What foods contain proteins? The highest protein foods

Today our focus is on - protein products. A list and a table help to perceive the material, so we will try to structure it as much as possible. Basically, all you have to do is print them out and place them on your refrigerator door. Now you will know exactly which ones are necessary and important for you in the morning, evening, on holidays and fasting days. Now let's move directly to our topic.

Practical benefits of the list

It is needed by everyone who wants and full of energy, those who are engaged in heavy physical or mental labor, as well as those who dream of getting rid of excess weight. Such a diet has a positive effect on the health of every person, and in particular determines half the success of an athlete, the normal well-being of a pregnant woman, and also creates favorable conditions for weight loss. Here I would like to make a reservation that protein is present in all food products without exception. However, we are only interested in those where these numbers are significant. For example, chicken breast and cottage cheese are protein foods. The list (table) always brings them to the first positions. Whereas a serving of bread of similar weight will give you very little protein. That is, you can always choose several products that, being similar in size, give different quantities energy and nutrients.

Protein diet

It is clear that not all people care about their diet and specifically select protein foods for themselves. The list, table that you make for yourself serves certain purposes, and most often it is either a set muscle mass, or reduction in body fat. Why is the protein diet so popular? Primarily because her diet consists of a large number of products and does not have strict restrictions. If you can't stand it fasting days on vegetable salads and constantly want to eat, then this is the right option for you. Meat, eggs and milk are perfectly satiating, which means hunger will not bother you. At the same time, it is protein that is necessary for gaining “lean” muscle mass, it is also a source of energy. What is also very important is that protein is digested for a long time, which promotes the breakdown of subcutaneous fats. Of course, this rule works if protein products (the list and table will be presented below) are consumed without significant fat content. An example would be fatty meat with cheese and mayonnaise and French fries.

Protein mix

Let's take a closer look at what the Product List (table) gives us an idea of ​​what you need to consume from 1.5 to 2 g of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. It must be remembered that protein is not only meat. The most complete proteins for our body are proteins of animal origin.

Vegetables and grains, fruits and nuts are incomplete. They are missing one or more amino acids that are needed to make new proteins. That is, the body breaks them down into “building blocks” that must combine with amino acids from other foods to form a new protein.

When choosing products in the supermarket, be sure to read the information on back side packaging. It is desirable that the protein content per 100 g of product be maximum, but the fat content, on the contrary, minimum.

Below we will deal with the fact that we will consider protein products separately. A list, a table for losing weight is something that will be very useful for both an athlete and a housewife. However, I would like to spend a little more time on some practical advice. If you are looking for plant-based alternatives to protein foods, then pay attention to soy. It is a complete protein and an alternative to red meat. Soybeans or tofu are very good for raising protein levels in the diet. These are very filling foods; a piece of tofu can be an excellent snack during the day.

It is necessary to consider the diet not only from the perspective of protein content. Nuts, beans, and whole grains are high in fiber. Alimentary fiber allow foods to be better absorbed and also dull the feeling of hunger. Another thing to consider is that beef and whole milk are high in saturated fat, so it's best to choose chicken and skim milk. But it is better to avoid semi-finished products, sausages and sausages. There is little protein in them, but there is more than enough salt and preservatives.

Another important rule- This is the balance between consumed carbohydrates and proteins. Carbohydrates should account for about 55% of the diet, and protein - 30%. Finally, it is very important to create a meal schedule. This is what the protein diet is based on. The list of products (table) must be studied, and a menu is compiled from it, which is divided by hour. This way you will avoid private snacking and long breaks between meals.

Products you should definitely pay attention to

This is, of course, protein food. A list of products (table) should hang on everyone’s refrigerator, and in order to compile it, you need to have a good understanding of this issue. It is customary to highlight several sources of protein, in particular meat and fish, fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, eggs and dairy products. They are presented in descending order nutritional value. We'll go through each of these food groups to make it easier for you to create a truly balanced diet.

Meat and poultry

On the one hand, meat is considered by many to be a poor source of protein due to its high fat content. On the other hand, who is stopping you from choosing low-fat varieties? That is, first of all, it is recommended to include lean beef and chicken in your diet. These are steaks and also chicken breast. Great option You will have turkey fillet and rabbit meat. Deer meat is also considered dietary, although in urban conditions it is more of a luxury than a product for the everyday diet. Let's compare these protein products (list) with each other. The table distributes calories as follows. Beef steak contains 28 g of protein and 11 g of fat per 100 g of product. For beef stroganoff this ratio is 18/6, for turkey fillet - 19/3, for chicken breast- 23/2, for chicken fillet - 23/1, rabbit meat - 21/11, venison - 19/8. That is, the more protein and the less fat, the more attractive this product will be.

Fish and seafood

Fish is not far behind meat in terms of protein content. These are probably the most best products nutrition. The table says that it is best source amino acids that are essential for recovery and growth muscle tissue. However, muscle growth does not mean that you need huge mounds like an athlete. A normally developed muscle corset makes it possible to speed up metabolism and thereby improve the condition of your figure. The tightened muscles themselves will make the figure more harmonious.

So, fish. It contains six times more protein than dairy products. This makes it one of the richest sources building material for every cell of our body. Natural tuna can be put in first place: per 100 grams of product there are 23 g of protein and only 1 gram of fat. Next comes the salmon fillet: the protein to fat ratio is 20/6. Then sardines - 19/10, mackerel - 18/3, anchovies - 20/6, mullet - 17/2, tilapia - 20/2, shrimp - 17/2, squid - 18/7, lobsters - 19/1.

Essential sources of fiber and vitamins

These are the fruits and vegetables that we so often forget about. Cutlets and pasta often become the basic diet, and candy is the most popular dessert. It is necessary to change the accents, eat more vegetables as a side dish, and fruits instead of dessert. In addition, these products contain protein and other nutrients. In the first place you need to put the ratio of protein and fat - 45/20. In second place is tofu - 8/4, then soybeans - 13/7, chickpeas - 19/6, beans - 21/2, brown rice - 6/4, spinach - 3/0.5, asparagus - 2/0.1, dried apricots - 5/0.3, banana - 1.5/0.1.

Delicious and healthy nuts

Their peculiarity is that it is enough to eat 5 nuts and it is very difficult to stop, but a handful of nuts is already daily amount calories. The fact is that they contain not only a lot of protein, but also a huge amount of fats, which are good for the brain and nervous system. About 60% of the brain consists of these fats. Therefore, you need to eat them constantly, but little by little. You need to put it first pumpkin seeds: protein to fat ratio - 42/46. Then come sunflower seeds - 21/53, peanut butter - 25/50, almonds - 21/49, hazelnuts - 16/67, walnuts - 15/65, Brazilian nut - 14/66.

Dairy and eggs

Another huge group that is an excellent source of protein. is necessary for building muscle mass, and dairy products contain a lot of calcium and vitamin D. So, eggs contain 13 g of protein and 11 g of fat per 100 g of product. Cottage cheese - up to 5%, ratio 16/5, y low-fat kefir- 3/0.5, y skim milk- 33/1, finally, cheese is considered the fattest. Even the most dietary 9% option contains 31 g of protein and 9 g of fat per 100 g of product.

The importance of protein foods for pregnant women

All people, without exception, need them, but during pregnancy this issue becomes especially acute. Therefore, we will separately consider what constitutes an ideal protein food for pregnant. A list of products and a table will become your good helpers when going to the supermarket. The main foods you need are rice and beans, meat and fish. You need about 100 g of protein per day, you can easily get this amount by eating 2 large eggs, 70-90 g of meat or fish, 70 g of hard cheese, a glass of boiled beans or lentils and ½ glass of cottage cheese.

The most popular Dukan diet today

Let's look at exactly what protein products it includes. The list and Dukan table regulate a number of rules, but the main one is to give preference to protein products and not to use fat in their preparation. At the first stage, it is necessary to load the body with proteins to stimulate changes in metabolism. This is primarily chicken fillet, lean veal and pork, liver and tongue. In addition, the diet contains eggs and seafood, cheese and cottage cheese. At the same time, you need to remember that there are no restrictions on food, the most important thing is to adhere to the permitted diet.

At the second stage, the listed protein products are also present in the diet, but fresh and vegetable stew. Potatoes and corn, beans and soybeans, carrots and beets are prohibited. At the third stage, the menu becomes more varied, because it is allowed to introduce one serving of starchy foods and fried meat. Once a week you can arrange a holiday for yourself, on this day you can allow yourself any food. The basis of this diet is protein foods. The table presented above will allow you to choose the optimal set of products.

We heard everything. What exactly is its role, what products containing protein are suitable for a healthy lifestyle and nutritional supplements, what and how to combine it with in the diet - all this is really difficult to understand right away. To create an optimal diet, it is important to understand which foods contain a lot of protein.

Daily use the required amount of protein is a guarantee that your hair, skin, and nails will look perfect. Muscle growth, cell regeneration, metabolic processes- directly related to protein synthesis in the body.

On Wikipedia you can read a lot about all the nuances, but for a simple layman who has decided to study and accept the principles of PP, it is enough to memorize that protein (protein, polypeptide) is a substance without which not a single organ or system in our body can function.

Protein food: what is it and why is it needed?

Any protein is a group of amino acids in various variations. There are 22 of them in total, and our body can only produce 13 of them - we get the remaining 9 from food.

Protein-rich foods make it possible to obtain high-quality protein to the fullest. If there is little or even simply not enough of such food in your diet, then apathy, loss of strength, and drowsiness are what you are sure to encounter very often.

Signs of a lack or excess of proteins

Also, a lack of protein in the diet can manifest itself in other negative conditions:

• immunity deteriorates, protective functions decrease:
• the brain works worse;
• you become less resilient;
• irritability and tearfulness appear.

However, this does not mean that you urgently need to find out which foods contain the most protein and stick to them only.

Excess food with increased content protein is just as undesirable as a lack.

If you constantly overdo it with protein, you may feel obvious signs intoxication:

• nausea;
• pain in the hypochondrium on the right;
• constant thirst;
• Digestive problems.

Long-term abuse of protein foods can ultimately lead to problems with bone strength. This is due to the fact that calcium is involved in protein synthesis.

How much protein does the body need?

If you do not take into account athletes and professional bodybuilders, the average amount of pure protein for an adult is from 90 g to 120 g. The minimum amount is at least 40!

The most a simple formula for calculating the required amount - 0.5 g per 1 kg your weight, provided that you do not have any special physical activity. If you regularly engage in sports, then multiply the resulting result by 1.5-2.

The amount also depends on the age of the person - in youth, growth and metabolic processes are much faster than in old age.

In the cold season, during periods of intense mental work, products containing a large number of Protein (table just below) must be included in the diet.

However, not only the quantity of protein plays a role - its quality is no less important.

Which protein should you choose?

A high-quality protein is one whose digestibility tends to reach 100%. For example, eggs and mushrooms are foods that are rich in protein, but in the first case the protein is absorbed by 90%, and in the second by 50%.

The origin of the protein is also important. Meat, eggs, and dairy products are “closer and dearer” to the human body at the cellular level. But peas and other legumes are less complete in terms of amino acid content. Very it is important to combine everything correctly possible types products containing proteins- this will make it possible to get the maximum of amino acids we need.

There is also such a concept as “slow” and “fast”, that is, those that are absorbed by the body longer and in a shorter time.

"Slow" protein(cottage cheese, chicken meat), the full synthesis cycle of which takes from 6 to 8 hours - ideal for dinner, the last meal And.

And here "fast"(kefir, milk, low-fat) - for eating before heavy physical or mental work.

It is slow proteins that are so important in losing weight and building muscles - the calorie content of such products is lower, and the body spends more energy on their synthesis.

If your goal is to increase muscle size, then eat fast protein before and after training, and slow protein for dinner.

Meat, fish, eggs and dairy products

Animal foods are the best source of protein. Red and white meat, cottage cheese, cheese and eggs contain record amounts of protein. In addition, it contains calcium, iron and healthy fats. Therefore, all nutritionists advise including such food in the diet of athletes, pregnant women, those losing weight and, of course, children.

• Meat for pp recipes, especially if you need to lose weight, is better to choose low-fat varieties- veal, chicken, rabbit meat.
• Basically, any fish will do. If it’s low-fat, then it’s hake, pollock, tuna, cod. But fatty ones - mackerel, any red one - also cannot be excluded, there is a lot of omega-3 - a substance that promotes weight loss.
• Eggs, especially whites, are ideal both in terms of the amount of proteins and their quality (digestibility). A 2-3 boiled squirrel before bed will accelerate weight loss, and solely due to fat burning.
• Cottage cheese and other milks are products that contain a lot of protein and almost no carbohydrates. And if you choose low-fat varieties, then there is also a minimum of fat.

Products containing vegetable protein

By virtue of various reasons Sometimes meat and other animal products are not included in the diet of a pp-schnik. Some refused because of religious beliefs, others believe that the energy of a killed living creature is harmful, and there is also a situation where the body simply does not accept meat (this often happens in pregnant women and children). In this case, you need to create a menu so that you get the required amount of protein from plant foods.

Vegetables, cereals, nuts and legumes are a good source of natural protein, but not everywhere the amount of protein is sufficient. Usually there is little of it in vegetables and fruits.

This is not a bad one table of leading products containing protein, plant origin:

*Amino acid balance is almost perfect

However, Plant-based protein foods have a lot of advantages:

• the presence of fiber, which promotes weight loss and cleansing;
• balanced complex of minerals and vitamins;
• easy digestibility of nutrients;
• minimum fat (exception - vegetable oils, seeds and nuts).

Which foods have the most protein?

If we take into account the digestibility and origin of the protein, we can distinguish top 10 record holders. But since it is important for us not to forget about maintaining slimness, we will place products taking into account their safety for the waist.

As we see, dairy products lead. Both kefir and cottage cheese satisfy the feeling of hunger for a long time, satiate well, and are perfectly absorbed. Be careful if you are allergic to any dairy products.

Chicken, especially white meat,- generally indispensable in proper nutrition - pure protein, minimum calories, a lot of delicious recipes.

Beef and veal- a little worse, because not everyone will like it, and cooking this meat is not as easy as chicken.

Sea fish- also one of the foundations of the PP diet. In addition to protein, there are so many other useful things in it!

It is important not to overdo it with eggs, especially chicken eggs. if you have allergies. But if you urgently and quickly need to fill the protein gap (for example, after a workout), then there is nothing better than eggs. It’s even better to separate the whites from the yolks - the latter contain a lot of fat! Only do not exclude the yolks completely - their composition is rich in such useful substances that don't exist anywhere else.

In plant products, as already said, protein is not so easy to digest, but because of its vitamins, peas and other legumes are indispensable in the diet.

Nuts are very high in calories— There is a lot of fat in any nuts and seeds. But there is no need to eat kilograms of them - a small handful is enough. By the way, choose peanuts - they have more protein and fewer calories than others.

High quality, made according to all the rules hard cheese- best source of protein, but its calorie content pushes it to the bottom of the top 10.

List of foods that contain a lot of protein

You can, of course, learn our record holders from the top 10 and plan a menu based on them, but proper nutrition implies variety, so it is important to know which other foods contain a large amount of protein.

Complete table of protein products

This table shows which products contain protein and how much it contains.

Popular among PP adherents are bananas, honey, Bell pepper, tomatoes and juice from them, various berries. Their benefits are undeniable, but they cannot boast of protein content - less than 1.5 g.

A sufficient amount of protein in the diet in itself promotes weight loss, since the body spends a lot of energy on digesting and assimilating proteins. This is why protein diets are so popular. Proper nutrition, as we know, does not approve of any restrictions, but if you still want to lose weight with the help of proteins, follow the basic recommendations of nutritionists:

• the duration of any protein diet should not be more than 7 days;
• except protein in daily diet fats and carbohydrates should also be included;
• it’s even better to just do fasting exercises a couple of times a month protein days- it is safer for the body;
• sources of protein should be a variety of foods - meat, fish, vegetable and dairy;
• Boil, steam, bake food. You can’t fry, especially with fat, especially on days like this - it’s bad for the liver. huge pressure due to increased protein intake. In addition, fat prevents complete protein synthesis;
• remember about split meals - 5-6 times a day, little by little, keeping an interval of 2-3 hours. The body needs time to cope with such food.

Useful video

To understand in practice how much protein you need and what it generally looks like in reality, watch the video below - everything is explained very clearly and clearly.

Protein products are necessary for a person to have adequate nutrition and a healthy body. Protein products can be of animal or plant origin, but the ratio of proteins to other food elements is preferably at least 25-30%.

Proteins are involved in building muscle, bone and connective tissue, ensure timely regeneration, that is, tissue restoration, transport oxygen and lipids with the blood, support the immune system and are simply necessary for a healthy and full life. It is important to note that the absence, as well as excess, of proteins negatively affect nutritional balance and human health. Nutritionists recommend 25-30% protein in a typical adult's daily diet. healthy person. At the same time, it is acceptable for this balance to change during the week, but it is unacceptable if during the week and There is not enough protein food or its excess remains. The typical protein requirement for a modern city dweller should be 1 g per kilogram of weight; during intense physical activity, 2 g per kilogram of weight is recommended. So, an adult man weighing 70-80 kg should receive at least 70-80 g of pure protein per day. If we take into account that the champions for protein content contain only about 20-25 g of protein per 100 g of their weight, then to replenish proteins you need to eat about 400 g of meat, 5 eggs, 500 g of cottage cheese, 600 g of oatmeal or 1 kg of 200 g beans.

Of course, there is no point in eating the same protein products; it is enough to simply diversify your diet and include small amounts of protein in your diet. variety of food, which contains proteins. For breakfast you can eat scrambled eggs and beans or oatmeal with banana and cottage cheese, snack during the day vegetable salad with lentil sprouts, a cheese sandwich and a milkshake or milkshake, and in the evening a good dinner with a meat or fish dish, or maybe Indian-style lentil dal. A wide selection of protein products in modern stores allows you to diversify your diet as much as possible and not get hung up on meat or cottage cheese.

Protein deficiency

The most common problem for residents of megacities is a lack of protein or its low quality. Quality should be understood as a combination of protein with a large or predominant proportion of fat, for example, sausage, proteins with difficult digestibility, for example, legumes or fresh milk, canned food.

What does protein contain?

Fish
. Seafood
. Milk and dairy products (cheese, cottage cheese, kefir)
. Legumes

Milk

The simplest and most effective source of protein is milk. It is through mother's milk that the baby receives the necessary proteins and grows very quickly. An adult needs less milk, and many simply cannot digest it. The fact is that in adulthood the human body is deprived of those necessary enzymes that effectively break down milk protein in childhood. So, if you feel heaviness in your stomach after a glass of milk, then it is most likely logical to replace fresh milk fermented milk products. In this case, cottage cheese, cheeses, yogurt, kefir and other fermented milk drinks help. Don't forget that in addition to being high in protein, dairy products are also high in fat. For example, in cheese and even more so in butter. Dairy products should not be avoided due to their fat content; normal moderation is sufficient.

Do not forget that powdered milk, which is widely used in Food Industry, as well as butter substitutes or low-calorie cheese products from vegetable fats, which outwardly resemble milk due to the action of emulsifiers, are not related to milk, are not healthy and do not contain valuable milk protein. Be careful and don't let the packaging fool your mind. Eat only natural things!

Meat

Meat is a very effective and accessible source squirrel. Meat contains 22 amino acids, of which 8 are not synthesized in the human body and are essential. There is only one in the world herbal product quinoa, which successfully competes with meat in terms of quantity and quality of protein and amino acids. But more about quinoa later.

The highest amounts of protein are found in veal, venison, horse meat, buffalo and beef. Turkey meat has very high quality protein and chicken meat has a little less.

Meat is easy to cook, it is highly digestible, and to get a serving of protein you need significantly less meat than legumes or grains. The best method for preparing meat is baking or frying.

Whole pieces of meat (steaks) should be baked in an oven heated to 270-300 degrees for about 10-15 minutes, pouring fat and juices over them. If you are preparing a stew or baking meat with vegetables, reduce the heating temperature to 220 degrees and increase the baking time to 70-80 minutes. A whole chicken or chicken should be baked for 60-90 minutes at 190-200 degrees, a duck for 120 minutes at 200 degrees or 180 minutes (3 hours) at 180 degrees. At high temperature cook the meat for a short time; when the temperature drops, increase the cooking time of the meat - this way it will retain all the tasty and healthy juices, and the meat will not burn.

Roasting meat

The meat should be fried in a 1 cm layer of hot fat. The temperature of the fat is very high, and upon contact with the meat it forms a thin crust on it, preventing the juices from leaking out of the meat. At the same time, the meat is fried evenly, remains juicy and tasty.

Cooking meat

Cooking - the least effective method cooking meat. During the cooking process, most of the nutrients are released from the meat into the broth, so the most beneficial thing in boiled meat is the broth. However, you can cook it another way: lower small pieces of meat in a small amount of water (about 1-1.5 liters per 1 kg of meat) with spices over high heat under a lid. 15 minutes of cooking in this style is enough for the meat to cook, but not boil over.

Fish

Fish is an excellent source of protein. Fish meat protein is highly digestible and of high quality fish fat much healthier than fat, say, pork. In countries where they eat more fish, they suffer from fewer cardiovascular diseases, and the elderly live to a ripe old age active and sane.

Seafood

Mussels, crabs, shrimp, oysters, clams, squid, octopuses and other scaleless edible marine life are very rich in protein. The rules for selection and preparation are the same as for fish, with the difference that many seafood They cook even faster - 2-3 minutes and it’s ready. For example, if you overcook squid or mussels, they will look like rubber. Caviar can be included in this category. Caviar is very rich in protein and other beneficial substances. The only drawback of caviar is its high price.

An excellent source of protein. Each egg contains 12-13 g of pure protein. The main thing is not to forget that yolks contain a huge amount of fat and cholesterol. If you only need the white, separate it from the yolk and cook white scrambled eggs or add liquid white to soups.

Dairy products: cottage cheese, sour cream, kefir, cheese

The leaders in protein content among dairy products are cottage cheese and cottage cheese. These products are easy to digest and very healthy. Cottage cheese can be eaten without restrictions, but cheese often contains a lot of fat and should be eaten in moderation. In the case of cheese, the old rules apply. good rule: Less is more. Eat quality cheese with high content fat, but in small portions. The fat content of real cheese made from natural milk cannot be low due to the peculiarities of the production of this ancient dairy delicacy. But cheese can become “low-calorie” due to the use of milk powder and emulsifiers. In addition to the low price there and low content nutrients, including protein. Don't skimp on yourself and your family!

Sour cream, kefir, ayran, matsoni, buttermilk, kaymak, katyk, tan and other milk products also contain protein, but in smaller quantities due to the large volume of liquid. The fat content of the product does not affect the protein content, but low fat content often talks about using powdered milk, which has low quality protein.

Legumes: peas, beans, lentils, chickpeas, mung beans

Most of the world's inhabitants meet their protein needs with legumes. This is most of Asia, India, the Near and Middle East and African countries. Beans, in all their diversity, serve as the basis of the diet of billions of people who practice vegetarianism, and this fact simply cannot be ignored.

The protein in legumes is of lower quality than the protein in animal products, but if the diet is rich enough and includes milk, cereals, fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices, then legumes are enough for a complete diet. In Rus', peas have always been grown and prepared, which was one of the main sources of protein along with milk, cottage cheese, fish and oats.

Any legumes require simple, but mandatory rules preparations:
. Be sure to soak the beans in cold water. Beans and chickpeas - for 8-12 hours, peas for 6-8 hours, lentils and mung beans - about an hour, or you don’t need to soak them at all.
. After soaking, drain off any remaining water and rinse the beans.
. Salt all beans at the end of cooking. If you salt them at the beginning of cooking, they will remain hard.

Legumes go perfectly with vegetables and look great in soups, meat and fish dishes. Cold beans with scrambled eggs, bacon and toast is a classic English breakfast. In India they cook dal - a spicy lentil soup with ghee and a lot of spices. In India, dal refers to several dozen varieties of lentils. various colors and properties. The dal is cooked for an hour or more, the lentils are boiled into a puree, carrots, onions, spices and tomatoes are added to it. This is a very beautiful, bright and tasty filling dish, rich in protein.

You will be surprised, but buckwheat, oats and barley also contain protein. At the same time, the quality of the protein is excellent, but its content is lower than in meat, fish, milk or beans. However, if we eat a good portion of buckwheat porridge, we get 25 grams of pure protein, and this is not so little, say, in a glass of kefir there are only 8-9 grams of the same protein.

In addition to buckwheat, oatmeal and quinoa contain a lot of protein. if you love cereals, then pay attention to the traditional ones, which require 15-20 minutes of cooking; such flakes have minimal impact on the grain and high protein content. And if you cook oatmeal in milk, you get a double portion of protein. Don't forget that oatmeal contains a lot of useful microelements. Oatmeal is considered one of the traditional English breakfasts and if you look at how the British play football, then the love for oatmeal will no longer seem strange. A powerful influx of protein for breakfast before a physically busy day allows you to effectively build muscle mass or simply stay in shape. And if you choose between sweet bun with jam and coffee, then oatmeal and a glass vegetable juice will be many times more effective.

The most interesting protein is the South American cereal quinoa. 100 g of quinoa contains almost 15 g of protein, which makes quinoa closer to meat. In addition to a large amount of protein, quinoa contains all the essential amino acids that are found in meat and fish. It is the only non-animal product with complete proteins, making quinoa a unique plant-based protein product. Quinoa is cooked the same way as any grain. Add minimal salt to the water, because... The quinoa tastes a little salty. Quinoa can be eaten as a side dish or used in warm salads and stews.

Protein is also found in pearl barley (barley), wheat, rye, rice and other grains in different proportions, but in smaller quantities than in meat, fish, seafood, milk, cottage cheese, cheese and legumes. Unfortunately, the least protein is found in vegetables and fruits.

Protein Misconceptions

A typical example is sausage. In addition to meat, sausage contains fat, milk, soy and water. To get 20 grams of pure protein, you will have to eat 200 grams of smoked or half a kilo of boiled sausage, while the amount of fat will be critically high or even dangerous for the health of blood vessels and the heart. It's the same with substitute products. These can be dairy drinks, curds, sweet yoghurts, mayonnaise and sauces that are not directly related to the products they imitate. Accordingly, they contain critically little or no protein.

The choice of protein products is large, and its diversity will allow you not to deny yourself good nutrition. More protein sources will prevent deficiency important elements contained in various foods, be it meat, fish, milk, cereals or beans. Eat quality fresh protein foods and stay healthy!

Alexey Borodin

Nowadays people are increasingly talking about the need for protein for the body. Today we will look at what proteins are, what they are needed for, and what foods contain them in large quantities.

Brief information about proteins

Proteins (another name is protein) are the main substance that is responsible for building the body. Based on this, it should be understood that without proteins it is impossible to build a beautiful and pumped up body, and even maintain good physical shape.

Everyone who has ever tried to lose weight sat on vegetables and fruit diets. Everything seems to be going great; in a few days you can lose a decent amount of kilograms. What's next? After a while, progress stops, and the reflection in the mirror does not improve at all, but even the opposite. Due to the lack of protein in the body, muscles are depleted and lose their natural shape. Besides, lost kilograms affect physical indicators - they also worsen if you do not eat the required amount of protein.

Why is this happening? When the body feels a lack of protein food, it begins to draw on internal reserves. Thus, when inside is formed acute failure protein and amino acids, he begins to consume himself. Literally, internal protein reserves from muscle fibers and fabrics. Thus, the muscles become smaller in volume and physical fitness deteriorates.

Based on the above, we can emphasize the undeniable benefits and necessity of protein for the body. Without it it is impossible not to build beautiful body, nor lose weight correctly. But both deficiency and excess of protein negatively affects the body. The daily norm is calculated, as a rule, for each kilogram of your own weight, and this amount is based on your goals: losing weight, gaining weight, working on the relief or simply maintaining physical shape.

What are proteins?

All protein sources by origin, can be divided into two categories:

• animals;
• vegetable.

As you may have guessed, the only difference is their origin. Experts advise consuming as much animal protein as possible, as it is better absorbed and such products contain large amounts of pure protein. But don't forget about plant foods. Eg, legume products meals contain a large amount of protein, and are no worse in effectiveness - this has been proven by athletes who eat only plant foods.

In addition, all proteins share by speed of absorption:

• fast. main feature this type - fast speed absorption, which does not exceed 60-80 minutes. Fast squirrels suitable for gaining muscle mass, quick recovery body and internal reserves, increasing strength indicators. As a rule, they are eaten immediately after training.
• slow. The rate of absorption of such proteins reaches 6-8 hours. Long enough and great for you. This type of product is ideal for those who want to lose weight and maintain muscle size. By eating foods like these, you prevent catabolism and help nourish your muscles with nutrients throughout the day. An example of such a product is low-fat cottage cheese.

Which foods contain healthier protein?

Not all protein-rich foods are equally healthy. The problem is that while there is a large amount of protein in its composition, the food may contain a large amount of carbohydrates or fats, or have a high glycemic index (quickly replenish the body with glucose). This means that low-fat cottage cheese, which does not contain fats and carbohydrates, and cheese, which contains 22 grams of fat per 100 grams of product, are significantly different.

There are several main products that contain the most healthy protein for the body.

The first one is egg white . It has already happened that eggs are the favorite product of all athletes, and for good reason. Firstly, this low calorie product food that contains virtually no fat. Secondly, egg white is perfectly absorbed by the body and brings only benefits. If you are actively involved in sports, you can eat 5-6 eggs a day and not be afraid. There is just one thing - you can only eat 1-2 yolks a day, the rest should be thrown away.

The second product, not inferior in popularity - low-fat meat. It could be beef chicken fillet or turkey meat. All of the listed products perfectly saturate the body with protein and do not cause harm. In addition to everything, beef also contains healthy animal fats, so it can be eaten even when dried. You should know that meat must be steamed, grilled or boiled. The cooking process should exclude vegetable oil so that the meat retains its properties.

The third product is everyone's favorite cottage cheese. It's hard to imagine your diet without delicious cheese, which goes well with fruit. People who do not have problems with lactose are recommended to eat 200 grams low-fat cottage cheese in a day. With low caloric content and practically complete absence carbohydrates and fats, a 200 g serving of cottage cheese contains 33 g of protein.

The last product, and one of the most useful, on our list is oatmeal. It is this that contains, albeit in small sizes, slow proteins. Combining delicious porridge made with water or steam, with fruits and berries, you saturate the body slow carbohydrates and protein, which will be absorbed within 6-8 hours.

Table of protein content in products

Quite often, high protein foods are used for weight loss, and such diets are gaining more and more popularity. This is due to the fact that protein foods contain few calories and are highly satiating. For example, for daily value calorie content for a woman weighing 50 kg, 1350 kcal, you can eat 1.9 kg of cottage cheese per day. Of course, such a quantity of one food product is too large and we do not recommend anyone to eat it. You can eat plentifully, eat enough meat, cottage cheese and fruits, and still lose weight noticeably.

An extremely important food product for life human body is a protein. IN gastrointestinal tract(Gastrointestinal tract) of humans, proteins of plant and animal origin are converted into amino acids as a result of hydrolysis. Amino acids, in turn, are the main elements for the formation of tissues, including muscles.

The main sources of proteins for the human body are eggs, meat, cottage cheese, dairy products, fish and seafood, poultry, that is, products of animal origin. Proteins of plant origin, which are found mainly in cereals and legumes, have less biological value and are not absorbed by the body as efficiently as proteins of animal origin. Proteins contain so-called “essential” and “essential” amino acids that are vital for humans. Replaceable amino acids, unlike essential ones, may not enter the human body at all and are synthesized autonomously in it. Essential amino acids do not have such properties.

The adult body needs a daily protein intake of 1.5 g per kilogram of weight

The body of an adult per day requires protein consumption within 1.5 g per kilogram of normal (perfect) weight, which is on average 90-100 g. 80% of this amount should come from animals, and 20% from vegetable proteins. For athletes who engage in bodybuilding, this norm is much higher and is approximately 300 grams per day, and the optimal dosage is calculated individually for each athlete. The ideal scheme for an athlete to obtain protein is 50/50, that is, 50% of proteins enters the body with food, and the remaining 50% is protein that does not contain fats or other ballast components. In addition, the cost in the form of dietary supplements is equivalent to the cost of products containing protein.

When choosing nutrition for an athlete, two criteria should be followed: high level protein content per unit of calories and the rate of its absorption in the body. Therefore, you should choose foods that contain a lot of protein and little fat.

Proteins that have undergone heat treatment. At the same time, in the process of thermal exposure, the destruction of some amino acids occurs, which reduces their biological value.

Protein quality

It is necessary to take into account not only the quantity, but also the type and composition food protein. As is known, different types proteins are made up of different amino acids and have different quantity proteins. The high biological value and ease of absorption of food protein by the body is ensured by the level of similarity in the structure of amino acids between the protein and the body.

Biological value of protein

The biological value of protein or food containing protein is the proportion of nitrogen retained in the body from the amount that is absorbed into the body. The higher the level of nitrogen retention in the body with a balanced protein content essential amino acids, ensuring the growth of the body, the higher the biological value of the protein.

Balanced amino acid composition

In the process of synthesis in the human body of the main types of proteins, all 20 amino acids are involved in certain combinations. In this process, the ratio of essential amino acids closest to those found in human body proteins is more important than the quantity. Any disruption in the amino acid composition of food protein can cause a disruption in the body’s process of synthesis of its own proteins, disrupt the dynamics of the balance of protein catabolism and anabolism, and provoke the breakdown of its own proteins, including enzyme proteins. If the body lacks any essential amino acid necessary to ensure the process of protein synthesis, the body automatically uses other amino acids instead. And in case of an excess of essential amino acids, the body synthesizes highly toxic metabolic products that do not take part in the formation of amino acids.

Amino Acid Availability

When proteins and amino acids are thermally damaged during cooking or when food proteins contain inhibitors digestive enzymes present, for example, in beans, the availability of individual amino acids may be reduced.

Protein Digestibility

The level of digestibility (assimilation) of protein reflects its degree of breakdown in the gastrointestinal tract and further absorption of amino acids into the body. Digestion speed food proteins allows you to arrange them (according to the degree of reduction) in the following sequence:

• milk and egg whites
• fish and meat proteins
• plant proteins

Clean Protein Utilization

Net protein utilization is an indicator of the quality of food protein, which collectively characterizes the degree of nitrogen retention and the amount of protein digested. It also characterizes the level of nitrogen retention in the body, taking into account the digestibility of protein in the gastrointestinal tract.

Protein efficiency factor

This indicator is based on the hypothesis that the increase in body weight of growing animals is proportional to the amount of protein they consume. The protein efficiency factor increases when combining food products whose proteins organically complement each other.

Protein absorption rate

At this stage, the quality of proteins contained in food is assessed by the value of their absorption coefficient. This coefficient takes into account the chemical ( amino acid composition) and biological value (completeness of digestion) of proteins. The most balanced sources of protein are products with a coefficient of 1.0. WHO has assessed the quality of proteins contained in food products and presented them in table form.

It is known that the biological value of a protein complex is much higher than the value of each protein separately. For this purpose, experts recommend combinations food products, which increase their biological value:

• eggs + potatoes
• eggs + wheat
• eggs + corn
• eggs + beans
• milk + rye
• soy + millet

When creating a diet, try to combine proteins of plant and animal origin (meat, milk, eggs, etc.).