Alternative Sources of Protein
When we begin to exercise seriously and hit the gym, we often have dreams of developing a wonderful musculature, the kind of body that cartoonists use as a model for superheroes, all chiseled and cut, ripped and defined. We desire that kind of body, but fail to realize just how much we have to eat to pack on that kind of muscle. To get pectoral muscles of that magnitude or lats of such breadth, we need to consume vast amounts of protein, and toward that end most people just chow down on steaks. However, with the recent scare of saturated fats and high cholesterol, people are increasingly turning away in droves from red meat and instead looking for alternative and healthy sources of protein. In this article we will take a look at several such options, and see just how much fat each one contains so as to better decide if it’s a good option for you.
The first source of protein that we’re going to take a look at is dairy. Whether you’re thinking of buying a gallon of whole fat milk or some low fat cottage cheese, whether you want to indulge in some fine cheese or a cup of Greek yogurt, the sources of protein are rich and plentiful. However, the fat content can vary widely. Full fat milk can contain up to 8 ounces of fat per glass, while non-fat dairy foods contain virtually none. The fatty acid profile of dairy is mostly saturated fat with a little monosaturated fat.
Another great source of protein lies with beans and nuts, the staple of many poor nations as people survive on plates of rice and beans. How good is that for you, however? Most beans are very low in fat (though tofu is an exception), but most nuts are the opposite, packing quite a powerful punch in terms of fat. Most of this fat however comes in the form of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, while the amount of actual saturated fat is low.
Finally we have soy, which while technically a bean has enough particularities to deserve its own mentioning. Unlike most beans soy protein can contain high amounts of fat, with most of it coming in the form of polyunsaturated fats, with the rest split evenly between saturated and unsaturated fats, so be careful about thinking tofu is the miracle food with no costs to your body or metabolism.
Read about the Shakeology Meal Replacement program at the website of a Shakeology Official Dsitributor!
