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
Wow…
too bad like 98% of soy is genetically modified.. (or some ridic. number) soooo I would agree with apples and keep the soy out.
I like turtles!
beef jerky !
im a vegertairian and i think its bad killing animals. just think if you went to a farm a week ago,that same animal could be on your plate the next day!!!!!
I’m just gonna say that I noticed that no one can come to a concensus as to what is good for you and bad for you. For vegans to be so excited about doing the right thing to only rub everyone elses noses in their “wrong-doing” is almost retroactive to their cause in my opinion. You can’t change minds just by being a jerk. Same for the meat eating side, sure meat is awesome but sometimes a little vegetarian meal here and there is pretty good too. Its not completely “inhuman”.
Back to the matter at hand: I think it takes some time and effort to figure out what YOUR body needs diet-wise and it may take some experimentation. I find that simply prepared fish and maybe a steamed vegatable gives ME (notice I said “me”) a nice break from the heavy meats and greasy foods that I’m sure I definitely eat WAAAY too much. I’m also a fan of a good stir fry with chicken and whatever veggies available. Protein and mineral balance with out the “heaviness”…
Sidenote: please excuse and errors in grammar spelling and/or facts. I’m quite tired…
It’s all well and good for you rich folks to say only buy this and this but in reality it’s not an option for a large amount of the population… I’ve gained 35lb in nine months from body building and eating intensively farmed salmon, eggs and beef… Ok I feel a little guilty about the way the meat is raised but there’s nothing I can do about that, the food’s there, I might as well eat it.
Rich folks? Who are you calling rich? I watch the Ammish and Mennonites in our area grow or make all of their own food for next to nothing. And this site is not about weight gain, it’s about health. Eat what is most healthy for the human genome. I eat pastured beef because I can do it very cheap. Paid for the calf (400) and had a farmer raise it for me (30 times 12) then we split the butcher fee 400 which came out to about 41 cents to the pound.
Grass fed and finished steaks and hamburger for $.41 a pound. Works for me. Doing the same for goat and I get venison from locals when they have overages during hunt season.
Raise my own chickens.
Rich… not hardly. Smart is more like.
You know what “amuses” me? Its way cheaper to raise grass fed than grain fed beef. Grain finishing is done (in part) to meet the market demand for meat that is more highly marbled and tender.
Grass fed beef was always considered a lower grade of meat. The farmer did not get as much money at the market for his/her beef if it was grass fed. I know because I used to raise beef, among other things.
Now, grass fed is trendy so guess what is happening to the price if we buy it in a store? Its way pricey. I haven’t yet found a local farmer to do what you are doing, so I am making do with what’s available. Today we bought grass fed beef liver (US) for $4.99 per lb and pastured, grass fed boneless top sirloin (US) for $13.99 a lb.
i think people also need to keep in mind that some people want to be as healthy as possible & we know high protein, no processed etc is the way for us BUT not everyone can afford organic everything! i buy 90% of my veggies/fruits organic but i cannot afford enough organic meat for myself & my husband. & we still maintain good health & fitness, we still lose weight when we need too, it may not be the best out there but you do the best that you can with what you have. i think that natural everything is the way to go, if you have the money & resources to afford it but in the real world of blue collar working class folks like us it is a struggle to keep our diet the way we want it CLEAN & HEALTHY all the time in every catagory. thats why so many poor people are overweight. fatty/sugary foods are the cheapest stuff out there. we do not indulge int hat stuff but we do have to buy reg. tho lean meats, & some processed stuff…so from a poor person who tries to eat everything the right way, don;t be so snobby about every little piece of food. we know grass fed is the best (but i cant afford to pay nearly or over $20 for a cut of meat), we know not to eat foods with large amounts of soy or processed foods or frozen veggies but sometimes you can’t manage it all & eating the VERY BEST you can is better then eating all junk anytime. we eat healthier then 95% of people i know or run into every day & just because it doesn’t meet the standards of this site doesn’t mean it should be discounted as not healthy. for the record besides working out 3 times a week my husband cycles 75 miles 2-3 times a week (as time allows) has the lowest percentage of body fat & will turn 46 this year. i’d say that ain’t bad!
Calorie for Calorie, broccoli has TWICE the protein as sirloin steak! Plus, according to the movie forks over knives, animal protein activates cancer cells (don’t dismiss this until you see the movie!). You can watch it here: http://www.filmsforaction.org/Watch/Forks_Over_Knives_2011/
I’m juicing in the morning and avoiding animal products during the week… then have an organic bbq on the weekends – mainly organic chicken with lot’s of roasted vegetables – After I got all that fat out of my system I can taste the flavor of vegetables much more… And they taste GREAT!
With regard to India’s heart health problem:
http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/kerala/article2932229.ece
SOy products are dangerous if they are GM which most are, Organic soy is better. Give you ovarian cysts though. It seems like everyone has a conflicting opinion these days making eating a nightmare. The human body is a ticking timebomb.
For those of you that don’t feel like reading this whole article, here it is in a nutshell.
Organic is better than Non-Organic…
ya don’t say? Valuable insight there my friend. Can’t believe I wasted 3 minutes reading this.
Plants are living species. You’re still eating something alive.
Hello Brothers and Sisters,
The best sources of proteins listed here lack the criteria of humanity.
Maybe if in some science journal they come out that human meat is the best protein ever should we start killing our brothers and sisters.
Consider the world as nothing but a group of souls including yourself. Then put yourself in the place of the soul undergoing the pain of getting killed and then I will ask you the best source of protein.
In this time of capitulation it is easy to kill or harm something that is weaker than us and cannot plead like humans.
May Jesus forgive you for promoting such killings of innocent beings…
Try to read the Story of Samaraditya and you will realize karma does work.
Hamburgers do contain protein rather than amino acid chains. Proteins consist of amino acids and carbohydrates, which is what makes them proteins: amino acids are present in hamburgers, but only attached to carbohydrates and folded into the large molecules we know as proteins. Individual amino acids are too small to make burgers from – we need the large proteins that form muscle tissue )i.e. flesh)!
Is it the food they eat that gives people here such foul mouths? I’d rather eat burgers all day and enjoy them than listen to some of this foul stuff every day!
People who cannot make a point without swearing have a poor command of their language, and I doubt I would have much confidence in their opinion about anything.
Any vituperative response to this post will simply prove my point! A well-constructed argument in favor of their need for such vocabulary, on the other hand, would prove me wrong.
So which is it to be?
P.S. Biochemically, eggs are eggs no matter what the chickens eat. Protein and fats do not change their chemical structure just because they are organic.
Pete
Reading these comment threads is just soul-destroying. Not the recommendations and good-natured discussion, just the back-and-forth bickering about who knows more about what protein. ARGH.
As someone somewhere said “we all die of something someday” and I don’t think anybody’s religion (or lack thereof) dictates that we would ever want to, or be able to, regret our life choices after we die, just while we’re alive.
So relax
Either you have ever-lasting life after you die, or you become part of the Earth’s energy cycle. The universe cares not if you ate some farmed salmon.
Is the list going from ten being the best? As one is fill in the blank…
Of course the liberals and animal rights activists have taken this page off topic to promote their personal adjendas. Typical leftist, save the animals, while they support the genocide of unborn children. Whatever Michele Obama tells you to eat, do the opposite. Thats what she and Barack do, and they seem pretty healthy.you leftists are all hypocrates!
Hey Scotty,
Why don’t you give us all a break and leave politics out of this arena? Good Lord, that’s all we need is another polidiot!
Your post says more about you than it does your fellow Groks. Lighten up.
Quinoa is a great source but it is not a grain it is a seed!
Well, first off thank you for this post. I appreciate your time in creating this list. The comments raise numerous questions and I will be looking into some things ……
I will however never choose the vegetarian or vegan lifestyles….. Simply by personal choice.
One comment up in the thread says that thousands of acres are used for livestock production that we can use for crops…..
-A. Much ranch land isn’t flat useable farm land….or in locations where there is irrigation water available.
-B. What would we do with the livestock populations there are now if we all stopped eating meat?
These are not intended to slam you’re beliefs, simply questions.
I myself am from a ranching family. for generations we have eaten meat and drank milk as well as whole eggs….. My great grandparents were 104 & 102 when they passed away….my grandmothers generation all lived into their 90′s or over 100….. Not only lived….but thrived going on walks and living on their own through their final days. I realize that I’m opening myself up for banter but I’m just stating that you don’t have to cut out these things to love a long healthy life…. (I might also add…cancer and disease free – my family)
I an the youngest of 10
The majority of us grew up ranching….growing our own food killing or own meat, be it wild game mostly vs income making beef we raised…. I would trade that life for anything. And I an working to give my family the same life. We did learn that what you kill you eat and use everything you can hides bones..everything…not believing in the hunting for sport…..its about balance in life and the earth and appreciation for that balance.
Please excuse my typos…. I wouldn’t trade for anything!
one of the better information post i came across.
I have just one thing to say: Shame on you meat eaters! (and you all know why)
Quinoa is actually a seed, but everyone seems to think it is a grain.
I Enjoy Hemp Protein. It has every single essential Amino Acid plus many more and is easily digested. It is the most complete protein source available to man, and hemp is considered a ‘super-food.’
I don’t smoke Marijuana all of the time, but I love hemp protein!!!
I Enjoy Hemp Protein. It has every single essential Amino Acid plus many more and is easily digested. It is the most complete protein source available to man, and hemp is considered a ‘super-food.’
I don’t smoke Marijuana all of the time, but I love hemp protein!!!
Read more: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/top-ten-protein-sources/#ixzz1qcRUW4qj
Now that it is Lent, and I am abstaining from all animal products including dairy, I have noticed I am feeling much better, and not having those problems I would have the rest of the year. I have been careful of the amount of dairy I have most times anyway, but being completely without for a few weeks makes a huge difference. But I tell you — they put dairy into practically EVERYTHING so I have to be sure not to use any processed foods at all, and start from scratch with raw ingredients. Maybe that makes the diffeence. If anyone can find raw dairy products in the concrete jungle, good for them. Not gonna happen where I live. There’s too much money to be made from adulterated foods. The gullable masses eat it up. Literally. Not that we have much choice anymore.
I eat small balanced meals of beans, brown rice & cilantro all day. No gas. As long as you don’t use too much bean in a given meal & you properly balance with green, tomatoes etc, it won’t give you gas. When you don’t have enough bulky fiber to keep it moving THEN you will get gas. Don’t forget GLUTEN and other grains also are the real culprit causing gas. Oh and don’t forget inadequate fruit and vegetable intake. People still live in the stone age. Cave men did not live very long ie meat eaters. Horses only eat grass. Where do they get their protein? Cows could eat only grass too, where do they get their protein? It’s not the protein that we need. It is rest, relaxation, reducing stress. Stress is catabolic which drains adrenals, tears down muscle and causes love handles. Pace yourself through the day. Don’t workout too much or too hard. A meditative workout 2-3x per day for short sessions is far more effective than a long morning or night workouts. If you are going for long-term health that is. Sure you could dope up on massive amounts of stimulants,creatine, whey and meat which has a huge toll on your kidneys, liver, heart, etc. What do huge body builders look like later in life if they don’t die of heart failure? Their joints, tendons and body are worn out. Our bodies have a quota of life service including the organs. Don’t push too hard and don’t sit around. Moderation in ALL things.
My fav is chicken breast, barbequed
! no skin whatsoever!! 
is it ok to eat beans at night if i want to lose weight?