Before you counter with claims about almond butter, cashew butter, or any nut butter, they all fall into the same category along with many other popular “protein snacks.”

As the unofficial President of the Peanut Butter Fan Club, I don’t like to discredit peanut butter in any way. But, knowing my love of peanut butter (it’s still perfectly fine to include in your diet) will help you understand why it’s important to know about high-quality proteins.

That’s because what is marketed as good protein is rarely accurate.

You can blame the food industry, but don’t expect them to change any time soon. The good news: learning to differentiate high-quality protein from “regular” (scientist will call it incomplete) protein is pretty easy.

Even better: there are simple ways to turn incomplete proteins into complete proteins (think of it as a way to upgrade your favorite nut butter of choice).

The best news: once you add more high-quality protein to your diet, you start to see the benefits you want, ranging from fat loss and muscle gain to better hair, skin, and nails.

You don’t have to ditch your peanut butter. But, if you’ve been focusing on getting a lot of your daily protein from nuts (or other incomplete sources), you’re about to realize all the ways you’ve been missing out. -AB

Why Is Protein Important?

Before we get to quality, let’s make something clear: you’ve probably heard that you need more protein in your diet, and for a good reason.

Protein is the building block for muscle, but it’s also so much more.

Protein is also essential for maintaining a strong immune system, bones, tendons, and is responsible for many metabolic reactions. There is also a clear relationship between protein and weight loss.

Here’s the thing:

Not all proteins are created equal.

Quality counts. But what’s the difference between protein and “high-quality protein?” It’s locked in the amino acids of each type of protein.

As much as protein all looks the same on a nutrition label, it’s not. 

If you’re confused, don’t worry. As we mentioned, distinguishing high-quality protein from lesser-quality protein is easier than you might think. And, once you learn to recognize the difference, you’ll be able to adjust how you eat without much stress. 

Why Amino Acids Are Important

Every source of protein has a different amino acid profile. These amino acids — or the component parts that a protein will become when you digest it — are a big determinant of whether or not a protein is high-quality.    

Your body can produce many amino acids on its own. But there are some it can’t make. They are:

• histidine
• isoleucine
• leucine
• lysine
• methionine
• phenylalanine
• threonine
• tryptophan
• valine

These are the “essential amino acids,” and you must get them through your diet.

Any food that contains all nine essential amino acids is known as a “complete protein.”

High-quality proteins contain all of the essential amino acids (amino acids are the building blocks of protein).

When you eat all of the essential amino acids (AKA a complete protein), that’s when your body can put protein to work and unlock all of the benefits.

On the flip side, if you don’t have the essential amino acids, even if you’re eating protein, your body might not be able to use all of the other amino acids to help out.

Now that you know why essential amino acids make a complete protein, you’ll better understand why high-quality protein matters.

What Makes a Protein High-Quality?

A high-quality protein really is a function of three things:

• protein digestibility (i.e. “Can your body break it down?”)  
• amino acid content (i.e. “What’s really inside the protein?”)
• the resulting amino acid availability to support metabolic function (i.e. “Will your body be able to use those amino acids the way you want it to?”).  

The process of digesting any food begins when you chew. But, protein is unique among the three major macronutrients in that your body’s digestion of it truly begins in the stomach and continues into the small intestine.

Technically speaking, enzymes work to fully break down the protein you eat into smaller chains of amino acids. This is very important because, as we mentioned above, it’s actually all the amino acids that your body puts to work. (For example, leucine is an amino acid that is a key figure in building muscle. But, as you’ll find out, amino acids don’t work alone.)

Before a chain can be absorbed into your bloodstream, it must be shortened into individual amino acids. Only then, when these amino acids hit the bloodstream, can they be transported to help whatever your body needs.

They may also be held for a short time with other amino acids in what’s referred to as an amino acid pool. The body can turn to this pool and take the exact amino acids it needs to create a larger protein molecule required for one function or another and leave behind what it doesn’t require at the moment.

• Need to build muscle? Dip into the amino acid pool.
• Trying to recover from a hard workout? Amino acid pool, please.
• Searching for collagen for your skin? Yep, amino acid pool

While the process might appear cut-and-dry, it’s not that simple. First of all, if you want to get the amino acids out of the pool, all of the essential amino acids must be present. 

So, it’s easy to see why incomplete proteins, which don’t have all of the amino acids, can become a barrier to experiencing the benefits of protein.

Also, not all protein is 100 percent digested. And, if it’s not all digested and broken down, then that means you don’t have as many amino acids present in your bloodstream. 

Scientists can measure a protein’s digestibility in the lab is by monitoring nitrogen absorption and excretion. (Protein is the only macronutrient that contains nitrogen, which is why this works.)  The outcome of this test typically produces a digestibility score.

Proteins that are highly digestible receive scores close to 100% (digestible). Lower scores are less digestible. If you were to consume a protein with a digestibility score of 90%, then for every 10g you consumed, you would absorb 9g and excrete 1g.

What helps the protein digestibility score? Having more essential amino acids.

In general, animal proteins — such as dairy, eggs, and meat — score highly. Vegetarian proteins typically score lower because they’re lower in essential amino acids.

What Are High-Quality Protein Sources?

If you just want a list of high-quality protein sources, we have you covered. The top sources are:

• Dairy products: including milk, whey protein powder, casein protein powder, hard cheese, cottage cheese, and yogurt
• Eggs
• Seafood and fish
• Beef and bison
• Game meats (such as venison and elk)
• Chicken
• Pork
• Pea Protein
• Soybeans
• Vegan protein powders (primarily consisting of pea protein, potato protein, and corn protein)

You might notice that the majority of the high-quality options are from animal sources. 

That doesn’t mean you can’t get high-quality protein on a plant-based diet. You can still fill your diet with the protein you need even if you never want to put any animals in your mouth. But, it requires you to combine vegan- or plant-based sources of protein to create a complete amino acid profile. 

Why Animal-Based Protein is the “Easy Button”

Animal protein sources mimic the protein composition of human tissue. This is why meat naturally offers a highly usable blend of amino acids—including all nine essential amino acids (with some exceptions, which we’ll get to in a second).

As a result, we humans can use protein from an animal source in a very efficient manner.

Animal proteins range from the obvious—beef, pork, chicken, eggs, and fish—to fluid sources such as milk. All of these are high-quality protein sources that are highly bioavailable (your body can put them to use easily).

Nearly all animal proteins are highly bioavailable — meaning your body can put them to use more easily.

This includes dairy, which supplies a wealth of amino acids, including a high amount of leucine. So, perhaps, it’s not surprising that studies involving chronic exercisers have found that consuming milk-based protein after resistance exercise promotes muscle protein synthesis, more muscle, and less flab.

While collagen and bone broths are popular for their potential to support joint health and other tissue function within the body, collagen protein is high in only 3 amino acids (glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline) while being fairly low in the other essential amino acids.

Bone broths may deliver health benefits, but they alone won’t help with muscle building or fat loss (or satisfy your body’s amino acid requirements, unless you add chicken or beef to the broth, in which case, you’re all set.)

What About High-Quality Plant Protein?

Conversely, most plant sources (but not all) have an amino acid profile that differs drastically from that of humans.

Many (but not all) plant proteins are low in various essential amino acids, especially leucine. This is important to note, because leucine plays a critical role in turning on muscle protein synthesis (MPS), which is key for building and repairing muscle tissue.

The big exceptions are soy, potato protein, corn protein, and pea protein. In fact, pea protein has been tested as a favorable vegan alternative to whey. These vegetarian sources contain all of the essential amino acids you require.

Outside of those sources, most plant-based proteins are not complete. All this means is that consuming one lone source of plant protein cannot support body growth and maintenance.

But there’s a simple fix. If you combine different plant protein sources, then you can receive adequate amounts of all nine essential amino acids.

Examples of complementary proteins include combining legumes and grains, such as red beans and rice, or vegetables and legumes, such as what you’d find in a 9-bean vegetable soup.

When you eat complementary proteins, the combined sources equal a complete protein source.

You don’t have to do this at the same meal. Your body will store the amino acids for about 4 to 6 hours as they come in, and then re-synthesize proteins as it needs by pulling from body cells and blood supplies later.

Often you need to eat more plant-based protein to get the equivalent amount of amino acids that you would from a smaller amount of animal protein.

So really, your main takeaways here are:

1. The exact amount of protein you need will depend on the quality of the protein you eat.
2. If you consume a lot of plant-based protein or are exclusively plant-based, you may need to increase your total daily protein intake, even more, to compensate for the lower protein quality.
3. If you are vegetarian or vegan, eat a diverse mix of foods, and you may want to research the amino acid profiles of the foods you eat.

READ MORE:

What is the Best Protein Powder?

The Curious Case of Why People Fear Protein

No Carbs Diet: The Flaw in Fat Loss

Pamela Nisevich Bede, MS, RD, CSSD, LD is a 21-time marathoner, Ironman triathlete, and mom who counsels athletes and wellness enthusiasts towards optimal performance at Swim, Bike, Run, Eat!, LLC, and is the resident endurance sports nutrition expert at EAS Sports Nutrition. She has contributed to multiple books and is regularly sought to provide insight to numerous publications. Connect with her @PamBedeRD

The post What is a High-Quality Protein? appeared first on Born Fitness.

What’s not as settled is where you should get your protein and what are the best protein sources. And when you consider all the options, it’s easy to see why. From meat to vegetarian sources, powders to dairy, there’s a wide variety of options and plenty of difficulty understanding what you need, what is good, and if “too much” is really a danger.

While your own needs will be personal based on your body and goals, here’s how you can make the protein column on your shopping list a little easier to understand.

Protein supplementation should not be catered around absorption speeds, marketing promises, or the latest and greatest protein powder modification.

Understanding Your Protein Options

“Lean Proteins”

The top sources of food protein are those that are high in protein while simultaneously lowest in fatty acids (kind of obvious). Meat rarely, if ever, has carbohydrate or alcohol content. These “lean meats” are fairly equivalent on a macronutrient basis to many protein powders, with roughly 100 calories per 20 to 25 grams of protein.

Your typical lean meats include warm-water fish, white poultry meat, and red meat sources considered extra lean. (For reference, red meat and pork tend to have higher fat content.) Egg whites also qualify, and most protein powders fall into this category.

Food sources of protein that also contain fatty acids are cold water fish (salmon as an example), most of the red meats, the dark meat of the poultry, and any of the lean category if you decided to cook it in oil. Whole eggs are similarly in this category as the yolk contains fatty acids.

If a meat has breading on it, it is now covered in carbs. That is not inherently bad, but you should understand that no meat can be breaded and still be considered lean.

Dairy products tend to never be as lean as the leanest meat products, although they are in a wide spectrum of fat content; checking the label or investigating nutritional information online would be prudent.

The Food Groups Richest in Protein

As mentioned earlier, it seems that the best sources of protein on a caloric basis come from animals. In general, the food groups and their overall protein contents are in the order (greatest to least content on a caloric basis):

• Meat and Dairy products (lean)
• Most Vegetables
• Meat and Dairy products (fatty)
• Meat substitutes
• Fruits and harvest vegetables
• Most grains

Vegetables are in a weird position, as they tend to have roughly 3 to 4 grams of protein per 40 calories (which is 30-40% by caloric weight). It is unlikely that they will form a substantial amount of your dietary intake due to their filling nature, but they are indeed decent protein sources from a caloric perspective.

Most root and harvest vegetables (pumpkin, squash, potatoes, etc.) are listed further down as they have a greatly increased amount of carbohydrates. Additionally, although some grains can indeed have a high protein content (such as quinoa), the majority of grains eaten in a standard diet tend to have a large degree of carbohydrates relative to protein; the focus on enhancing grains appears to be related to micronutrition and fiber, with minimal focus in increasing protein content.

Vegetarian and Vegan Proteins

Supplement-wise, a rice/pea blend as well as both soy and hemp appear to be viable vegan protein sources. Soy food products are viable options, as are vegetables themselves if you can eat sufficient amounts of them. Some microalgae protein sources also exist, mostly chlorella and spirulina.

What About Powders?

Overall, the importance of a protein supplement is only important if you don’t consume enough protein your diet. Protein supplementation should be catered mostly around allergies, price range, flavor, and perhaps functional properties of the protein if pudding is desired.

Protein supplementation should not be catered around absorption speeds, marketing promises, or the latest and greatest protein powder modification.

Adding more amino acids tends to have the biggest impact when total protein intake is lower. Let’s say you only consume 50g of protein a day. It is a good idea to increase that to 75g by adding whey because of its cysteine content.

However, if you’re a 180 pound male and you eat 100 grams per day, you don’t need to worry about consuming any specific protein, as even poor sources of one or another amino acid will add up.

Because of these reasons, BCAA and EAA supplements also seem to have less of a role as supplements when protein intake from food and supplements is comparatively high; they have a much larger role when your diet is low in protein overall, especially low in complete proteins.

The bottom line: Consume enough protein and you do not need to worry about absorption speeds, amino acids, or complete vs incomplete. Instead, focus on consuming protein via your diet and/or supplementation, however works best for you.

Adam Bornstein

Adam Bornstein is a New York Times bestselling author and the author of You Can’t Screw This Up. He is the founder of Born Fitness, and the co-founder of Arnold’s Pump Club (with Arnold Schwarzenegger) and Pen Name Consulting. An award-winning writer and editor, Bornstein was previously the Chief Nutrition Officer for Ladder, the Fitness and Nutrition editor for Men’s Health, Editorial Director at LIVESTRONG.com, and a columnist for SHAPE, Men’s Fitness, and Muscle & Fitness. He’s also a nutrition and fitness advisor for LeBron James, Cindy Crawford, Lindsey Vonn, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. According to The Huffington Post, Bornstein is “one of the most inspiring sources in all of health and fitness.” His work has been featured in dozens of publications, including The New York Times, Fast Company, ESPN, and GQ, and he’s appeared on Good Morning America, The Today Show, and E! News.

The post The Best Protein Sources appeared first on Born Fitness.

But when it comes to health information, you’d probably think that I’d keep my distance from Kris. After all, she is the queen of plant-based eating. And I am, well, let’s just say I’m a carnivore. Here’s the thing: I don’t believe in silencing those that have different opinions from my own. I believe in learning from them. And while I have trouble imagining a world where I don’t eat meat, seeing the world through Kris’s eyes has allowed me to help more people, provide better content, and become a better cook. That’s right—vegetarians and vegans are really good at understanding how to flavor food and make seemingly banal dishes absolutely delicious.

Which is why I’m thrilled that Kris did what I’ve been waiting for her to do: She made a cookbook. Crazy Sexy Kitchen is filled with 150 recipes of goodness (Yes, anyone will find dishes they can enjoy). I’ll be sharing some of my favorites here. But in the meantime, I recommend you read Kris’s story (below) and the inspiration for her latest book. Her tale is worth your time, and if you’re interested, I recommend you pick up a copy of her new book. Much like Kris, it has something to offer everyone.

An Excerpt from “Crazy Sexy Kitchen” by Kris Carr with Chef Chad Sarno.

My Inspiration

Flavorful homemade food holds a dear place in my heart. Back in the early ’70s, my grandma was a chef and my mother was a bartender. Together they ran my grandma’s restaurant business and raised me. Grandma’s food was loaded with love, buckets of butter, and flames. You read that correctly, flames. She regularly poured 100-proof brandy over her creations and lit them on fire. The result: a dramatic presentation and the occasional curtain casualty. One could say she was Julia Child meets Where the Wild Things Are.

Grandma opened her first diner in a renovated trolley car, complete with flower boxes and geraniums. She sewed all the tablecloths and built the counter and booths. Yes, she was a seamstress and carpenter, too. Grandma would often say that her “brains were in her hands.” To me, she was a resourceful visionary. Truck-ers and townspeople alike adored her. While stirring a deep pot in her kitchen you might catch a story about King George’s coronation, which she attended, thank you very much. Or you might’ve been lucky enough to hear her gripping account of escaping from Bogotá, Colombia, on a U.S. military cargo plane to marry her second of possibly three or four husbands (we’re not sure).

Next came the Village Gourmet, her French-inspired bistro. That’s where my memory kicks in. On Saturday nights, music poured from the piano by the bar where I would sing and dance. Upon completing my performance I’d skitter around to the patrons with a glimmering eye and open hand. (Please note: I was not allowed to solicit. In fact, I got swatted when caught with the quarters, but I went for it anyway. The moxie started early—five to be exact.) I adored the place. I loved watching the colorful cast of customers laugh and talk and fight and love and most of all . . . eat!

The Village Gourmet was my first classroom. I learned early that food is more than just fuel—it’s community. And today, as I work with people to improve their lifestyles, I’m sensitive to the important role food plays in social life and family heritage. But as we’re finding out more and more, these traditions often come at a cost. I will always admire the love and art my grandma put into her cooking. At the same time, I can’t forget that, despite a long and full life, she suffered chronic health problems that really put a crimp in her effervescent style. Like many Americans, she was overweight, and she developed a list of preventable ailments including high blood pressure, cholesterol, osteoporosis, diverticulitis, and arthritis.

I was headed toward a list of health challenges as well. After I struck out on my own and life got busy, I cut my time in the kitchen short. I lived on processed, fake, and fast food. My fridge was empty while my nuker (a.k.a. microwave) got more play than my boyfriends. After a while, I began to feel as lousy as the garbage I was putting in my body. The stress (both physical and emotional) didn’t help either, and I was mainlining it.

On Valentine’s Day 2003, I hit a tipping point in the form of a cancer diagnosis, a rare and incurable stage IV sarcoma to be exact. I was 31 years old, with no medical options and a supposed expiration date— at least that’s what one oncologist told me. Another suggested I remove and transplant all three affected organs. Bye-bye liver and both lungs? Silly rabbit, tricks are for kids! No, thank you. Luckily my disease is slow-growing (at least for now; that could change). However, to say that I was in shock, mad, sad, and terrified is an understatement. But I pulled up my high-heeled bootstraps and made a plan posthaste.

I knew in my gut that I needed to fully participate in my well-being. That’s when I went back to my roots—food. I discovered I loved being an artist in the kitchen, just like Grandma. Except I added a revolutionary twist to her culinary foundation: cooking consciously and compassionately for the health and happiness of my body and the world around me.

Since that time I’ve not only been surviving, I’ve been thriving—with cancer.
In fact, thanks in part to a healthy and active lifestyle, I actually feel better with the disease than I did without it. If I can feel healthy and happy while living with a life-threatening condition, just imagine how great you can feel! It’s been nearly ten years since I first heard those words, “you have cancer.” And though I may never be in remission, my disease continues to be stable. Considering what so many fellow cancer patients face, I am incredibly blessed. As one of my cherished cancer buddies used to say, “You don’t need to win, a tie works, too!”

When my documentary film about my journey, Crazy Sexy Cancer, aired on TLC and then on the Oprah Winfrey Network, the e-mails poured in by the thousands. My story struck a chord beyond cancer. People were ready for big change, whether they were struggling with depression, diabetes, heart disease, or fill-in-the-blank. This was the beginning of my Crazy Sexy movement, and I continue to be wildly motivated and grateful to share what I had to learn the hard way.

My previous book, Crazy Sexy Diet, is the “why” of healthy eating. It digs deep into the philosophy and science of my diet and lifestyle, with a sample recipe chapter near the end. Crazy Sexy Kitchen is the perfect sequel. What you’re holding in your hands is the “how.” These recipes will teach you how to turn your newfound knowledge, commitment, and desires into a beautiful (and healthy) reality on your plate, meal after meal…

Adam Bornstein

Adam Bornstein is a New York Times bestselling author and the author of You Can’t Screw This Up. He is the founder of Born Fitness, and the co-founder of Arnold’s Pump Club (with Arnold Schwarzenegger) and Pen Name Consulting. An award-winning writer and editor, Bornstein was previously the Chief Nutrition Officer for Ladder, the Fitness and Nutrition editor for Men’s Health, Editorial Director at LIVESTRONG.com, and a columnist for SHAPE, Men’s Fitness, and Muscle & Fitness. He’s also a nutrition and fitness advisor for LeBron James, Cindy Crawford, Lindsey Vonn, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. According to The Huffington Post, Bornstein is “one of the most inspiring sources in all of health and fitness.” His work has been featured in dozens of publications, including The New York Times, Fast Company, ESPN, and GQ, and he’s appeared on Good Morning America, The Today Show, and E! News.

The post Healthy-Eating Cookbook: Crazy Sexy Kitchen appeared first on Born Fitness.