{"id":61322,"date":"2023-11-13T15:49:35","date_gmt":"2023-11-13T20:49:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=61322"},"modified":"2024-10-31T09:42:30","modified_gmt":"2024-10-31T13:42:30","slug":"high-protein-foods","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/high-protein-foods\/","title":{"rendered":"What are high-protein foods?"},"content":{"rendered":"

High-protein foods are foods that contain a high amount of protein compared to overall nutritional content. Consuming a variety of essential nutrients is necessary to achieve a balanced diet. Proteins, carbohydrates, and fats work together to provide your body with the energy it needs. According to the <\/span>National Library of Medicine<\/span><\/a>, adults should intake approximately 10% to 35% of their total calories from protein, 45% to 65% from carbohydrates, and 20% to 35% from fats. These numbers can vary greatly, especially if you want to <\/span>increase muscle tone and lose weight<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

High-protein diets<\/span><\/h2>\n

Many individuals consider starting a high-protein diet and reducing carbohydrates, as it can potentially alter one\u2019s <\/span>metabolism<\/span><\/a>. Amy Lee, MD, Chief Medical Officer at <\/span>Lindora Clinic<\/span><\/a>, says, \u201cI encourage patients to follow a high protein, low carb diet that facilitates long-term weight management.\u201d High-protein diets may consist of 30% to even 50% of total calories consumed derived strictly from protein. The average healthy adult may only need 45 to 55 grams of protein per day, but upwards of 150 grams may be consumed while pursuing a high-protein diet.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The current <\/span>daily recommendation for protein<\/span><\/a> consumption is approximately <\/span>.<\/b>36 grams of protein per pound of body weight. If a person weighs 160 pounds, multiply that number by <\/span>.<\/b>36 to determine the amount of protein to eat (for example: 160 lbs x <\/span>.<\/b>36 = 57.6 grams).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"A<\/a><\/p>\n

Nutrition labels can help you determine how much protein is in a product. <\/span>The Food and Drug Administration<\/span><\/a> requires most food products to have nutrition labels. These labels provide the consumer with serving size and percent daily value of the nutritional components in the food, like carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. Additional information such as calories, sugars, vitamins, minerals, and cholesterol can be found on these labels as well. Knowing how to interpret a nutrition label can help an individual to plan and track their protein intake.<\/span><\/p>\n

What foods are high in protein?<\/span><\/h2>\n

There are a variety of foods that provide a great source of protein. No matter what your dietary restrictions are, getting enough protein is an easy task.<\/span><\/p>\n

High-protein animal-based foods<\/span><\/h3>\n

While there are a variety of sources of protein available, protein is often associated with animal-based foods. Eating meats, dairy, and eggs are all great ways to get your recommended daily value of protein. Animal-based foods are sometimes referred to as \u201ccomplete proteins\u201d as they contain all <\/span>nine essential amino acids<\/span><\/a> that the body needs. Amino acids are considered to be the building blocks of protein, and because the human body does not produce these amino acids, it is necessary to consume foods that contain them. There are a total of 20 amino acids, but the nine \u201cessential\u201d ones found in animal-based foods are:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n