Top 10 Best & Worst Protein Sources (vegetarians take note)
Yesterday, I discussed protein a little bit, and it’s such an important topic that I think it deserves its own Tuesday 10 (Read all Tuesday 10 columns here).
In all the debates this year about sugar (carbohydrates) and hydrogenated oil (fat), we forget that protein warrants consideration as well. The wrong proteins in the diet will quickly sabotage optimal health.
Many myths surround protein. For the record, vegetarians will not die of protein deprivation. I hope no one believes that anymore. It helps to understand that protein is a macronutrient. What we call “protein” is, in fact, a family of amino acid molecules. When grouped together in various combinations we get proteins. There’s no protein molecule hanging out in that hamburger; rather, the animal tissue is made of many different amino acid building blocks. Protein is just a catch-all term we use. This is why vegetarians won’t keel over as people once feared. (However, I still recommend meat consumption, and for a number of reasons: caloric efficiency, blood sugar management, and human biology. It takes more calories to get adequate amounts of protein on a vegetarian diet. Living on beans and tofu increases the amount of carbohydrates in one’s diet significantly. And the human body most certainly handles – and benefits from – a bit of flesh. But I digress.)
Here are my ten ideal sources of protein, and their popular but inferior counterparts.
10. Winner: Grass-Fed Beef
Loser: Grain-Fed Beef
The average cow is raised on cheap grain that will kill it after about six months (they’re conveniently slaughtered before this happens – but not always). Hardly something I want to put in my body. Grass-fed, organic beef won’t make the vegetarians happy, but this beef is rich in beneficial fatty acids that are missing from the factory-raised cattle. It’s cleaner, healthier, more flavorful, and richer in nutrients. And grass-fed beef is typically raised in humane conditions. If you eat beef, grass-fed is a must. It’s getting quite easy to find these days, but you can order online from many outlets as well.
9. Winner: Organic Chicken
Loser: regular frozen chicken
No comparison. Did you know chicken has flavor? Yeah, bizarre, I know. Chicken raised properly (not shoved by the cluckload into dirty factories) is rich in EFAs and is one of the most efficient, lean sources of protein available.
8. Winner: Wild Salmon
Loser: farmed salmon
Fish is healthy, right? Don’t even bother patting yourself on the back for eating salmon if it’s from a farm. Farmed salmon is produced in a way that’s the seaside equivalent of a chicken factory. As a result, the fish are often sick and infected. They’re fed cheap feed that does not yield the desirable Omega-3-rich flesh. They’re miserable.
Stick with wild only. Most restaurants use farmed salmon, so you have to get a little aggressive about this.
Notice a trend here with my emphasis on good fats in protein foods? Source makes a huge difference in the quality of protein you get. Meat is – or was – a very valuable food because it’s so dense in nutritious fat and protein. What an efficient, rich source of energy! Helpfully, our modern factories have eliminated the nutritional value and left us with weak, flabby, carcinogenic, diseased patties and drumsticks. Hey, thanks, guys. (Although we consumers don’t get off easy: maybe if we ate less…)
This is Roboppy’s Flickr Photo
7. Winner: Tuna fish
Loser: fish sticks and popcorn shrimp
I don’t think I need to go into this one.
6. Winner: Organic DHA-Enhanced Eggs
Loser: egg substitute and/or regular eggs
If eggs were meant to be eaten as mechanically-separated, low-fat, chemically-altered whites in a carton, the chickens would have done it by now. But an egg is a chick in the making. It’s rich in antioxidants, good fats, vitamins, and – for the calories – a lot of protein. Things like Egg Beaters are the result of food manufacturers exploiting fears based on grossly inaccurate health information. There’s nothing healthy about such unnatural products.
5. Winner: Organic, Plain, European (Greek) Yogurt
Loser: regular yogurt
No comparison. The European stuff is richer, fattier, more nutritious and lower in sugar. Again, when choosing an animal protein source, choose one that also provides valuable fats to maximize nutrition. Don’t go for the conventional animal products that are high in chemicals, hormones, bad fats, and sugars. Yogurt isn’t a staple of my diet, but if I eat it it’s certainly not a plastic cup of sugar-infused strawberry dessert.
4. Winner: Tempeh
Loser: tofu and “mock meats”
Fermented foods ought to be part of everyone’s diet, vegetarian or not. Tempeh is one that is chewy and delicious, even to die-hard burger fans. It’s healthy and a much better bet than heavily processed tofu or “mock meats” that are brimming with poor-quality modified proteins, sodium, chemicals and starchy fillers. In my opinion it doesn’t compare nutritionally or in taste to a juicy steak but as vegetarian options go it ain’t half bad.
3. Winner(s): Quinoa
Loser(s): green beans & any large, starchy bean: kidney, great northern, lima
Don’t get me wrong, green beans are decent veggies. But these “beans” contain very little protein. Kidney, northern, navy, lima and other starchy beans are also rather limited in their protein amounts and contain a high amount of carbohydrates. Quinoa (pronounced “keen-wah”) is a so-called “complete protein” grain – the only one of which I’m aware. Though I stay away from grains entirely, for a vegetarian protein option you could do much worse.
This is Dan Mogford’s Flickr Photo
2. Winner: Almonds and Almond Butter
Loser: peanuts and peanut butter
Peanuts are one of the least nutritious nuts (and they’re not technically a true nut anyway). When adding a handful of nuts to your salad for protein, go with almonds. Almond butter is less toxic and allergenic than peanut butter, although the protein amounts are similar by comparison (between 6 and 8 grams, usually). Still, this is about quality protein, not necessarily the amount. When it comes to protein, people often think that “more is more”. A giant steak will certainly give you “more” protein, but if it’s conventionally raised and is an unreasonable portion size, it’ll give you a whole lot more trouble, too.
1. What’s your favorite protein source?
Give me a shout, Apples. What protein do you favor? What have I left out? (To comment, simply click on Comments below to log in to the blog forum, or proceed directly to the forum.)
Note: “Cows’ milk is for baby cows,” the saying goes. You’ll notice I left cheese and milk out of this list. I think dairy is less than ideal for human consumption, though I do like yogurt because it’s a fermented food. Raw dairy is healthy and enjoyable for many people, but generally, I think quality meat is better for you than quality milk. Less processed cheeses such as ricotta, buffalo mozzarella, goat cheese and mascarpone are superior to more heavily processed cheddar, colby and jack. Cream and butter are fine in cooking, because I don’t fear saturated fat, but I am concerned about folks who substitute lean, nutritious meat with highly-processed cheese.
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Technorati Tags: vegetarian, protein, quinoa, fermented foods, tempeh, dairy
Posted By: Mark Sisson
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What about undenaturated whey protein from grass fed cows? It is so healthy for the heart, digestive since there are live enzymes, and much more cleansing for the body. Any thoughts?
Better than organic grade too!
You should check out canihua/ kanihua.
Organic or not, meat contains cancer causing/inhibitors…..It truly is no wonder this country has the highest rate of illness’s in the world,all due to diet.
…
I was told that a combination of beans and nuts makes a good protein. Is this true?
My doctor told me to take Keratin. I can’t find it.
I substituted ground beef with Kidney beans in my spaghetti sauce. It’s delicious and less fat. Do you think the exchange gives me enough protein?
Hey guys i have tested the bcaa profile of almost all the proteins on the market today and for a while gold standard has come out on top but the problem with this was the price as which gold standard sells for..
I continued researching a brand more affordable and i come across impact whey protein, not only is it the cheapest powder ive found it is also the best quality protein!
If any of you are interested here is the link to their website– myprotein.com I have a code that i’m allowed to give to anyone too that allows you to get 10% off each order but you have to use the code when you sign up.
The code is ——- MP480455
This website has a very wide range of product so i recommend checking their products out just for interest.
Quinoa isn’t a grain. Someone probably said this somewhere, but it’s a seed, and what some call a “pseudograin”. It’s high carb and high GI, but it’s primal, in moderation.
Nice list you got here, I agree with your focus on organics, going back to basics is always the right idea in my opinion. I also do my own hunting and fishing, I would love to hear what you think about wild-sourced meat.
I think you should add hemp to this list as a great source as well.
Despite the negative connentation surrounding hemp (I promise you I am not writing this in the back of a hotboxed VW with pink floyd playing), it is a phenominal source of protien, good fats, and many different micro-nutrients. All of this with NO THC (the drug that makes you ‘high’).
It’s protein profile is complete. Including all 8 essential amino acids our body can’t produce on it’s own!
Food for thought!
GORILLAS , cows, sheep, horses, hippos, elephants, goats, … ARE ALL VEGETARIAN AND GET AMPLE PROTEIN MAN WAS ORIGINALLY VEGETARIAN!!!!!!
Hi Elaine, You might be desillusioned, but Chimps aren´t vegetarian, in fact they eat (amongst fruits and veggies) other little monkeys. not a beautiful sight, but biological reality.
and as for the cow-horses-sheep-goat combo: ever wondered what kind of gut they carry around in their big bellies ? they have four legs so it doesn´t show that much …
about man being oroginally vegetarian – maybe don´t talk with fitness-or diet-selling ideologists but simply with people with a degree in anthropology or archeology and they will tell You what the archeological evidence shows, then decide, what arguments to use for vegetarianism if that´s Your ideal.
IM SURE IF GORILLAS, CHIMPS LARGEST LAND ANIMALS ARE ALL VEGETARIANS THEY DONT NEED A HUGE AMOUNT OF PROTEIN WE CAN ALL SURVIVE WITHOUT MEAT! PROTEIN IS NOT THE ISSUE. ITS MANS AGRICULTURAL REVOLUTION WITH ALL THAT NASTY WHEAT, SUGAR THAT STUFFS UP HUMAN DIGESTION IS THE FAULT!
GORILLAS ARE MUSCLY LARGE ROBUST CREATURESS YET THEY ARE VEGETARIAN.
me too
I think I will just starve myself. Everything seems to be bad for you I don’t know what to eat anymore. Not everyone can afford organic foods .
lentils, peas, spinach, black beans. Seriously there are a lot of vegetable sources for protein.
Indisputedly fish as salmon is a protein source with a lot of nutritional and health benefits. But according to a lot of information published in reviewed papers and recognized organizations, principally predatory fish, and then wild kind may cause a health risk. For example, the FDA announces as a matter of prudence that women might wish to modify the amount and type of fish they consume if they are planning to become pregnant, pregnant, nursing, or feeding a young child due to the presence of certain chemicals as methylmercury and polychlorinated biphenols. http://www.fda.gov/Food/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/ucm110591.htm
Sardines before salmon, sustainably harvested and cheap
All grains are seeds (and so are beans, nuts & seeds)(all seeds should be soaked to help get rid of phytates also). Quinoa is an annual & a pseudocereal rather than a true cereal (or grain) because it is not a member of the true grass family. Grasses that grow grains are in the Poaceae family (corn, wheat, millet, rice, etc).
A complete protein (or whole protein) is a source of protein that contains an adequate proportion of all nine of the essential amino acids necessary for the dietary needs of humans or other animals (source: Wikipedia, complete protein) Complete proteins include quinoa, hemp seeds, chia seeds, flax seeds.
Someone said it doesn’t really matter if you eat pasta or chicken, as long as you eat a decent amount of protein. It does matter what you eat – that’s why most of us are in the shape we’re in today (along w/ stress, not enough sunshine, exercise, sleep, etc).
Mass produced food may feed the world, but that doesn’t mean it’s the best way to go.
The China Study is a good book to read. But the most enlightening thing I’ve read over the past 50 years has been Dr. Weston Price’s study “Nutrition and Physical Degeneration”, which can be found at http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks02/0200251h.html
I’ve come to a couple of basic conclusions after being a health nut for 50 years and reading hundreds of books and doing searches on the web extensively (keep in mind you can’t believe everything you read from books or online, or even from scientific studies) and experimenting on different diets myself (BTW, I’m in excellent health, and weight appropriate for my height, and have never had a major disease, only occasional colds, etc). The first conclusion I’ve come to is to eat as natural a diet as you can and avoid everything that has been altered by man in ANY way (this includes homogenized, pasteurized, fat-free, low-carb, sugar-free, artificial sweeteners, grain-fed and CAFO cows, poultry that’s been given antibiotics & not allowed to free-range, farm-raised fish, processed foods, including processed protein powders & nut/hemp milks (use hemp seeds, chia seeds & flax seeds instead), refined foods (including sugar, flour, etc), etc., and making the majority of your diet organic fruits & veggies (raw & cooked in bone broths; including cruciferous veggies & sea veggies (including blue-green algae: chlorella & spirulina) – bone broth, cruciferous veggies & sea veggies are all great sources of Ca), and preferably grown yourself, or from local growers that grow organic and in-season, and having animal products (free-range beef, free-range poultry & their eggs (free range beef & poultry are high in omega-3s, just like fish – and God made a perfect food in eggs – they have almost every nutrient we need except vit C – eat both the yolk & the white & stop worrying about cholesterol – just avoid man-made hydrogenated fats), wild-caught low-mercury fish, fermented foods you’ve made – 1 T to 1/2 cup at each meal –raw dairy could contain pathogens which might not be eradicated even by fermenting so make it at your own risk) a minor part of your diet (we don’t need that much protein, and some protein is in almost everything, but you can include small amounts of these complete proteins: hemp seeds, flax seeds, chia seeds, raw nuts & seeds that have been soaked & dried, & quinoa (more info on quinoa at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quinoa), and up to 1 oz animal protein at each meal. Grains & beans should be a minor part of your diet, also. (even soaked ones, which help get rid of phytates, etc)
(vegetarians take note –animal proteins are the best sources of some nutrients, namely conjugated linoleic acid, vitamin B12, vitamin A (best source is liver), carnosine (an amino acid; the only sources are animal sources), carnitine (meats are best source), EPA & DHA (best sources are fish); CoQ10 (best source is liver), other vit’s & min’s that vegetarians might be deficient in are vit D, Ca, Fe, Zn, and I (iodine)(best source is sea veggies). If you’re worried about animals dying, just eat eggs – chickens don’t have to die to get their eggs.
Secondly, don’t eat the same things every day and don’t over-eat any one thing in one day (especially gluten grains, and never eat wheat – it’s been over-hybridized to contain too much gluten).
Thirdly, we would all be better off if we would grow at least some of our own food & herbs with compost and not be so dependent on commercial food, which is full of pesticides, artificial fertilizers, GMOs, xenoestrogens, artificial additives, and God knows what else. If you’re interested in growing your own food, do a little research on biointensive farming and organic farming. I was so impressed when I visited Germany – every house has a little garden beside it and they have bike trails beside the highways (the highways are built up and the bike trails are down below on each side).
One more thing to take note of sometimes we don’t notice any ill effects from eating harmful foods (or we don’t pay attention to them). Sometimes it takes years to develop a degenerative disease – it doesn’t happen overnight or we’d all be eating a lot differently.
P.S. don’t believe everything the FDA tells you either
There seems to be a lot of people w/an ego problem on this site. Why do you have to resort to name-calling? We all just “know” what we read, and who’s to say that it’s right? Take what you read (including what I wrote) w/a grain of salt and try it yourself and see what happens. Can you say that you never get sick from eating the way you do? In 10 or 20 years from now, will you have a degenerative disease? If you can, then I’ll take it to heart.
Oh, and another thing, plants may have feelings after all – read The Secret Life of Plants and en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plant_perception_(paranormal)
Judy, horticulturist, master gardener, & health nut
Quinoa is not a grain
I’ve reduced my meat intake a bit over the years, and seem to feel better. I use a cold processed whey protein shake for breakfast, hemp products, organic eggs and occasionally tuna and salmon for protein.
I really don’t do the protein bars much anymore for snacks, and try to eat more whole foods instead of the processed stuff. Harder to get protein away from home, I know – but the whey and hemp protein shakes are easy to take on the go, or hard boiled eggs.
that sucked
meat sucks.
u suck.
I know you don’t recommend dairy, but I do use whey daily and feel great on it – along with raw eggs.
Also enjoy some grass fed bison occasionally – it’s the best tasting red meat in my opinion.
How do you feel about pecans and almonds?
Quinoa is a seed, not a grain.
The tribes that live on milk, live on RAW MILK, not the over processed crap we are forced by law to use. Raw milk is a great food, but it is illegal to sell it in this country.
And I spend little more than half of your $1200 on food and that is for 4 people.
Buy a portion of a cow and then it is legal to consume your own produce. I live in PacNW and it is a common way to get raw milk.
I also suggest more people should eat low impact animals such as lamb and goat and turkey and emu etc.
you mean TOO
i agree.. but you also.
nighty night!
@ Petunia: I hope you don’t home school your children. They haven’t believed in only two kingdoms in centuries. In fact, domain–a new rank of biological classification that has three branches–was added over twenty years ago.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_(biology)
Additionally, most vegans don’t consume or use anything made from or by animals. This includes the items you mentioned, and I know many vegans who abstain from eating honey.
Mike: You are a great at stirring the pot (provoking anger)… only those incapable of thinking and defending their opinions make comments like yours…you lower yourself…(only my opinion)…and I am too old to use all those lol’s and such…you are NOT credible to me…if you have nothing better to offer why don’t you give us all a break and crawl back into your hole.
You and Mike should get together..
FYI, Chimps and some monkeys, esp. baboons, have been observed to hunt and eat other species including other primates. Many primates eat insects. There are many articles on this topic since Goodall first observed it in the wild.
http://www-bcf.usc.edu/~stanford/chimphunt.html
http://scholar.google.co.uk/scholar?q=baboon+hunting+behavior&hl=en&as_sdt=0&as_vis=1&oi=scholart
what proof do you have for a much lower rate of cancer? and also there are much more diseases vegetarians can suffer from than people who eat meat, as to a deficiency of vitamins such as B12 which can result in greater risk of cardiac diseases, and vegetarian diets may be low in calcium, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, iron, zinc, riboflavin (vitamin B2), and iodine
If the suggestion is that because primates eat meat, we also should, then we should follow primates on other matters as well ? Lets jump out of our house and start climbing any random tree and make some random calls.
“how patronising”…followed by one of the most patronising sermons I’ve read by a fellow vegetarian in eons.
I’ve personally watched a troop of vervet monkeys track, kill and eat a dassie (an enormous rodent). Amazing what you see if you keep your eyes open and your mouth shut.
The militants on this website take their eggs seriously! I particularly enjoyed the prophets of doom, and their Greek Chorus of “just wait…” regarding milk. Tré amusing.
I understand Keith’s point regarding feeding the world, as I live in South Africa. But, at the same time, I know how easy it is to grow your own vegetables, and isn’t that a good start? Seriously, a few spinach plants, some butternut, cucumber and squash climbers, and a few tomato plants, and that’s the majority of your diet sorted for the entire family. Well…mine, anyway.
well her point still stands tho, who cares how many kingdoms there are. “they havent believed in two kingdoms for centuries….a new one was added 20 years ago” your logic makes no sense
anyone who does not get that the difference in life between swatting a mosquito and killing a bull needs to wake the fuck up- how about eating kitty cats and puppies? same thing as picking some kale leaves? give me a break -that Veggie Myth woman was one of those kind of Eco-martyr types…man-made aglobal warming and all that BS..
@madhava I actually see nothing wrong with eating cats and dogs. I wouldn’t eat someones pet but I feel that whether it is funghi, vegetables, fruits, seeds, grains or meat they are all living but die to sustain us.
Part of life is death and consuming living things to sustain ourselves. That’s why I’m not a vegetarian or a vegan. It’s healthy to eat a well balanced diet including meat. We actually get more protein out of meat than non-meat sources of protein. My husband is a biologist and he told me that studies show that our brains produce a chemical when we eat meat that alerts the rest of our body so that it will get more protein out of the meat. Our brains don’t do this for other protein sources because we evolved to eat meat. Yes you don’t need to eat meat but as long as it is organic, not overly processed, not full of synthetic nitrites / nitrates and feed a more natural diet like worms and bugs for chicken or grassfed for beef then you’ll actually get a lot more out of a small amount of meat in your diet than not having the meat. Also it’s better to not cook your meat too much. I especially eat my beef very rare.
I had a lot of stomach problems. I changed my diet to eat no meat, no dairy and no grains because some friends suggested it years ago and it just made things worse. I take probiotics and eat an extremely varied diet. My tummy almost never has problems now except if I eat something that is too spicy.
not to mention egg yolks are extremely high in cholesteroil which ages you much faster i usualy use 4 egg and 1 sometimes 1 1/2 yolks
Lamb AAAAGGGHH! Said like Homer simpson. Lamb is the meat of the Gods. Literally, see Bulfinch’s Mythology.
Seriously? You must be on the wrong page. Completely inappropriate. Whoever wrote this sounds uneducated.
You need to read this: http://eatingacademy.com/nutrition/the-straight-dope-on-cholesterol-part-i
Cholesterol in our food does not translate to cholesterol in our blood stream.