Source: http://soulcurrymagazine.com
Whether it is Atkins Diet, http://www.atkins.com/, The Zone Diet, http://www.zonediet.com/, The South Beach Diet http://www.southbeachdiet.com/sbd/publicsite/index.aspx , The Protein Power Diet http://www.proteinpower.com/, or any of the other high protein diets in the marketplace today, there seems to be a huge emphasis now on reducing a person’s daily intake of carbs while increasing the daily intake of protein as a means of effecting and aiding sustained weight loss. If you are one of the millions of Americans who now or at one time have been on one of these diets, you know that there can be times when figuring out what to eat is a real challenge.
Now, I am not here to judge the effectiveness, or the lack thereof of any of the above mentioned diet programs, nor will I attempt to convince anyone of the superiority of such a dieting regime. Instead, I want suggest an option that a person on such a diet has when it comes to selecting foods.
I will not go into very much details regarding all possible foods items in a particular food group. What I will do instead is first begin by prioritizing the food groups based upon the amount of protein, fats and carbs. Those food groups that tend to be high in protein, low in both carbs and fats are listed first and are the best foods from which to select.
Next, those foods that are high in protein but low in carbs and slightly higher in fat will be listed second. Thirdly, those that are high in protein, low in fat yet high in carbs will be listed followed by those that are high in protein, fats and carbs. What I am presenting here is not a scientific methodology, but rather a general rule of thumb that a person can use to make food selection less of a challenge.
While this posting will be strictly introductory in nature, we are looking to make this a weekly posting, where we will explore not just food selections, but also discuss the effectiveness and superiority of high protein, low carbs diets to other diets.
#1 Poultry and Seafood
As one might have guessed, those foods that tend to be high in protein yet relatively low in both fats and carbs are poultry, (chicken, turkey and duck) as well as seafood.
- Examples: Protein Carbs Fats
- 1 pound of raw Chicken breast meat only 16 g 0 g 1 g
- 1 pound of raw Duck meat only 25 g 0 g 8 g
- ½ Pink raw Salmon 32 g 0 g 5 g
A special note, for those that are either allergic to meat, choose not to eat animal products or would like to supplement animal products with other products, Protein powder is an excellent source; most of the protein powder that I have used or recommended for our clients are low in both fats and carbs.
#2 Eggs and Lean Cuts of Beef and Pork
Depending upon how they are prepared, eggs tend to have a higher amount of protein, with relatively high amounts of fats and very little carbs. The same can be generally said of lean cuts of beef and pork; actually if the mean is so lean, it could fall in the #1 rated category along with poultry and seafood.
- Examples: Protein Carbs Fats
- 1 large whole raw egg 7 g 0 g 5 g
- 1 cup of raw egg whites 26 g 2 g 0 g
- 4 oz. of Pork Chops, lean, raw, meat only 24 g 0 g 8 g
#3 Beans and other Legumes
While very nutritious and a must for a diet of variety, beans while high in protein, and low in fats, does have a tendency to be higher in carbs.
- Examples: Protein Carbs Fats
- 1 oz of navy beans 6 g 17 g 0 g
- 1 oz of pinto beans 6 g 18 g 0 g
#4 Nuts and seeds
Finally, nuts and seeds while being high in protein can and often are high in both fats and carbs.
- Examples: Protein Carbs Fats
- 1 oz Peanuts, raw 5 g 7 g 14 g
- 1 oz sunflower seeds, raw 6 g 6 g 14 g
Now, I am fully aware that there may be one or a few foods that do not fit the general assumptions here. That is ok. The point is to establish a system whereby individuals who are on the high protein, low carbs, low fat diets can have a simple way of selecting some of the most common foods based upon its proportion of protein, carbs and fats.
Do you know of any other foods that fall within or even outside of the generalities here? Are you currently on such a diet? If so, do you struggle with figuring out just what to eat? Do you feel that such a high protein diet is sustainable? All comments and questions are welcomed.
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