Shake Up Your Diet: 5 Surprising Sources of Protein

Tired of beef, chicken, turkey, and seafood? If you’re trying to build lean body mass, you need enough protein in your diet, but eating the same old protein sources can get pretty boring. Plus, you’ll get more nutritional benefits by eating a diverse, whole food diet. If you’re looking for new ways to add protein to your diet, here are some surprising sources you may not have considered. Not only are these foods high in protein, but they also have other nutritional benefits as well.

 Edamame

Protein and fiber don’t always go together but they do when you add edamame to the table. Edamame is young, green soybeans you can buy in the freezer section of most grocery stores either shelled or in their pods. They’ve become a popular snack among health-conscious college kids. No wonder. They’re a good source of fiber and have an impressive 8.5 grams of protein per half-cup serving. There are lots of ways to enjoy this surprising source of protein. Heat and enjoy them as a snack with lemon juice or hot sauce sprinkled on top, puree them to make a healthy dip, stir-fry or toss them into soup and salads for a new protein twist.

Pumpkin Seeds

Chips aren’t exactly known for their health benefits. Skip the empty calories and munch on pumpkin seeds instead. A half-cup of these crunchy seeds has 8 grams of muscle-building protein. Not to mention they’re one of the best sources of magnesium, a mineral important for heart health. Since magnesium is involved in making ATP, the body’s energy currency, not getting enough can affect exercise performance. Plus, research suggests that magnesium deficiency may be more common than previously believed. Make sure your magnesium needs are covered by eating this crunchy snack. The bonus? You’ll get protein at the same time.

 Hemp Seeds

Hemp seeds may bring to mind images of peace signs and lava lamps, but don’t let that fool you. Hemp seeds are a surprisingly good source of protein. An ounce of hemp seeds has a whopping 11 grams of protein. Not only are they the seed with the highest protein content, but they also have all of the essential amino acids your body needs in a form that’s easy-to-digest. How to cash in on the benefits? You can buy hemp seeds at most natural food markets to sprinkle on oatmeal or yogurt or to add to soups and salads. Peace.

Spinach

There are lots of good reasons to eat spinach, but you may not be aware that it’s a decent source of protein with 6 grams of protein per cup. Not only is spinach a good source of antioxidants that may reduce the risk of disease, but it may also give you a little extra muscle power. Researchers discovered that the equivalent of one cup of spinach increased muscle strength in mice. They believe the natural nitrates in spinach explain this finding. Want to get the benefits too? Add spinach to salads, soups, smoothies, omelets and eat it as a side dish in place of starches like potatoes to improve your lean body mass – and your health.

Cottage Cheese

It’s hardly surprising that cottage cheese has protein, but what is eye-opening is how much it has. With 14 grams of protein per half-cup, it’s a protein rock star. Plus a cup supplies 15% of the day’s requirement for calcium. Most people could use that extra calcium. Sweeten it with Stevia, add some fruit and enjoy it as a dessert substitute. Add it to oatmeal or use it as a sour cream substitute on baked potatoes. Stir it into a salad as a high-protein substitute for salad dressing. Enjoy it as a side dish sprinkled with high-protein hemp seeds or pumpkin seeds for a muscle-building power dish.

The Bottom Line?

There’s more than one way to get your protein, and these foods have other health benefits as well. Use them to add diversity to your diet.

References:

Medical News Today “Why Does Spinach Give Us Strength”

Self Nutrition Data

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