Let’s take a quick look at these five animal and five plant sources of quality protein:
Grass-fed Beef. The essential term here is grass-fed which implies that your beef comes from cows fed with grass for the greater part of their lives. Lucky for us (New Zealand cows sheep) are pasture-grazed all year round, meaning they’re grass-fed. The protein found in grass-fed beef contains more essential amino acids*. In addition, grass-fed beef contains greater amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin E, beta-carotene, lutein, and conjugated linoleic acids (CLA).*essential amino acids are called this because our bodies can’t make them on their own, so they must come from the food we eat or drink.
Grass-fed Lamb. Baaaah! Are you familiar with that sound? Just like grass-fed cows, these grass-fed lambs have grazed on pasture all year round. The protein in grass-fed lamb shares all the nutritional advantages of grass-fed beef. In addition, grass-fed lamb is abundant in selenium and zinc, two powerful antioxidants that help to protect your tissues from free radical damage and the development of heart disease. Thank the heavens for lamb! If you haven’t tasted Mediterranean cuisine, then you’re missing out. Lamb isn’t just healthy, it’s tasty and delicious.
Free-range (or free-roaming) Chicken. Do you know what the phrase free-range chicken means? It means the chickens were free to roam around the pasture where they received abundant sunshine, vegetation and room to exercise. These stress-free chickens carry higher amounts of quality protein compared with their caged counterparts.
Free-range eggs. What comes out of free-range chickens? Free-range eggs, of course. On the serious side, free-range eggs come from chickens that were able to roam around freely. These eggs contain larger concentrations of vitamins A and E and omega-3s than eggs from conventionally raised chickens. One study also showed that free-range eggs contain more folic acid and vitamin B12.If you’re not sure whether the animals were grass-fed or free-range, choose Certified Organic. Organic is even better and will give you the reassurance that the animals were well-treated.
Wild fish. What’s the opposite of wild fish? You probably think that it’s tamed fish. Nice try. It’s actually farmed fish, fish raised in a fish farm. We recommend wild fish which follow their natural diet rather than farm-raised fish which are often fed man-made foods. Fish are a good source of quality protein and omega-3 essential fats.
Tempeh and other fermented soy products. Tempeh and other fermented soy foods taste great when they’re stir-fried, baked or grilled. Pretty versatile, huh?Let's single out tempeh and see how great it is as a protein source. Fermentation makes the protein in tempeh and its soy cousins more easily digestible without compromising its quality. This means the soy protein can be broken down by your system without too much hassle. Additionally, the bioavailability* of calcium in tempeh rivals the calcium in milk. Perfect if you’re following a vegan or non-dairy diet; now you can load up on protein and calcium.*Bioavailability means the degree to which a nutrient (calcium in this case) becomes available to your tissues. It’s the portion of the absorbed calcium that’s available for your body to use.
Black beans, kidney beans, chickpeas, lentils and other legumes. Jack was right! Beans are magical. These tiny superfoods are overflowing with quality protein, magnesium and fibre. Beans are best used in salads, soups, dips, burritos, and of course veggie burgers.
Quinoa. It’s pronounced as KEEN-WA. Don’t let the size of this seed fool you. In this case, size doesn’t matter. It’s what’s inside that matters. It’s one of the very few documented plants or plant seeds that contains complete protein. It’s called a complete protein because it contains all nine essential amino acids. In addition to the complete protein in this seed, quinoa is also abundant in magnesium, manganese, and iron. Poop nicely with quinoa in your diet because it packs a lot of fibre too. It’s also easy to digest and prepare!
Nuts (almond and almond butter). Health experts recommend including nuts in your diet as a good source of plant protein and healthy fats. One study found that eating 28g of nuts at least five times a week was linked to a lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Almonds are also rich in healthy fatty acids, and vitamin E and are a good plant source of calcium. Try almond butter as an alternative to peanut butter.
Seeds (chia seeds and hemp seeds). Chia seeds are notable for containing the highest amounts of omega-3 fatty acids among plants. They’re excellent for making pudding and for thickening smoothies. This is because they mix well with water or milk to form a thick gel. Additionally, chia seeds are abundant in zinc, calcium and iron. Like chia seeds, hemp seeds are another great source of protein, essential fatty acids and nutrients.
MacDonald HB. Conjugated linoleic acid and disease prevention: a review of current knowledge. J Am Coll Nutr 2000 Apr; 19:111S-8S
Larsson SC, Bergkvist L, Wolk A. High-fat dairy food and conjugated linoleic acid intakes in relation to colorectal cancer incidence in the Swedish Mammography Cohort. Am J Clin Nutr 2005; 82:894-900.
Smedman A, Vessby B. Conjugated linoleic acid supplementation in humans--metabolic effects. Lipids 2001; 36:773-81.
Nuernberg K, Fischer A, Nuernberg G, et al. Meat quality and fatty acid composition of lipids in muscle and fatty tissue of Skudde lambs fed grass versus concentrate. Small Ruminant Research, Volume 74, Issues 1—3, January 2008, Pages 279-283
Jones, Deana; Musgrove, Michael (2010). "Physical quality and composition of retail shell eggs". Poultry Science: 582–587
Jump up
Nutritional Quality of the Protein in Quinoa Seeds. Nair, BM, Raules, J. Foods for Human Nutrition Jan. 1992; 42(1): 1-1
Haron H, Ismail A, Shahar S et al. Apparent bioavailability of isoflavones in urinary excretions of postmenopausal Malay women consuming tempeh compared with milk. Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2011 Sep; 62(6):642-50
Coates, Wayne, and Stephanie Pedersen. Chia: The Complete Guide to the Ultimate Superfood. New York: Sterling, 2012.
This form is protected by reCAPTCHA - the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.