A high-protein diet may help you control your hunger, which may help you lose weight. Experts generally agree that diets with more calories coming from protein rather than carbohydrates may be better for weight loss since protein increases satiety and does not produce an insulin response.
People on high-protein diets are sometimes able to eat more of a meal without gaining weight since their bodies do not require as much energy from food. Some other studies have shown that protein-rich dieting can help people lose more weight and keep it off. However, because the results of these studies are mixed, researchers still don’t know whether they can be applied to everyone who is dieting.
Why choose high-protein foods for weight loss?
You can choose high-protein foods in any meal, but you’ll need to be careful not to eat too many calories or you may end up gaining weight. To keep the weight off, use smaller plates and take smaller portions. Consuming protein will reduce your risk of heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, cancer, and many other diseases.
High protein diets may be more effective for people older than 40 years of age who have more muscle and bone problems that are caused by ageing. Here we list some high-protein and low-carb foods, which we hope can help you lose weight.
High Protein Food
- Nuts: One serving of almonds (just 1 ounce, or 2 tablespoons) has 5g of protein for 165 calories. One serving of walnuts (1 ounce, or 2 tablespoons) has 6g for 170 calories. The recommended daily intake is 18-25g.
- Soy: If you don’t like to eat meat, you can choose tofu, soy milk and soybeans (edamame). Tofu has 8g of protein for 60 calories, edamame has 14g for 130 calories, and 1 cup soy milk has 8g for 100 calories. The recommended daily intake is 38-50g.
- Beans: Black beans (1/2 cup) have 15g of protein for 110 calories. The recommended daily intake is 7-10g.
- Eggs: One to two whole eggs pack 7g of protein and only 64 calories.
- Fish: Salmon (6 half-ounce fillets) and trout (3 ounces), at least three daily, are high in omega-3 fatty acids, helping the body fight the effects of ageing.
- Poultry: Dark meat turkey (4 ounces) has 26 grams of protein for 200 calories; chicken breast (4 ounces) has 29 grams of protein for 230 calories; skinless chicken breast (1 ounce) has 21 grams of protein for 130 calories. The recommended daily intake is 35-50g . (This will vary depending on your age and sex.
- Beef: Low-fat ground beef (4 ounces) has 28 grams of protein and only 110 calories.
Low Protein Food
- Bread: Most bread has 10-12g of protein in one slice, and a piece of 8-inch French bread has 16g.
- Grains: All types have much less than 20g of protein in 50-100 calories; white rice has 4.5g, white bread has 7.5g of protein in 100 calories; oatmeal has 19g of protein in 100 calories.
- Pasta: One cup of cooked pasta (11 ounces) has 5 grams of protein for 145 calories; macaroni and cheese (2 ounces) has 4g of protein for 90 calories; spaghetti (1/2 cup) has 7g of protein for 140 calories. The recommended daily intake is 56-70g.
- Soup: Vegetable soup (1 1/2 cups) has 16 g or 20 g depending on the serving size, with 45 calories or 55 calories per cup. The recommended daily intake is 56-70 grams.
- Soy milk: Soy milk has 8g of protein for 100 calories; regular milk has 3g of protein per cup.
- Yoghurt: Yoghurt (8 ounces) has 4g of protein for 110 calories. The recommended daily intake is 38-50g.
Final Verdict
A high-protein diet can help you lose weight. But just because a high protein diet suggests eating more protein doesn’t necessarily mean it will work for you. If you are already in good shape and healthy, then the high-protein diet may not be able to help you lose weight. You can follow this plan if you want to eat more fresh foods.
