The Healthiest Sources of Protein
Eating the right amount of protein is key to a healthy lifestyle. Whether you're trying to lose weight, gain lean muscle, or both, if you don't eat enough protein you will have a very hard time accomplishing your goals. We have a tendency to lose muscle mass and strength, particularly as we get older (a condition called sarcopenia). When you lose muscle mass, your body essentially loses strength and is not able to burn as many calories, which then leads to steady weight gain. Research has shown that to prevent losing muscle mass and maximize weight loss you need to take in around 90 grams of protein a day for a man of average weight and around 60-70 grams for an average sized woman. For men who are looking to gain more lean muscle mass, I recommend even more protein - .75-1 gram per pound of bodyweight. Finding healthy sources of protein is not difficult if you choose the right types of foods. Below youll find different types of protein sources grouped according to category (Meat & Poultry, Fish, Grains, Dairy & Eggs, Beans/Legumes, Nuts & Seeds, and Fruits & Vegetables). For more information about how much food you should be eating each day, check out the The Healthy Eating Pyramid and the healthy diet plan sections. We will go into detail about what foods you should be choosing from each group for healthy sources of protein below:
Meat & Poultry | MEAT/POULTRY (4 oz. serving) | Calories | Total Fat (g) | Saturated Fat (g) | | Turkey breast | 153 | 1 | 0 | | Chicken breast | 186 | 4 | .5 | | Beef eye of round | 182 | 5 | 2 | | Chicken drumstick | 194 | 6 | 2 | | Turkey breast with skin | 214 | 8 | 2 | | Beef top round | 226 | 6 | 2.5 | | Pork tenderloin | 211 | 7 | 3 | | Chicken breast with skin | 223 | 9 | 3 | | Chicken wing | 229 | 9 | 3 | | Veal sirloin | 190 | 7 | 3 | | Beef top sirloin | 220 | 9 | 3 | | Chicken drumstick with skin | 224 | 13 | 3 | | Lamb sirloin | 231 | 10 | 4 | | And below are some not so healthy sources of protein
| | Ground beef (80% lean) | 307 | 21 | 8 | | Porterhouse steak | 345 | 25 | 10 | | Duck with skin | 381 | 32 | 11 | | Beef short ribs | 532 | 47 | 20 |
Here are some other quality protein sources from the other food groups:
Grains 
Brown rice, 1 cup 5 grams
Quinoa, 1 cup 9 grams
Whole wheat spaghetti, 1 cup 8 grams
Bulgur, 1 cup 8 grams
Whole wheat bread, 1 slice 3 grams
Oatmeal, 1 cup 5 grams
Wheat germ, 1/4 cup 8 grams
Dairy & Eggs
Egg, large 6 grams
Egg white 3.5 grams
Milk, 1 cup 8 grams
Cottage cheese, ½ cup 15 grams
Yogurt, 1 cup 10-12 grams
Greek yogurt, 1 cup 20 grams
Soft cheeses 6 grams per oz.
Medium cheeses 7-8 grams per oz.
Hard cheeses 10 grams per oz.
Beans/Legumes
 Soy beans, 1 cup 28 grams
Tofu, ½ cup 20 grams
Lentils, 1 cup 18 grams
Black beans, 1 cup 15 grams
Kidney beans, 1 cup 13 grams
Chickpeas (garbanzo beans), 1 cup 10 grams
Baked beans, 1 cup 10 grams
Lima beans, 1 cup 10 grams
Nuts & Seeds
Pumpkin seeds, Ό cup 19 grams
Peanuts, Ό cup 9 grams
Flax seeds Ό cup 8 grams
Peanut butter, 2 T 8 grams
Almonds, Ό cup 8 grams
Sunflower seeds, Ό cup 6 grams
Almond butter, 2 T 5 grams
Cashews, Ό cup 5 grams
Pecans, Ό cup 2.5 grams
Fruits & Vegetables
Sweet corn, 1 cob 5 grams
Baked potato with skin, medium 5 grams
Spinach, 1 cup 5 grams
Peas, ½ cup 4 grams
Artichoke, medium 4 grams
Avocado, medium 4 grams
Swiss chard, 1 cup 3 grams
Asparagus, 5 spears 2 grams
Broccoli, ½ cup 2 grams
Blackberry, 1 cup 2 grams
Banana, large 2 grams
Fish
 Most fish contain around 28-30 grams of protein per 4 oz. serving...a few popular fish choices are below
Salmon, 4 oz. - 29 grams
Sole, 4 oz. - 28 grams
Cod, 4 oz. - 27 grams
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