{"id":50567,"date":"2016-06-28T07:15:50","date_gmt":"2016-06-28T11:15:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/?p=50567"},"modified":"2021-11-03T08:17:30","modified_gmt":"2021-11-03T12:17:30","slug":"best-protein-sources-build-muscle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/health\/best-protein-sources-build-muscle\/","title":{"rendered":"Got Milk? The 9 Great Protein Sources for Building Muscle"},"content":{"rendered":"

Protein isn\u2019t just for Arnold and bodybuilding devotees. Whether your goal is simply look and feel leaner or carry groceries with ease, you\u2019re going to need to eat protein in order to improve your strength. Protein<\/a> is essential to muscle growth because it\u2019s full of amino acids, which are critical to the process of building and maintaining muscle.<\/p>\n

But when you\u2019re trying to gain muscle, not all protein sources<\/a> are created equal. \u201cProtein exists in lots of different foods, but the quality of the protein in those foods varies,\u201d says Frances Largeman-Roth, RDN, nutrition expert, author of Eating in Color<\/em> and host of You Tube\u2019s The Milk & Honey Kitchen with Frances. \u201cThe variation is due to the availability of Essential Amino Acids (EAA) and the digestibility of proteins.\u201d<\/p>\n

In order to compare the quality of different protein sources<\/a>, food scientists came up with a standard for scoring proteins, dubbed the Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score<\/a> (PDCAAS). While diet and individual needs will vary, this list rounds out the most stellar starting points.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>What 25 Grams of Protein Really Looks Like<\/a><\/p>\n

9 Great Protein Sources to Build Muscle Now<\/h3>\n

Dairy, Eggs, and Soy
\n<\/strong>The tie for best muscle-building protein goes to eggs<\/a>, soy and dairy (specifically, the whey protein and casein derived from milk). All of these sources score 1.0 on PDCAAS, which is the highest score a protein can achieve, says Largeman-Roth. Let\u2019s take a closer look at each of these winners:<\/p>\n

Dairy\u2019s<\/strong> muscle-building powers stem from whey protein and casein, both of which are often sold in powdered forms and are frequent additions to protein powders<\/a> and shakes. When purchasing these supplements, it\u2019s best to look for formulations with no fillers or artificial flavors. The only downside? High-quality whey and casein protein powders<\/a> tend to be expensive, says Largeman-Roth.<\/p>\n

Eggs<\/strong> aren\u2019t just a great protein source \u2014 they\u2019re also a great deal. \u201cAt seven grams of protein and 80 calories per egg, [they\u2019re] an excellent, cheap and easy-to-cook protein source,\u201d says Largeman-Roth.<\/p>\n

Soy <\/strong>scores a perfect 1.0 on the PDCAAS scale, however some research<\/a> suggests it should be consumed in moderation. (And if you\u2019re one of the many people with a soy allergy<\/a>, you should steer clear entirely.)<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>Egg Whites or Whole Eggs: Which Are Healthier?<\/a><\/p>\n

Meat
\n<\/strong>It\u2019s likely no surprise that meat is one of the best protein sources around (although it might be surprising that it doesn\u2019t top the list). Beef, for example, has a PDCAAS score of 0.92. It also packs a whopping 23 grams of protein into a three-ounce, 207-calorie serving (not to mention iron and other minerals), says Largeman-Roth. The main downsides to meat are that it tends to be more expensive than many of the other sources on this list (especially if you opt for healthier organic varieties<\/a>). Also,\u00a0frequent meat consumption<\/a> is a no-go if you\u2019re concerned about your eco-footprint.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>Are You a Protein-aholic? How Much Meat Is Too Much?<\/a><\/p>\n

Seafood <\/strong>
\nWhile different types of seafood have different PDCAAS scores (just like different types of meat), overall, seafood is \u201can awesome protein source,\u201d says Largeman-Roth. Tuna, for example, has a score of 0.9. It\u2019s also low-calorie and very affordable. Many types of fish also boast high levels of omega-3 fatty acids<\/a>, which have powerful anti-inflammatory properties.<\/p>\n

Nuts and Seeds<\/strong>
\nNuts and seeds pack a surprising amount of protein into very small packages. A one-ounce serving of almonds boasts six grams of protein and four grams of fiber, in addition to vitamin E and calcium, says Largeman-Roth. But perhaps the best protein source in this category is also the least well known. Sachi Inchi<\/a> seeds (aka Inca peanuts, often an ingredient in vegan protein bars and powders) land a 0.87 on the PDCAAS scale. A one-ounce serving boasts nine grams of protein and six grams of fiber.<\/p>\n

RELATED: <\/strong>What 200 Calories of Nuts Looks Like<\/a><\/p>\n

Legumes<\/strong>
\nThis category includes everything from beans to lentils to peas to peanuts \u2014 but not all legumes provide readily accessible protein. For example, chickpeas score 0.78 and yellow split peas (which are often used to make the pea protein powder) score 0.64, whereas peanuts score a more modest 0.52, says Largeman-Roth. Still, legumes are considered a healthy protein source overall.<\/p>\n

Honorable Mention: Hemp Protein<\/a><\/strong>
\nWhile hemp doesn\u2019t yet have a PDCAAS score, \u201cIt\u2019s a great addition to any diet,\u201d Largeman-Roth says. \u201cIt\u2019s rich in omega-3s<\/a> and fiber and also contains protein.\u201d The only downside? To reach the same protein levels that you\u2019d gain from three ounces of beef, you\u2019d have to consume around seven tablespoons (or 414 calories) of hemp protein, says Largeman-Roth.<\/p>\n

So if four out of the five best protein sources consist of animal products (i.e. dairy, eggs, meat and seafood), does this mean that vegans are out of luck when it comes to strength gains? And what about all the vegan athletes<\/a> who have gained so much media attention over the past few years?<\/p>\n

Largeman-Roth explains: \u201cThere are amazing, delicious, and high-quality sources of animal-free protein, but you generally need to eat a larger volume of them to get the same grams of protein that you would from a three-ounce serving of meat.\u201d So while it is possible to gain muscle while going meatless<\/a> or being vegan<\/a>, you\u2019ll just need to be much more aware of your dietary needs. Plan your meals and snacks ahead (we’re loving these homemade protein bars<\/a>)\u00a0in order to consume enough protein to facilitate muscle growth.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you want to build muscle, diet matters just as much as weights. Here\u2019s how scientists rank the best protein sources, from dairy and eggs to meat and legumes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":68,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,7],"tags":[45,51,336,71,220,80,281,341,388],"class_list":["post-50567","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-diet-nutrition","category-health","tag-eggs","tag-food-choices","tag-meat","tag-nutrition","tag-nuts","tag-protein","tag-strength-training","tag-tax1living-well","tag-tax2nutrition"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50567","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/68"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=50567"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50567\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=50567"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=50567"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyburn.com\/life\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=50567"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}