Protein is an essential nutrient, necessary for building healthy muscle tissues and minimizing body fat. Increasing protein intake can be a good step towards eating healthier and losing excess weight. Many health and fitness experts even recommend eating 5 to 6 small meals a day, so there’s plenty of room to incorporate high protien snacks in our diet.
Benefits of high protein snacks
Proteins are considered as every living organism’s building blocks. They are critical for the formation of hormones, hemoglobin, nerves, skin, hair, bone, teeth, nail, enzymes and antibodies. High protein snacks can help prevent the risks associated with protein deficiency, such as hair loss, inefficient wound healing, retarded growth, liver damage, poor immunity and poor digestive ability.
A high protein diet is also beneficial in that it encourages the body to burn more calories in the form of fat. The body is programmed to target fats provided by carbohydrates. With little carbohydrates in the diet, the body begins burning fat more efficiently, making it more efficient to lose weight. This is why many weight loss diets promote the consumption of more proteins and less carbohydrates. According to a study that was published through the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, high protein diets also promote better satisfaction in people who report feeling less hungry after each meal, which discourages them from overeating.
Sources of protein
There are good and not-so-good sources of protein. The good low-fat sources include fish and certain seafood such as fresh salmon, tuna and orange roughy, along with calamari and shrimp. Soy and soy products such as tofu and whey protein, particularly if it’s organic, are also excellent sources. Quinoa and spirulina are also wonderful choices. Although beef and other red meat are considered high-protein sources, some health experts say that meat, particularly the commercial type may not be a good source of protein since they might contain residues of pesticides in crops fed to cows, along with preservatives and other chemicals.
There are also high protein snacks designed for vegan and vegetarians. A few good sources include peanut butter, almonds, soy yogurt, cottage cheese with fruit, protein bars, oatmeal and high-protein shakes made from natural soy milk and fruits.