High-Protein Diet Foods

Protein is a necessary nutritional requirement vital to the maintenance of our connective tissue, hair, skin and muscle. Many dieters mistakenly limit their intake of protein when cutting back on fat and calories, which can result in health problems.
There are numerous excellent high protein foods that are perfect complements to a diet and will ensure that you stay healthy while you lose weight.

How Much Do We Need?

Our protein needs vary based on age, weight and how physically active we are. According to Dr. Barry Sears' Zone Diet, a person weighing about 150 pounds requires an average of 55 grams of protein per day. Check with your doctor to determine how much protein you should be consuming on a daily basis.
It is important to consume lean proteins rather than proteins with a high fat content. For example, a handful of almonds and a tablespoon of peanut butter contain the same number of grams of protein, but the peanut butter packs much more fat.
High protein diet foods can be divided into four main categories: meat and fish; eggs and dairy; beans and nuts: and seeds. Choose small (four ounces is a good size) portions of meat and fish, and opt for very lean cuts when choosing beef.

Eggs and Dairy

Good choices for a high protein diet include eggs, low-fat or nonfat milk, cottage cheese and low-fat or fat-free yogurt, and a variety of non-processed cheeses. The best choices are hard cheeses, which provide an average of 10 grams of protein per ounce, and low-fat cottage cheese, which packs about 15 grams of protein per half-cup serving.

Beans, Nuts and Seeds

Beans are one of nature's most perfect foods. Fat-free and full of fiber, they are also an exceptional high protein diet food. Most types of cooked beans provide an average of eight to 10 grams of protein per half cup serving. Cooked soybeans are even better, providing about 14 grams of protein for every half cup serving consumed.
Nuts and seeds compete only with beans when it comes to being the best high protein diet food, and while they often provide more grams of protein per serving than beans, they also are a source of fat. While the fat in nuts is healthy, overeating them can pack on pounds.
Two tablespoons of peanut butter provide about 8 grams of protein, a quarter cup of almonds or peanuts averages 9 grams, and cashews come in at 5 grams per quarter cup. Flaxseeds and sunflower seeds average 7 grams per quarter cup, with pecans providing only 2 or 3 grams from the same sized serving. The overall best high protein diet food in the nuts and seeds category is pumpkin seeds, which provide about 19 grams of protein for every quarter cup eaten.
Try to eat a variety of all of these high protein diet foods for optimal health.