Best Protein For Low Carb Diet
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The 17 Best High-Protein, Low-Carb Foods to Fill You Up and Curb Cravings
We're totally nuts about nuts.
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Nearly everything in our bodies requires protein, including our skin, blood, and bones. It's key for cell tissue repair and regeneration. And since protein takes longer to digest than carbs, protein-rich meals can also keep you fuller, longer. But not all protein sources offer the same benefits (looking at you, sodium-filled deli meat). These protein-rich foods also come with fiber, minerals, and other important nutrients. For smarter meals, load up on eggs, seafood, unsweetened dairy products (like yogurt), poultry, legumes, beans, chickpeas, peas, seeds, nuts and lean cuts of beef and pork.
A combination of protein and fiber at every meal or snack is really optimal when it comes to feeling full and preventing that blood sugar "spike" (and subsequent crash) that we experience after eating less great options. Need more high-protein snack ideas? These choices will curb mid-morning or afternoon cravings when you're on the go.
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Edamame
The filling combo of fiber and protein in edamame makes it excellent choice when an afternoon craving hits. The bonus? Magnesium-packed soybeans may help with mood regulation. Plus, the de-shelling can help serve as a (fun!) distraction while you munch. Try topping a cup with cayenne pepper and a pinch of sea salt for a tasty snack.
RELATED: Is Soy Good or Bad for You? Here's the Science-Backed Answer
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Cottage Cheese
A half cup of lower-sodium cottage cheese can pack up to 20 grams protein — making it great for morning meals. Try Good Culture's portable cups for prime taste, texture, and nutrition. All of their flavors are made with live and active cultures, which may contain probiotic properties to help boost gut health.
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Peanuts and Peanut Butter
What can't peanut butter do?! It packs 8 grams of plant-based protein per 2 tablespoon serving, and nuts are rich in heart-healthy monounsaturated fats. What's more, peanuts are the best source of arginine, an amino acid that can help lower blood pressure. Salted nuts and nut butters are typically a-okay, too. (The surface salt delivers loads of flavor despite limited amounts of sodium). Look for ones that contain about 140mg of sodium per serving or less.
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Unsweetened Greek Yogurt
Choose Greek yogurt that's plain and unsweetened, and check the ingredients' list to make sure there are at least five strains of bacteria added. These bacteria are probiotics, which can help build up your body's beneficial bacteria and help you stay healthier overall. Plus, protein-rich foods like yogurt (2/3 cup has about 20 grams!) help immune cells regenerate, so eating this nutrient in particular is key.
RELATED: A Definitive Ranking of the Best Greek Yogurts
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Sunflower Seeds
Sunflower seeds contain important antioxidants linked to improved cognition and heart health, plus decreased risk of dementia. In the short term, they can help load up on some good-for-you fat, protein, and fiber in between meals.
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Soy Milk
Filled with plant-based antioxidants and minerals, this protein-packed milk alternative can help improve your cholesterol levels. That's because it's lower in saturated fat than whole milk or other vegan swaps (ahem, coconut oil). Look for unsweetened versions that provide about 7–8 grams of plant-based protein per serving, contain as few ingredients as possible, and come fortified with the same vitamins and minerals as cow's milk (vitamins A and D).
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Salmon
Always a delicious choice, salmon comes with a myriad of health benefits, not too mention lots of protein. A 4-ounce sockeye fillet has 26 grams! Aim for about 8–12 ounces of mixed seafood per week. There's no better way to ensure that we meet our needs for the omega 3's.
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Hard Boiled Eggs
Often considered one of the best sources of protein available, eggs are an inexpensive, nutrient-dense, and versatile ingredient to add to any diet. They also provide choline, an essential nutrient that's involved in memory, mood, and muscle control. Two large eggs contain more than 50% of the recommended choline you need each day, and just one has about 8 grams of protein a pop.
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Rotisserie Chicken
Rotisserie chicken is often one of the more affordable picks in the grocery store and it's lower in sodium than pre-packaged deli meat. You're better off getting the flavor from skin-on rotisserie chicken (remove before eating, please!) and adding this type of nutritious poultry to salads, soups, stews, or stir frys. Chicken also naturally provides selenium, a mineral linked to immunity.
RELATED: The 5 Healthiest Meats You Can Eat for Dinner Tonight
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Hemp Seeds
Snacking on these high-protein powerhouses (1 ounce has 10 grams!) can help boost immunity. They're loaded with zinc, magnesium, iron, and calcium. As a plant-based source of soluble fiber, they've also got an all-star heart-health benefit: They can help lower your serum triglycerides and "bad" cholesterol levels (LDL) while increasing "good" cholesterol (HDL).
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Low-Fat, Unsweetened Latte
One latte can pack around 13 grams protein a pop, which is a great solution when you're pinched for time but don't want to skip out on the first meal of the day. Plus, since milk is 80% water and packed with minerals such as calcium and potassium, it can help you hydrate from both fluid and electrolytes.
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Almonds
Almonds contain more fiber than any other nut (3.5 grams per ounce), so they're a super-satisfying snack. A recent study showed that women who regularly noshed on 1–1.5 ounces of almonds mid-morning ate less at lunch and dinner than when they went without the snack.
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Roasted Chickpeas
Prebiotic fiber from chickpeas helps your body's probiotics to survive and thrive, offering long-term immune benefits. Fiber also makes your meal or snack take longer to digest, meaning you'll feel fuller with more stable energy levels. Plus, protein-packed pulses like chickpeas are an environmentally sustainable crop.
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Protein Bars
Look for ones made from real, whole-food ingredients. Others on the market can contain so much added sugar that you may as well have a candy bar! Bars we love have nuts, seeds, egg whites, or a legume-based flour as the first ingredient. RX bars, for example, pack a combo of protein and fiber from egg whites, dates, and other real ingredients like peanut butter. The combo makes for a satisfying, lower-sugar, higher-protein snack.
RELATED: The 25 Best Breakfast Bars to Fuel Busy Mornings
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Part Skim Cheese
Just one piece of part-skim mozzarella can add 8 grams of protein — that's the same as one egg! Since dairy provides calcium, magnesium, and potassium, it'll also aid in reducing bloat, balancing blood pressure, and helping you stay energized throughout your day. Use around 1/3 cup if cheese is the only source of protein in the meal (like a homemade veggie bowl); use 1/4 cup if it's for adding flavor (e.g., an omelet).
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Pumpkin Seeds
Pumpkin seeds are filled with potassium, magnesium, zinc, and iron. These minerals are key to maintaining energy levels. The seeds pack a super-satisfying combo of about 6 grams fiber, 7 grams protein per 1.5-ounce snack pack, which makes them a satisfying, nutritionally dense addition to soups, stews, or stir frys.
RELATED: How to Roast Pumpkins Seeds
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Jaclyn London, MS, RD, CDN A registered dietitian with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Northwestern University and a Master of Science degree in Clinical Nutrition from New York University, Jaclyn "Jackie" London handled all of Good Housekeeping's nutrition-related content, testing, and evaluation from 2014 to 2019.
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Best Protein For Low Carb Diet
Source: https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/diet-nutrition/g28567696/best-high-protein-low-carb-foods/
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