20 Delicious High-Protein Foods to Eat

People argue about carbs, fats, and everything in between.
However, almost everyone agrees that protein is important.
Eating plenty of protein has numerous benefits.
It can help you lose weight (especially belly fat), and increase your muscle mass and strength, to name a few (1, 2).
The recommended daily intake (RDI) is 46 grams for women, and 56 grams for men (3).
However, many health and fitness experts believe that we need much more than that.
Here is a list of 20 delicious foods that are high in protein.

1. Eggs

Whole eggs are among the healthiest and most nutritious foods on the planet.
They are loaded with vitamins, minerals, healthy fats, eye-protecting antioxidants and brain nutrients that most people don’t get enough of.
Whole eggs are high in protein, but egg whites are almost pure protein.
Protein content: 35% of calories in a whole egg. 1 large egg contains 6 grams of protein, with 78 calories.

 

2. Almonds

Almonds are a popular type of tree nut.
They are loaded with important nutrients, including fiber, vitamin E, manganese and magnesium.
Protein content: 13% of calories. 6 grams per 1 ounce (28 g) serving, with 161 calories.

Other High-Protein Nuts

Pistachios (13% of calories) and cashews (11% of calories).

 

3. Chicken Breast

Chicken breast is one of the most popular protein-rich foods.
If you eat it without the skin, the majority of the calories in it come from protein.
Chicken breast is also very easy to cook, and tastes delicious if you do it right.
Protein content: 80% of calories. 1 roasted chicken breast without skin contains 53 grams, with only 284 calories.

 

4. Oats

Oats are among the healthiest grains on the planet.
They are loaded with healthy fibers, magnesium, manganese, thiamin (vitamin B1) and several other nutrients.
Protein content: 15% of calories. Half a cup of raw oats contains 13 grams, with 303 calories.

 

5. Cottage Cheese

Cottage cheese is a type of cheese that tends to be very low in fat and calories.
It is loaded with calcium, phosphorus, selenium, vitamin B12, riboflavin (vitamin B2) and various other nutrients.
Protein content: 59% of calories. A cup (226 g) of cottage cheese with 2% fat contains 27 grams of protein, with 194 calories.

Other Types of Cheese That Are High in Protein

Parmesan cheese (38% of calories), swiss cheese (30%), mozzarella (29%) and cheddar (26%).

 

6. Greek Yogurt

            Greek yogurt, also called strained yogurt, is a very thick type of yogurt.

 

It tastes delicious, has a creamy texture, and is high in many nutrients.
Protein content: Non-fat greek yogurt has protein at 48% of calories. One 170 gram (6 ounce) container has 17 grams of protein, with only 100 calories.
Just make sure to choose one without added sugar. Full-fat Greek yogurt is also very high in protein, but contains more calories.

Similar Options

Regular full-fat yogurt (24% of calories) and kefir (40%).

7. Milk

Milk is highly nutritious, but the problem is that a huge percentage of the world’s adults are intolerant to it.
However, if you tolerate milk and enjoy drinking it, then milk can be an excellent source of high-quality protein.
Milk contains a little bit of almost every single nutrient needed by the human body.
It is particularly high in calcium, phosphorus and riboflavin (vitamin B2).
Protein content: 21% of calories. 1 cup of whole milk contains 8 grams of protein, with 149 calories.

 

8. Broccoli

Broccoli is an incredibly healthy vegetable, loaded with vitamin C, vitamin K, fiber and potassium.
Broccoli is also loaded with various bioactive nutrients believed to help protect against cancer.
Calorie for calorie, it is high in protein compared to most vegetables.
Protein content: 20% of calories. 1 cup of chopped broccoli (96 grams) contains 3 grams of protein, with only 31 calories.

 

9. Lean Beef

Lean beef is very high in protein, and also tastes delicious.
It is loaded with highly bioavailable iron, vitamin B12 and numerous other nutrients.
Protein content: 53% of calories. One 3 ounce (85 g) serving of cooked beef with 10% fat contains 22 grams of protein, with 184 calories.
If you’re on a low-carb diet, feel free to eat fatty cuts of beef instead of lean beef.

10. Tuna

Tuna is a very popular type of fish.
It is low in both fat and calories, so what we’re left with is mostly just protein.
Like other fish, tuna is also very high in various nutrients and contains a decent amount of omega-3 fatty acids.
Protein content: 94% of calories, in tuna canned in water. A cup (154) contains 39 grams of protein, with only 179 calories.

11. Quinoa

Quinoa is a seed/grain that is currently among the world’s most popular superfoods.
It is high in many vitamins, minerals and fiber, and is loaded with antioxidants.
Quinoa has numerous health benefits.
Protein content: 15% of calories. One cup (185 g) of cooked quinoa contains 8 grams, with 222 calories.

 

 

12. Whey Protein Supplements

When you’re pressed for time and unable to cook, a whey protein supplement can come in handy.

Whey is a type of high-quality protein from dairy foods, shown to be very effective at building muscle mass, and may help with weight loss.
Protein content: Varies between brands, can go over 90% of calories, with 20-50 grams of protein per serving.

 

13. Lentils

Lentils are a type of legume.
They are high in fiber, magnesium, potassium, iron, folate, copper, manganese and various other nutrients.
Lentils are among the world’s best sources of plant-based protein, and are an excellent food for vegetarians.
Protein content: 27% of calories. 1 cup (198 g) of boiled lentils contains 18 grams, with 230 calories.

Other High-Protein Legumes

 Soybeans (33% of calories), chickpeas (19%) and kidney beans (24%).

14. Ezekiel Bread

Ezekiel bread is different from most other breads.
It is made of organic and sprouted whole grains and legumes, including millet, barley, spelt, wheat, soybeans and lentils.
Compared to most breads, ezekiel bread is very high in protein, fiber and various nutrients.
Protein content: 20% of calories. 1 slice contains 4 grams, with 80 calories.

 

 

20 Delicious High-Protein Foods to Eat

People argue about carbs, fats, and everything in between.
However, almost everyone agrees that protein is important.
Eating plenty of protein has numerous benefits.
It can help you lose weight (especially belly fat), and increase your muscle mass and strength, to name a few (1, 2).
The recommended daily intake (RDI) is 46 grams for women, and 56 grams for men (3).
However, many health and fitness experts believe that we need much more than that.
Here is a list of 20 delicious foods that are high in protein.

1. Eggs

Whole eggs are among the healthiest and most nutritious foods on the planet.
They are loaded with vitamins, minerals, healthy fats, eye-protecting antioxidants and brain nutrients that most people don’t get enough of.
Whole eggs are high in protein, but egg whites are almost pure protein.
Protein content: 35% of calories in a whole egg. 1 large egg contains 6 grams of protein, with 78 calories.

 

2. Almonds

Almonds are a popular type of tree nut.
They are loaded with important nutrients, including fiber, vitamin E, manganese and magnesium.
Protein content: 13% of calories. 6 grams per 1 ounce (28 g) serving, with 161 calories.

Other High-Protein Nuts

Pistachios (13% of calories) and cashews (11% of calories).

 

3. Chicken Breast

Chicken breast is one of the most popular protein-rich foods.
If you eat it without the skin, the majority of the calories in it come from protein.
Chicken breast is also very easy to cook, and tastes delicious if you do it right.
Protein content: 80% of calories. 1 roasted chicken breast without skin contains 53 grams, with only 284 calories.

 

4. Oats

Oats are among the healthiest grains on the planet.
They are loaded with healthy fibers, magnesium, manganese, thiamin (vitamin B1) and several other nutrients.
Protein content: 15% of calories. Half a cup of raw oats contains 13 grams, with 303 calories.

 

5. Cottage Cheese

Cottage cheese is a type of cheese that tends to be very low in fat and calories.
It is loaded with calcium, phosphorus, selenium, vitamin B12, riboflavin (vitamin B2) and various other nutrients.
Protein content: 59% of calories. A cup (226 g) of cottage cheese with 2% fat contains 27 grams of protein, with 194 calories.

Other Types of Cheese That Are High in Protein

Parmesan cheese (38% of calories), swiss cheese (30%), mozzarella (29%) and cheddar (26%).

 

6. Greek Yogurt

            Greek yogurt, also called strained yogurt, is a very thick type of yogurt.

 

It tastes delicious, has a creamy texture, and is high in many nutrients.
Protein content: Non-fat greek yogurt has protein at 48% of calories. One 170 gram (6 ounce) container has 17 grams of protein, with only 100 calories.
Just make sure to choose one without added sugar. Full-fat Greek yogurt is also very high in protein, but contains more calories.

Similar Options

Regular full-fat yogurt (24% of calories) and kefir (40%).

7. Milk

Milk is highly nutritious, but the problem is that a huge percentage of the world’s adults are intolerant to it.
However, if you tolerate milk and enjoy drinking it, then milk can be an excellent source of high-quality protein.
Milk contains a little bit of almost every single nutrient needed by the human body.
It is particularly high in calcium, phosphorus and riboflavin (vitamin B2).
Protein content: 21% of calories. 1 cup of whole milk contains 8 grams of protein, with 149 calories.

 

8. Broccoli

Broccoli is an incredibly healthy vegetable, loaded with vitamin C, vitamin K, fiber and potassium.
Broccoli is also loaded with various bioactive nutrients believed to help protect against cancer.
Calorie for calorie, it is high in protein compared to most vegetables.
Protein content: 20% of calories. 1 cup of chopped broccoli (96 grams) contains 3 grams of protein, with only 31 calories.

 

9. Lean Beef

Lean beef is very high in protein, and also tastes delicious.
It is loaded with highly bioavailable iron, vitamin B12 and numerous other nutrients.
Protein content: 53% of calories. One 3 ounce (85 g) serving of cooked beef with 10% fat contains 22 grams of protein, with 184 calories.
If you’re on a low-carb diet, feel free to eat fatty cuts of beef instead of lean beef.

10. Tuna

Tuna is a very popular type of fish.
It is low in both fat and calories, so what we’re left with is mostly just protein.
Like other fish, tuna is also very high in various nutrients and contains a decent amount of omega-3 fatty acids.
Protein content: 94% of calories, in tuna canned in water. A cup (154) contains 39 grams of protein, with only 179 calories.

11. Quinoa

Quinoa is a seed/grain that is currently among the world’s most popular superfoods.
It is high in many vitamins, minerals and fiber, and is loaded with antioxidants.
Quinoa has numerous health benefits.
Protein content: 15% of calories. One cup (185 g) of cooked quinoa contains 8 grams, with 222 calories.

 

 

12. Whey Protein Supplements

When you’re pressed for time and unable to cook, a whey protein supplement can come in handy.

Whey is a type of high-quality protein from dairy foods, shown to be very effective at building muscle mass, and may help with weight loss.
Protein content: Varies between brands, can go over 90% of calories, with 20-50 grams of protein per serving.

 

13. Lentils

Lentils are a type of legume.
They are high in fiber, magnesium, potassium, iron, folate, copper, manganese and various other nutrients.
Lentils are among the world’s best sources of plant-based protein, and are an excellent food for vegetarians.
Protein content: 27% of calories. 1 cup (198 g) of boiled lentils contains 18 grams, with 230 calories.

Other High-Protein Legumes

 Soybeans (33% of calories), chickpeas (19%) and kidney beans (24%).

14. Ezekiel Bread

 

 

 

11 Ways to Stop Cravings for Unhealthy Foods and Sugar

Food cravings are the dieter’s worst enemy.
These are intense or uncontrollable desires for specific foods, stronger than normal hunger.
The types of foods that people crave are highly variable, but these are often processed junk foods that are high in sugar.
Cravings are one of the biggest reasons why people have problems losing weight and keeping it off.
Here are 11 simple ways to prevent or stop unhealthy food and sugar cravings.

1. Drink Water

Thirst is often confused with hunger or food cravings.
If you feel a sudden urge for a specific food, try drinking a large glass of water and wait a few minutes. You may find that the craving fades away, because your body was actually just thirsty.
Furthermore, drinking plenty of water may have many health benefits. In middle-aged and older people, drinking water before meals can reduce appetite and help with weight loss (1, 2, 3).

Bottom Line: Drinking water before meals may reduce cravings and appetite, as well as help with weight loss.

2. Eat More Protein

Eating more protein may reduce your appetite and keep you from overeating.
It also reduces cravings, and helps you feel full and satisfied for longer (4).
One study of overweight teenage girls showed that eating a high-protein breakfast reduced cravings significantly (5).
Another study in overweight men showed that increasing protein intake to 25% of calories reduced cravings by 60%. Additionally, the desire to snack at night was reduced by 50% (6).

Bottom Line: Increasing protein intake may reduce cravings by up to 60% and cut the desire to snack at night by 50%.

Protein Intake – How Much Protein Should You Eat Per Day?

“Protein is King” – Dr. Spencer Nadolsky
Protein is incredibly important.
If we don’t get enough from the diet, our health and body composition suffers.
However, there are vastly different opinions on how much protein we actually need.
Most official nutrition organizations recommend a fairly modest protein intake.
The DRI (Dietary Reference Intake) is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, or 0.36 grams per pound.
This amounts to:

• 56 grams per day for the average sedentary man.
• 46 grams per day for the average sedentary woman.

Although this meager amount may be enough to prevent downright deficiency, studies show that it is far from sufficient to ensure optimal health and body composition.
It turns out that the “right” amount of protein for any one individual depends on many factors… including activity levels, age, muscle mass, physique goals and current state of health.
So… what amount of protein is optimal and how do lifestyle factors like weight loss, muscle building and activity levels factor in?
Let’s find out…

15 “Health Foods” That Are Really Junk Foods in Disguise

Unhealthy foods are the main reason the world is fatter and sicker than ever before.
Surprisingly, some of these foods are considered healthy by many people.
 Here are 15 “health foods” that are really junk foods in disguise.

1. Processed “Low-Fat” and “Fat-Free” Foods

The “war” on saturated fat is the biggest mistake in the history of nutrition.
It was based on weak evidence, which has now been completely debunked (1).
When this started, processed food manufacturers jumped on the bandwagon and started removing the fat from foods.
But there’s a huge problem… food tastes horrible when the fat has been removed. That’s why they added a whole bunch of sugar to compensate.
Saturated fat is harmless, but added sugar is incredibly harmful when consumed in excess (2, 3).
The words “low-fat” or “fat-free” on a packaging usually mean that it is a highly processed product that is loaded with sugar.

2. Most Commercial Salad Dressings

Vegetables are incredibly healthy.
The problem is that they often don’t taste very good on their own.
That’s why many people use dressings to add flavour to their salads, turning these bland meals into delicious treats.
But many salad dressings are actually loaded with unhealthy ingredients like sugar, vegetable oils and trans fats, along with a bunch of artificial chemicals.
Although vegetables are good for you, eating them with a dressing high in harmful ingredients will totally negate any health benefit you get from the salad.
Make sure to check the ingredients list before you use a salad dressing… or make your own using healthy ingredients.

 

3. Fruit Juices… Which Are Basically Just Liquid Sugar

A lot of people believe fruit juices to be healthy.
They must be… because they come from fruit, right?
But a lot of the fruit juice you find in the supermarket isn’t really fruit juice.
Sometimes there isn’t even any actual fruit in there, just chemicals that taste like fruit. What you’re drinking is basically just fruit-flavored sugar water.
That being said, even if you’re drinking 100% quality fruit juice, it is still a bad idea.
Fruit juice is like fruit, except with all the good stuff (like the fiber) taken out… the main thing left of the actual fruit is the sugar.
If you didn’t know, fruit juice actually contains a similar amount of sugar as a sugar-sweetened beverage (4).

 

Is Fruit Good or Bad For Your Health? The Sweet Truth

“Eat more fruits and vegetables.”
If I had a dime for every time I heard that recommendation, I’d be a rich man today.
Everyone knows that fruits are healthy… they are the default “health foods.”
They come from plants… they’re real, whole foods and humans have been eating them for a long time.
Most of them are also very convenient… some people call them “nature’s fast food” because they are so easily portable and easy to prepare.
On the surface, they seem like the perfect food.
However… many people have challenged the belief about the health effects of fruit in the past few years.
The main reason is that fruit is relatively high in sugar compared to other whole foods.

“Sugar” is Bad… But it Depends on The Context

There is a lot of evidence that added sugar is harmful (1, 2, 3).
This includes table sugar (sucrose) and high fructose corn syrup, which are both about half glucose, half fructose.
The main reason they are harmful, is because of the negative metabolic effects of fructose when consumed in large amounts.
I’m not going to get into the details, but you can read more about the harmful effects of added sugars here.
Many people now believe that because added sugars are bad, the same must apply to fruits, which also contain fructose.
However… this is completely wrong, because fructose is only harmful in large amounts and it is almost impossible to overeat fructose by eating fruit.

 Bottom Line: There is a lot of evidence that large amounts of fructose can cause harm when consumed in excess. However, this depends on the dosage and context and does not apply to fruit.

Fruit Juice is Just as Unhealthy as a Sugary Drink

Fruit juice is often perceived as healthy.
That’s understandable, given that it is natural and has the word “fruit” in it.
However… what many people fail to realize is that fruit juice is also loaded with sugar.
In fact, fruit juice contains just as much sugar and calories as a sugary soft drink… and sometimes even more (1).
The small amounts of vitamins and antioxidants in the juice do not make up for the large amount of sugar.


Fruit Juice Isn’t Always What it Seems
Unfortunately, food and beverage manufacturers aren’t always honest about what is in their products.
The fruit juice you find at the supermarket may not be what you think it is… even if it’s labelled as “100% pure” and “not from concentrate.”
After being squeezed from the fruit, the juice is usually stored in massive oxygen-depleted holding tanks for up to a year before it is packaged.
The main problem with this method is that it tends to remove most of the flavor, so the manufacturers need to add so-called “flavor packs” to the juice, to bring back the flavor that was lost during processing.
So even if you’re buying the highest quality juices at the supermarket, they are still far from their original state.
Some of the lowest quality ones don’t even resemble fresh-squeezed fruit juice at all… they are basically just fruit-flavored sugar water.

Bottom Line: Fruit juice isn’t always what it seems, even the higher quality types have gone through processing methods that remove the flavor, making it necessary to add “flavor packs” to bring them back to their original state.

Fruit Juice Contains Vitamins, Minerals and Antioxidants, but it Lacks Fiber and is Loaded With Sugar

Fruit juice is missing a lot of the stuff that makes whole fruit healthy.
Orange juice, for example, does contain Vitamin C and is a decent source of folate, potassium and Vitamin B1 (2).
It also contains antioxidants, some of which can increase the antioxidant value of the blood (3, 4).
But calorie for calorie (or sugar gram for sugar gram), it is nutritionally poor compared to whole oranges and other plant foods like vegetables (5).

The main problem is this… fruit juice contains no fiber and is very high in sugar.
Take a look at the breakdown for a 12 ounce (350 ml) portion of Coca Cola and apple juice:

• Coca Cola: 140 calories and 40 grams of sugar (10 teaspoons).
• Apple juice: 165 calories and 39 grams of sugar (9.8 teaspoons).

This is the ugly truth about fruit juice… most types contain a similar amount of sugar as a sugar-sweetened beverage, sometimes with even more total calories!

Bottom Line: Fruit juice contains some nutrients, but less compared to many plant foods. It contains no fiber and is just as high in sugar and calories as most sugar-sweetened beverages.