally toxic pesticides and other chemicals. So, bottom line, Organic does not necessarily mean healthy.
Ok, now lets look at various dietary proteins and see how you can incorporate them in your diet:
Red Mead:
Probably the best known source of protein. A 3oz serving has about 28g of protein. But red meat also has a lot of paparazzi baggage with it. So lets see what is real and what is fake news:
Red meat and fat: Per gram of protein, red meat has the highest amount of fat compared to other sources of protein. This is why red meat also has more calories per gram of protein than other sources. Most cuts have about 180-200 calories per 3oz, with round loin and top loin having slightly less at 140 calories. The fat in red meat is saturated fat. And although saturated fat was thought to be associated with heart disease, but new research shows this not to be the case if eaten in moderation.
R
ed meat is also associated with other health risks, the biggest one being colon cancer. Population studies have shown that red meat consumption increases risk of colon cancer, presumably by changing the microbiome (the bacteria that live in your gut). I personally believe this to be more related to the new industrialized quality meat, and not healthy red meat. But that is my own observation from looking at various studies. So take it with a grain of salt.
So, should you eat red meat? I would say if you like the taste, then sure, have 1-3 servings per week. I personally tried to give it up and I knew I am in trouble when after two weeks I started salivating while staring at the Burger Kings sign while waiting in red light. But if you do not care for the taste, then there are healthier and less expensive sources of protein. I would recommend eating less meat, but higher quality meat. And the only place you can get truly high quality meat, from a cow that was really raised in a farm and grazed freely and ate grass, is from the farmer himself.
How to incorporate meat in your diet:
Well, I think this one is easy as most of you are experts, after all we all grew up in a heavy meat culture. But what I do suggest is that even when you eat meat, change your cooking focus. Instead of making a. dish of meat and then garnishing it with small amount of side carbs and veggies, make a dish of healthy carbs and veggies with a side (small portion) of meat.
For steaks: Have a potato and two other sides like mushrooms and asparagus, this should be most of your dish, the steak should be a small (or really normal) 2-3oz steak.
For stews: focus more on the veggies and carbs, the meat should be a smaller part.
For Burgers: Instead of a double patty or a giant patty, make your burger more calorie dense by adding ripe avocado as a spread, adding some veggies like onion, tomato and lettuce and having two substantial sides like homemade fries and side of veggies.
Chicken, Turkey and Pork:
Both healthy sources. Less calorie dense than red meat, chicken and pork are less dense in saturated fat. There is some small variation in different cuts (breast has less fat than thigh) but this is very small, and the fat in small amounts is healthy. So when it comes to chicken and pork, choose the cut that you like. Really the only way to make these foods unhealthy is to buy them processed; deep fried chicken and bacon are two perfect examples.
Now, two words on lunch meat: PLEASE STOP. Lunch meat is really the demise of American diet. It is highly processed, salty, low in protein and poor quality fat. Want to make a sandwich? Great. Either make your own chicken, turkey or pork.
Making chicken or pork for sandwich is really simple:
For chicken, buy your favorite cut like breast, thigh or tenders, drizzle with some olive oil, salt, pepper, and cook in oven at 425 for 25-30 minutes. Let cool to room temperature and store in oven. Use it for your sandwich.
For pork: you have many options. You can use a slow cooker or oven to cook a pork shoulder and use. the meat for the sandwich, or you can get pork loin chops and cook them with salt and pepper on stovetop. We use a slow cooker all the time, its a great way to get lots of taste, tender meat with some side veggies. Simply get a pork roast or shoulder, season with salt/pepper or poultry seasoning or whatever you like, put in a slow cooker and cook for 8 hours. Adding some carrots, celery and onion on the side will give you delicious soft veggies for your sandwich as well.
Fish:
Probably the healthiest form of meat. All fish are healthy. Some are higher in healthy
Omega fat like Tuna and Salmon but all fish are healthy. Try to include at least 1-2 servings per week. Only people that need to be cautious are pregnant ladies, some fish are high in mercury which can be toxic to the developing fetus, but 1-2 servings per week is totally fine.
When it comes to fish, the more important part is origin and freshness of the fish. All wild caught fish are healthy. But unfortunately, due to high demand, farm raised fish are becoming more and more industrialized (like red meat). Salmon, which is really the most popular due to its healthy fats, is now as industrialized as red meat, and most of the farm raised Salmon is really not as healthy. These are raised mostly in small over crowded netted areas, and although it could be in ocean water, but there is a large density of fish in a small area, hence the water quality is very poor (for a better visual, think of the fish swimming in fish poop). So, really they are not fresh nor natural fish. If you ever want to try for yourself, get a farm raised and a wild caught salmon and do a blind tasting!! So, for Salmon I really do recommend that you stay away from farm raised.
Another issue is freshness. Now, this has more to do with taste than quality. In case you have missed it, most of the fish in Cleveland is imported from far away lands. So, when you buy fish either buy it frozen (these are frozen on the fishing ship and hence kept very fresh) or if you are buying it fresh make sure it is not more that 1-2 days old. The "fish smell" that turns most people away from fish is really due to old fish (more than 1-2 days). So, as long as you get frozen or fresh fish, you will not have the bad smell. Frozen fish thaws rather quickly, so just leave it in the fridge 1-2 days before you plan to eat it. But once its thawed, you have to cook it or the smell is horrid.
Eggs:
I love them. They are rich in protein, healthy fat, minerals and vitamins. And they are delicious. Most of the protein is in the white. The fat, minerals and vitamins are mostly in the yolk. Unlike popular belief, the fat in egg does not raise your blood cholesterol and is not associated with cardiovascular disease. But just like meat, try and get your egg from a healthy source. Farmers market is a great place. For those of you living in the more rural areas of Cleveland, there are always signs of fresh eggs on people's yards! Keep an eye out. You can have them for breakfast, added to your salad for lunch or dinner, and even as a snack with a fruit or vegetable. I just had two eggs after my strength training session as I walked out of the gym!
Tofu:
At 90 calories and 1og of protein per serving (half a cup), not to mention the cheap cost, tofu is one the best sources of protein. The only downside is that by itself it is absolutely tasteless. Good news is that tofu is easy to make and easy to marinate. Tofu comes in 3 different forms: soft, medium and firm. Soft tofu is more spongy, it is good for absorbing more juice or for crushing or making spreads. Hard tofu is better for making dishes where you actually want to bite into a real tofu. Another trick with firm tofu is that you have to drain the water, which means you have to place a heavy object on top of the tofu for about 30 minutes. You can use any heavy object like books or a pot, or invest in a actual tofu press.
Outside of the vegetarian world, Tofu has a bad rep. Personally I never used Tofu, I just did not know what to do with it. But once I manned up and looked up some recipes, I found out that 1) it is super easy, 2) it actually can become very tasty and 3) my kids love it. So tofu is now a big part of our diet.
Tofu is also very versatile. You can just dump it in a soup and let it boil for 15 minutes, bake it in the oven for 15 minutes or fry it on stove top. It is good for soups, stews, noodles/rice with veggies or just as a healthy protein pack snack (for my super athlete friends). You can even use tofu for making sandwiches (anyone close to On the Rise Bakery should try their Tofu sandwich). Here is a recipe from one of my favorite cooking websites Love & Lemon.
Legumes and Lentils:
Legumes and Lentils are probably one of the healthiest food sources. Packed with healthy protein, carbs and minerals, they are truly nutritious. You can buy them raw in bulk and make them or buy them canned. Really the only unhealthy way to eat these is if you buy those canned BBQ beans or Uncle Sam's buffalo and the like. Just buy them plain and make your own food. One can of beans has more than enough carbs and protein for a meal. You can have beans in the morning with your eggs, add them to your salad and transform the salad to an actual meal or use them instead of meat in most recipes. Lentils are great in soups or added to rice dishes. But like Tofu, legumes by themselves lack taste, so you need to either add a sauce or bring taste from other parts of the food. Beans are a great alternative to meat. My two favorite websites for recipes are Forks over Knives and Cookie and Kate.
Grains:
Unprocessed whole grains a great source of healthy carbs and protein. Here is a list of common healthy grains:
Rolled or instant oats: Both kinds are healthy, instant just cooks faster. Always buy plain and add your own taste, the flavored oats are loaded with sugar and artificial sweeteners. Great for morning breakfast instead of cereal. Short in time, make overnight oats.
Quinoa: another great source. Can use for breakfast (just like oats) or instead of rice for lunch and dinner. Also a great addition to your salad to add some healthy carb and proteins.
Barely and Farrow: Found in most grocery stores. Great substitute for rice.
Whole wheat pasta and Brown rice: if your diet is heavy on rice and pasta, try and switch to these healthier versions. These grains have more protein and fiber than the processed pasta and white rice and are much healthier. In fact if you use whole wheat noodles, you may not need to add any meat (some cheese, edamame will suffice for all the protein you need)
Oat and buckwheat flour: replace your all purpose flour in bread, pancake or waffles with these healthier versions. There are now even already made pancake mixes in some grocery stores and online that are made with whole wheat or buckwheat flour.
Dairy products:
Dairy products high in protein are cottage cheese and greek yogurt. Just make sure you get the plain ones. Great for breakfast bowl (just add some fruits and oats) or snacking. Cheese is also high in protein but tends to have higher percentage of fat per gram of protein, so its ok to have occasionally but not on a daily basis as a major source of protein (small amount for the taste is fine).
In past we used to think that the fat in dairy product is harmful, but this has been debunked. In fact the fat in dairy product is not associated with elevated risk of cardiovascular disease. So, get the whole or 2% for a better taste and some healthy fat for extra calories. Use the lower fats if you are trying to trim down on calories.
There is also some hypothetical concern about risk of cancer with milk. Milk is high in pro growth proteins and hormones (think of it, milk is really meant for a new born of any animal species when the goal to is grow fast). This is hypothetical as there is really no way to do an actual randomized trial. So, if you dont care for milk, skip it, if you love it, limit it.
Ok, in case you are still looking for another source of protein, here are some other healthy sources of protein:
Nuts and Peanut butter: lots of calories per gram of protein. They are very good for you mostly because of their healthy fat, but not really a big source of protein per serving. They are very calorie rich. Limit for snacking to a handful a day or to garnish your plate.
Peanut butter is a little trickier. Some of the store bought brands have added sugar or added saturated or even hydrogeneted fat. So, always look at the ingredient list. There should only be one thing listed; Peanuts. My favorite brand is Richards.
Edamame: super healthy with micronutrients and loaded with protein. 1 cup has 17g! Great for adding to your salad, rice, or just as a side. Fantastic for snacking. My younger kid chows them down frozen! I personally like them toasted in the oven with a little olive oil, salt and pepper.
This concludes the list of healthy proteins and all the details you need to know from each one. Bulk up!
For my super athlete audience:
Some great sources of proteins for snacking:
Greek yogurt with fruits. Add some chia seeds for added wellness! Ok to drizzle some honey or maple syrup for sweetness (one tea spoon). Full of protein and healthy carbs.
Cottage cheese with crushed nuts and diced apples or grapes: Loaded with protein, healthy fats and carb.
2 tbs peanut butter with apples or carrots. Not as protein rich as above, but still packs a good amount of healthy calories.
Cup of Edamame: yep, make it in the over, boil it or buy it frozen and microwave it. Add some salt and fresh squeezed lemon juice. Add a touch of Cumin for extra taste!
Hard boiled eggs: 2-3 with some fruits of your choice. Packed with proteins, healthy carbs and micronutrients.
Home made or locally made Whole grain bread with peanut butter spread: I buy my bread from On the Rise in Cleveland Heights, it is fresh and rich in protein. Have it with a side of bluberries for extra carbs.
Smoothies: half cup Milk or milk alternatives, half cup water or coconut water, cup of frozen fruit of your choice, frozen veggie of your choice like carrots, beets (known to increase blood flow and increase performance), spinach, 2 tbs spoon of greek yogurt or/and 3 tbs hemp seeds (full of protein). I always add half to one banana for extra carb and I personally love the taste.
Homemade protein bars. My favorite recipes are found in Eat Slow Run Fast book and this other book that has a title too long to write!