Hungry for more muscle-building protein? Of course you are. The attempts to consume more quality protein increase with the expansion of your bodybuilding goals.
We can only imagine how much you love your beef and how pleased you are that you get to eat a ton of this high-protein meat, but you don’t have to limit your food choices to different cuts of steak – there are plenty of products that can boost your protein intake and make your diet diverse and flavorful.
Looking to further enhance your gains? Replace a few steaks now and then with these high-protein foods:
1. Salmon
You don’t enjoy tuna that much? How about some wild salmon, a fish incredibly rich in omega-3 fatty acids, free of carbs and providing just as much protein as steak? Yes, that’s true. If you want to avoid the saturated fats found in beef and pork, consume salmon for a heavy dose of protein – 5 ounces of this fish can satisfy as much as 70% of your daily protein needs.
2. Greek yogurt
Packing twice the amount of protein the regular yogurt contains, Greek yogurt should definitely become a staple food in your diet. In case you’re wondering about the exact amount – one cup of non-fat Greek yogurt comes with an outstanding 20 grams of protein.
3. Eggs
You saw this coming. Eggs are a rather inexpensive source of great quality protein and there is an endless list of ways to prepare them into a mouth-watering meal. One egg contains 7 grams of protein, as well as plenty of essential vitamins and minerals. This super-food will also provide you with a decent amount of good cholesterol to keep your cardiovascular system running smooth and healthy.
4. Turkey
Having a hard time shedding that excess fat? A diet mainly consisting of fatty meats like beef and pork won’t make things easier for you. On the other hand, that gives you a good reason to include more lean turkey meat in your diet.
The white turkey meat is outstandingly low in fat and high in protein – 3 oz of turkey breasts contains 22 grams of high-quality protein. In addition, this lean meat packs good amounts of iron, zinc, phosphorus, B vitamins and potassium.
5. Shrimps
Shrimps are another inexpensive, way to satisfy your protein needs without breaking your calorie limit. 20 shrimps will provide you with 140 calories, 25 grams of protein, 2 micrograms of vitamin B12 (over 89% of the recommended daily intake), and a decent amount of selenium, copper and carotenoids.
6. Beans
How about additionally boosting your diet with some cost-effective, plant-based protein? Beans and legumes are a great meat substitute because they’re very rich in protein, fiber, calcium and iron.
Best choices include lupin beans, soy beans, lentils and white beans – make sure to include some of these when preparing your main high-protein meals.
Also, keep in mind that the best time to eat protein is within 30 minutes after a strenuous workout – this will immediately supply your muscles with the nutrients they require in order to recover faster and grow bigger.
