When you think of the best sources of protein, you probably think of meat, meat, and more meat. But while this food item is incredibly high in the important compound, it’s not the only food in you diet that can provide protein. Drinking a protein shake every morning isn’t necessary, either. There are a number of natural sources that supply your body with as much protein as you need without a diet heavy in pork chops and powdered supplements.

How Much Protein Do You Need

For starters, knowing the amount of protein that your body needs in order to stay healthy and strong is extremely important. Protein is one of the most vital building blocks of life. Muscle repair, skin health, and the growth of hair and nails all require an ample supply of protein. Per day, you need about .4 grams of protein per pound of body weight. So, if you’re 200 pounds, you’ll need about 80 grams of protein per day.

Meat

While meat is everyone’s first pick for the best source of protein, don’t rule it out as a simple cliché. One 3 ounce serving of beef steak contains 26 grams of protein! Thus, you can easily get all the protein you need in a day from a steak, or a meal containing some meat. What meat has the most protein, then? Venison, surprisingly, holds the most amount of protein per serving, followed by turkey, yellow fin tuna, and chicken breast. Beef tenderloin, halibut, lamb, snapper, salmon, and tofu will also give you more than 60% of your daily protein needs as well.

Photo by snacktime2007

Nuts

For vegetarians and vegans, getting enough protein is often a challenge without the protein staple of meat to turn to. That’s why nuts are the number two source to turn to when looking for protein. Amazingly, one ounce of peanuts contains 8 grams of protein. Cashews, almonds, and walnuts are also excellent sources for the nutrients. As a general rule of thumb, a cup of nuts will contain around 20 grams of protein. But how do you make easy high protein meals with nuts? Try adding them to stir fries, breads, and bagels. Eat peanut or almond butter with sliced apples or pears for a quick treat.

Beans

Tofu has almost become a poster child in the protein world, and for good reason. A cup of soybeans contains 30 grams of protein. But how much protein in tofu is available per cup? A cup of tofu contains 20 grams of this needed compound. Tofu is also fairly easy to find, cook with, and enjoy, with hundred of recipes out there aimed towards tofu cooking. You can also get protein from other beans, though. Black beans contain 16 grams of protein per cup while a cup of lentils contain 18 grams.

Dairy and Eggs

Milk items, such as milk, cheese, and yogurt, are also good sources of protein. Extremely easy to cook with, adding dairy products to your meals is never a bad idea. These are also extremely beneficial for providing vitamins and minerals to your diet. Calcium, especially, is plentifully found in diary products. But don’t forget about eggs. Protein is richest in egg whites, one egg containing over six grams of protein.

Eating Protein the Healthy Way

So what are the best sources of protein? As you can see, there are foods in nature that provide protein aside from just meat. So put away your protein shakes and bacon, favoring beans, dairy products, eggs and nuts instead. Try cooking with tofu as a meat replacement as well. Not only can you cut down on fats and salt, you will also open up a whole range of culinary possibilities with the soy bean product.

In the past, it wasn’t uncommon for parents to hassle their kids after having learned they had consumed a chocolate bar or the like, despite the fact that they had been warned not to. Chocolate was thought to be a death sentence when it came to acne. When kids complained of a pimple on their lip, or on any other part of the body for that matter, chocolate was blamed.

Photo by wallyg

This was in a time where washing your face was the end all, be all treatment for the skin condition. Things have drastically changed for the better since those days. For one, there is a much wider array of treatments available that are designed for each respective form of acne. In addition, many of the illogical notions that many people readily accepted about the disorder have since been disputed. While there is little evidence to suggest that chocolate causes acne, there is still a divide in the acne community over whether or not other foods can have an impact on acne lesions. Ultimately you should draw your own conclusions, but it’s important to be informed as to how some food and beverage choices may potentially affect your condition.

If you ask what anyone what milk is good for, they’ll tell you for promoting bone strength. Experts have gone back and forth arguing over the health benefits of milk as we age. Some say it contributes to both fragility, others say otherwise. Regardless, there are some fundamental things that we do know about milk that raise some flags when it comes to acne. Since milk is intended to nurture a young calf, it is hormone-laden. Nobody knows for sure what sort of effects these hormones can have on the body. What is clear is that acne is closely related to hormonal fluctuations, and introducing foreign hormones into the human body is probably not the best way to go about preventing the condition. The only way to verify that your milk consumption is adversely affecting your acne is to stop consuming the beverage for at least a month. If with everything else constant you notice an improvement in your condition, you might be better of switching to an alternative.

You shouldn’t rely on your dermatologist’s word that milk has absolutely no effect on your complexion. They obviously have their own agenda in treating you and would rather prescribe some expensive acne medications to clear your lip pimples, for instance, without addressing the root of the problem. If you fear that a sudden decline in milk consumption may have adverse effects on your overall health, consult with your physician before proceeding.