Lean Protein

The leaner you make your protein choice-the healthier you'll become.  You get about the same amount of protein in a serving of chicken, beef, ?sh or pork, but depending on the cut of meat you can get a little fat or….. a lot of fat. So why not choose leaner cuts of meat to get your nourishing protein.  Leaner cuts have less saturated fat or unhealthy fat as well as fewer calories. We normally make the protein section of our food choice the “main meal.”

It doesn’t matter if it’s in a sandwich or on your dinner plate. Protein is the centerpiece.

By providing nearly 20 percent of your calories from protein, your body will be able to preserve muscle while you lose fat.  Muscle is what keeps your metabolism up; the more muscle you have, the more calories you’ll burn off each day.  In addition, We’ve provided a little protein at each meal that greatly extends the feeling of fullness between meals.  

Beef has more fat than its protein counterparts – but you can still choose lean cuts. Top round is only 18 % fat. London Broil is 32 %. Sirloin, ?ank steak and beef tenderloin are all healthy choices.  However, most red meat is high in fat--chuck roast is 67 %, corned beef is 74%, ground meat is 77%, short ribs is 80 % and a hot dog is 85 % fat.

Of course, there are leaner choices of protein that will help you with your program.  Turkey breast is only 9 % fat. Chicken breast is 18 %. A Veal leg is 20 %. The alternative white meat --pork tenderloin is 26 % fat.

Eggs are also an excellent choice of protein.  Egg whites or egg beaters are very lean choices with zero % fat. A whole egg has 64 % fat.

Here’s another trick to keeping lean on a weekly basis.  Eat some type of FISH at least 2 meals per week. You have an unlimited amount of choices. Fish is usually very lean and the fat it does provide is a healthy fat or unsaturated fat. You will feel leaner and not stuffy after you have a meal with seafood.

Don’t forget about non-meat choices that are also good sources of protein: soy foods -such as tofu, peanut butter  or legumes -which is beans, peas, lentils make healthy protein choices. Beans are a great source of protein and filled with plenty of fiber. Beans fuel your system and keep you healthy. Don’t forget to wash the beans out if you choose them from the can. Any bean is going to be a good choice.