Protein is a crucial nutrient to include in your diet. It helps your body build and repair tissue, as well as produce important chemicals such as enzymes and hormones, among others. It’s also the building block of bone, muscle, cartilage, skin and blood, so a diet rich with healthy protein sources is optimal!
Protein and Weight Management
But when you’re managing your weight, the health benefits of this special macro-nutrient become especially clear. One of the most common complaints people have when they’re trying to lose weight is their inability to manage hunger throughout the day. Poor diets leave them feeling fatigued, starved and craving the next available food option, which may or may not be the healthiest choice.
Evidence shows, however, that increasing your protein intake while controlling energy intake and outtake can:
- Improve body composition
- Aid in fat-loss, rather than just weight-loss
- Improve weight maintenance after weight-loss
- Produce feelings of satiety, or fullness, after a snack/meal
Add Healthy Protein Sources to Your Plate
The best way to get all of the nutrients your body needs is to diversify your plate. That means adding a lot of variety from plenty of difference foods. Do you know what options are available to you?
It’s common for people to associate protein with meat, but this isn’t an option for some people with special dietary needs. And even if you are able to consume meat, it’s important to get your protein from a variety of different sources. Take a look below for some healthy, powerful options!
- Lean Meats – Including beef, chicken and especially seafood.
- Dairy – Try eggs, Greek yogurt, low-fat cheese, skim and 1% milk
- Lentils and Legumes – They come in all different colors
- Beans – Try low-sodium black beans, kidney beans and Garbanzo beans
- Nuts – Try low/no-sodium almonds, cashews, walnuts, pecans and pistachios
- Hearty Vegetables – Try leafy greens, peas, broccoli, mushrooms, green beans and squash
- Super Fruits – Try avocados, pomegranates, jack fruit, and dates
- Miscellaneous – Try hummus, peanut butter, chia seeds and flaxseed
Want to Learn More about Protein and Weight Management?
To learn more about protein and incorporating it into your diet, please CLICK HERE.
