Learning to Love Protein.

If you know me well, you know that protein and I don't always get along. If I had the choice of veggies, carbs, or protein... I would without a doubt leave the meat and just eat the carbs and veggies. Why am I a meat hater? Yes, I was traumatized by how chickens were treated in that video they made us watch in school. I hate the way animals are treated, but that's not why I don't eat it. The truth is, I just don't like the taste of it.  Also, I have quite a few food allergies (turkey, lactose, nuts, shellfish, and others) which means I have to be selective and it is sometimes easier to just stick with what I know isn't going to force me to take out my Epi Pen! :)

With that being said, I decided a change had to be made. Yes, I will continue to eat an absurd amount of carbs and veggies, but I will now include more of the things that help our muscles regenerate; something very important for an athlete.

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Competitor Magazine did a great article that talked about the best protein foods for runners:
(Full article can be found here)

Albacore Tuna

Few foods provide more protein per calorie than albacore tuna. One can of white albacore tuna packed in water provides 41 grams of high-quality protein in just 220 calories. Albacore tuna is also a good source of vitamin B12, a very important vitamin for runners because of its role in cellular energy production.

Almonds

Plant foods do not provide as much protein — or as high-quality protein — as animal foods. But when it comes to plant foods, almonds are a very good protein source. One ounce of dry-roasted, salted almonds contains six grams of protein. Almonds are also an excellent source of vitamin E, fiber, and unsaturated fats.

Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast

One of the leanest protein sources, a single skinless chicken breast supplies 28 grams of protein with a mere 2.5 grams of fat. Chicken breasts are also easy to prepare in all kinds of tasty ways.

Chocolate-Flavored Skim Milk

Skim chocolate milk is an ideal post-workout recovery food. In addition to providing dairy protein for muscle repair, it offers carbohydrate to restock muscle glycogen and water for rehydration. Studies have shown that athletes perform better in their next workout when they drink chocolate milk following an initial workout than they do after drinking a sports drink.

Eggs

For a number of years, eggs had a bad reputation because of their high cholesterol content. But we now know that the cholesterol in eggs does not increase the cholesterol levels of those who eat them regularly. What’s more, a single egg contains 6-7 grams of protein, and the protein digestibility corrected amino acid score (PDCAA) of egg protein is a perfect 1.0. PDCAA is a measure of the amino acid balance in protein sources.

Grass-Fed Beef

Everyone knows that beef is high in protein. But some cuts contain a lot more fat than others. For example, a six-ounce serving of pot roast contains 32 grams of fat, whereas an equal serving of London broil has just eight grams of fat. So be sure to always choose leaner cuts of beef. Also, grass-fed beef is leaner than the usual grain-fed beef. A six-ounce beef loin from a grass-fed cow contains roughly 92 fewer calories than a six-ounce loin from a grain-fed cow.

Low-Fat Yogurt

Yogurt contains two forms of milk protein, whey and casein, both of which have perfect PDCAA scores of 1.0. Milk proteins are also rich in a protein fraction called glycomacropeptide (GMP), which is a powerful hunger killer. Therefore, calorie-for-calorie, low-fat dairy foods, such as low-fat yogurt, satisfy the appetite longer than most other foods. They are also a great source of calcium.

Roasted Turkey Breast

From a protein perspective, you can’t do much better than to have a turkey sandwich (on whole-grain bread, hold the mayo) for lunch. A three-ounce serving of roasted turkey breast supplies 24 grams of high-quality protein. It is also a good source of vitamin B6, niacin, and selenium.

Soy

Soy is probably the best plant source of protein. Its PDCAA score is a very solid 0.91. And there are so many delicious ways to include soy in your diet, including tofu, edamame, soy milk and soy-based yogurt, soy burgers, and soy protein powdered drink mixes.

Whey Protein Isolate

Whey protein isolate is probably the closest thing to a perfect protein source. Whey protein has the highest biological value (another score like PDCAA that measures protein quality) of any protein and is rich in the hunger-killing protein fraction, GMP. Numerous studies have found that whey protein supplementation accelerates post-workout recovery, enhances muscle performance, and even promotes weight loss by reducing appetite. You can find whey protein isolate in a variety of powdered drink mixes, nutrition bars, protein waters, and other products.

Wild Salmon

In addition to containing 44 grams of protein per six-ounce serving, wild salmon is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to boost brain and heart health and fight inflammation. (Farmed salmon has lower levels of omega-3s.) To get adequate amounts of omega-3 fats in your diet, you should consume fish at least twice a week.

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So, I've been doing my higher (or just better proportioned) protein diet for the past few weeks and I wanted to share a few great tips for people that may struggle with protein anxiety.

- Quinoa is a perfect substitution for other carb choices. It has double the protein of rice. 1 cup cooked quinoa has 8g protein, where as rice has 3g.
- Frozen Greek Yogurt has less lactose than ice cream and is super high in protein. Yum. Regular Froyo is easier on the lactose-intolerant stomach as well.  A perfect excuse to eat it daily.
- Hard Boiled eggs are the best snack ever. Easy when you're on the go.  The key to perfect hard boiled eggs is to crack the eggs slightly after they are cooked, then place immediately in ice water.  You'll never have trouble peeling an egg again.
- Cottage Cheese is a universal dip maker.  It may not look appetizing, but it tastes amazing when you mix guacamole or salsa with cottage cheese. (And as a plus, they now make lactose free cottage cheese!)
- Snack on pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds.  Heathy, filling, and tasty.
- New addiction: Oven roasted chickpeas.  YUM. 1/2 cup = 7g protein.
- Lastly, here is a chart for the budget-conscious readers that I found very helpful!