Getting your protein from the right foods goes a long way towards well being.
Lean meats and plant protein are your best choices. You get nutrients you need without the fat you don't need.
Here are tips, from www.ChooseMyPlate to help you make wise choices from the Protein Foods Group.
Go lean with protein:
- The leanest beef cuts include round steaks and roasts (eye of round, top round, bottom round, round tip), top loin, top sirloin, and chuck shoulder and arm roasts.
- The leanest pork choices include pork loin, tenderloin, center loin, and ham.
- Choose lean ground beef. To be considered "lean," the product has to be at least 92% lean/8% fat.
- Buy skinless chicken parts, or take off the skin before cooking.
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts and turkey cutlets are the leanest poultry choices.
- Choose lean turkey, roast beef, ham, or low-fat luncheon meats for sandwiches instead of luncheon/deli meats with more fat, such as regular bologna or salami.
Vary your protein choices:
- Choose seafood at least twice a week as the main protein food. Look for seafood rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, trout, and herring. Some ideas are:
- Salmon steak or filet
- Salmon loaf
- Grilled or baked trout
- Choose beans, peas, or soy products as a main dish or part of a meal often. Some choices are:
- Chili with kidney or pinto beans
- Stir-fried tofu
- Split pea, lentil, minestrone, or white bean soups
- Baked beans
- Black bean enchiladas
- Garbanzo or kidney beans on a chef’s salad
- Rice and beans
- Veggie burgers
- Hummus (chickpeas spread) on pita bread
- Choose unsalted nuts as a snack, on salads, or in main dishes. Use nuts to replace meat or poultry, not in addition to these items:
- Use pine nuts in pesto sauce for pasta.
- Add slivered almonds to steamed vegetables.
- Add toasted peanuts or cashews to a vegetable stir fry instead of meat.
- Sprinkle a few nuts on top of low-fat ice cream or frozen yogurt.
Add walnuts or pecans to a green salad instead of cheese or meat.