Best Protein Sources for Bodybuilding

By Bodybuilding Store

A quick recap on the vitally important reasons we need to eat protein if we are trying to increase size and strength. Firstly, protein is required to repair and re-build any muscle that is damaged from weight training. Secondly protein revs up your metabolism and reduces hunger, but thirdly protein in your diet at regular intervals will slow down the release of carbs into the blood.

That last point about preventing sugar level spikes, it's important because when we eat highly processed junk foods it only encourages more fat storage and will seriously affect your energy levels. The bottom line is that if you're pumping iron on a regular basis, then you need at least 1 gram of protein for each pound of bodyweight.

Supermarkets today are packed full of processed foods, looking for good quality protein sources is not as easy as it used to be. The top 10 protein sources list below includes the best non-processed protein foods that you will find at any decent supermarket. Food choices that will offer you more quality protein for your buck.

1. Greek Yogurt:

You may be unaware that delicious Greek yoghurt has more than double the protein of normal yoghurts and less than three times the sugar than flavored yoghurt. With Greek yoghurt you can now get gut-friendly bone-building high quality calcium and probiotic bacteria while you get a protein value of around 23 grams per 8 oz. serving.

2. Cottage Cheese:

Cottage cheese is packed with casein protein, which is an extremely efficient slow-digesting protein that is able to help your muscles grow while it supplies vitally important amino-acids, great before bedtime. Some cottage cheese has high sodium levels, so it's advisable to check the label. You get 14 grams of protein per 1/2 cup serving.

3. Swiss Cheese:

If you compare Swiss cheese to ANY available cheese on the market, you'll find it has more protein gram for gram than any other cheese. If you're concerned about the calorie dense full-fat Swiss cheese, then look for low-fat options with a protein-to-fat ratio of 8-to-1. Swiss cheese will give you 8 grams of protein per 1 oz. serving.

4. Eggs:

The perfect muscle food when we look at its biological value. The biological value of any food measures exactly how much of the protein consumed is able to be incorporated into muscle. Basically it's measuring how many essential amino acids land up in the muscle and not just pass through. You'll get 6 to 9 grams of protein per 1 large egg.

5. Milk, 2%:

Milk is right up there when we're looking at the biological value, compared to eggs. You won't break your fat bank if you drink 2% milk compared to the rather flavorless skim milk. You'll get 8 grams of protein per 1 cup serving.

6. Whey Protein:

Whey protein has established itself as the cleanest, fastest-digesting of any type of protein on the market. Perfect for any fat-loss and muscle-building diet. It is low-calorie and fast-digesting, taken just after a workout. Rich is branch chained amino acids (BCAA) and it has proven itself countless times in numerous studies to be extremely anabolic, giving over 24 grams per scoop.

7. Steak (Top or Bottom Round):

With this high quality lean steak, you're getting 1 gram of protein for every 7 calories you consume, ribs will be a gram for every 11 calories. A good lean steak will give you 23 grams of protein per 3 oz. serving.

8. Ground Beef (95% Lean):

If you're using around 90% ground beef for your burgers and your other fancy ways of eating ground beef, then you'll not only be getting a decent amount of the almighty creatine but you'll also be getting 18 grams of good protein for every 3 oz. serving.

9. Pork Chops (Boneless):

When it comes to how many proteins you're getting in a gram, pork chops are close to the top of the list at 26 grams per 3oz serving. They easy to prepare, but a good tip is that if you put 1/4 cup salt and add is to water, then submerge the pork chops for 1-3 hours, completely covered with this brine water it will make them more tender and easily digested.

10. Chicken Breast (Skinless and Boneless):

Chicken breast meat comes in at 24 grams per 3oz serving, a close second to the mighty pork chop, has been a staple source of protein for bodybuilders since the sport began last century.

In conclusion, there are countless sources of protein that will give you more protein per gram than what our top 10 list above include. For example, tuna and octopus both will give you 25 grams' protein for a 3oz serving. The list above are the most commonly used sources of protein.

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