What does 17 meat protein mean?

Why choose the leanest meat proteins? It’s pretty simple. While meat protein in general is the single most important building block of muscle growth (it also provides a great source of complete protein that’s rich in minerals like iron and vitamins like B12), the leanest meat proteins are lower in calories and saturated fat per serving.

 

 

“Plating one-quarter to one-third of your plate with lean protein ensures the right amount of amino acids are available to build and repair your muscles, support satiety between meals, and facilitate weight loss,” says food and nutrition expert Jennifer McDaniel, M.S., R.D.N., C.S.S.D., L.D.

What does 17 meat protein mean?

How to Build Muscle: 10 Rules for Getting Started

The must-do principles for anyone looking to bulk.

Read article

McDaniel tapped into the USDA’s National Nutrient Database and considered research from the journal Meat Science  to rank 17 different sources of meat. Rotate through these leanest meat proteins, including poultry, beef, pork, and game meat, the next time you’re at the butcher or grocery store. The change-up will no doubt excite your palate and encourage you to get more protein in your diet (since you’re probably not eating enough).

What does 17 meat protein mean?

12 Ways to Gain Weight Without Adding Fat

Read article

The following proteins are listed in order from least to most total fat, and their indicated macros are calculated per 100g (raw). *Note macros will differ slightly when cooked.

The following chart list examples of foods that contain protein. Not all foods are listed.

Always read the nutrition facts label to find out how much protein is in each serving of a food.

Food

Serving size

Protein grams

bacon

1 ounce

9

beef (ground, lean)

3 ounces

21

chicken breast (cooked)

3 ounces

26

cod (Atlantic)

3 ounces

19

haddock (smoked)

3 ounces

21

ham (meat only, roasted)

3 ounces

21

hot dog (beef)

1 each

7

pork (ground)

3 ounces

22

salmon (Atlantic)

3 ounces

22

sausage link (pork or beef)

1 link

9

shrimp (fresh)

3 ounces

12

tuna (canned, light)

3 ounces

17

turkey (light meat)

3 ounces

25

turkey (ground)

3 ounces

23

Protein is a vital component of any diet. Whether your goal is weight loss, building muscle, or maintaining overall health, it's important to include protein-rich foods in your diet. Knowing the amount of protein in chicken breast, beans, steak, fish, and other foods can help you structure your meals optimally.

Why You Need Protein

We all need protein to ensure our bodies function optimally. Protein is required to support muscles, the immune system, and the brain. Your body requires adequate protein to obtain essential amino acids. Dietary protein is also needed to make several proteins in the body, like hemoglobin and antibodies.

Although very rare, if you become protein deficient, you may experience loss of muscle, poor wound healing, and a compromised immune system. Protein deficiency can make you more vulnerable to infections, some of which may be serious or difficult to treat.

A diet with plenty of protein-rich foods may help you maintain a healthy weight.. Since your body takes longer to digest these foods, you'll feel satisfied longer when you eat foods with protein as opposed to those with a higher percentage of carbohydrates.

What to Eat If You're Always Hungry

What Is Lean Protein?

You will often hear the term "lean protein" when you are investigating your protein sources. But what does that term really mean? According to the USDA, lean beef must be labeled at least 90% lean. Some leaner cuts of beef include round roast, top loin, top sirloin, and chuck shoulder.

For poultry, lean protein is skinless. The leanest cuts come from chicken breast or turkey cutlet.

Choosing lean sources of pork comes down to which cuts you choose. Lean cuts include pork loin, tenderloin, and ham.

How Much Protein You Need

The recommended intake value for protein is 0.8 grams per kilogram (about 2.2 pounds) of body weight. Once you know how much protein you need, you can build a meal plan that incorporates the high-protein foods you like best to meet your needs. While chicken, fish, and red meat may be the most obvious dietary protein sources, if you follow a vegetarian or vegan diet, you can get protein from plant sources like beans, nuts, and seeds.

One ounce of lean beef, pork, skinless poultry, fish, or shellfish provides about 7 grams of protein. For other protein-containing foods, the following serving sizes are roughly equivalent to 1 ounce of meat.

  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 ounce nuts or seeds
  • 1 tablespoon peanut butter
  • 1/4 cup cooked beans, green peas, or tofu
  • 4 oz. falafel patty

These guidelines are general. The amount of protein in each food source can vary, especially according to how they're prepared and cooked. You can use this method of counting servings in place of counting grams.

The information below lists the amount of protein found in 100 grams of each food product. In this way, you can directly compare how protein-dense different foods are. However, keep in mind that 100 grams might not be the right serving size of each food. For reference, 3 ounces, which is a common serving size measure for meat like chicken or beef, is 85 grams.

Chicken and Turkey

What does 17 meat protein mean?
What does 17 meat protein mean?

Verywell / Alexandra Shytsman

Skinless chicken and turkey are excellent sources of lean protein. A 3-ounce portion of chicken or turkey (about the size of the palm of your hand) provides about 26 grams of protein.

Lean poultry is an excellent protein source because it contains less fat and calories with a higher ratio of protein per serving compared to some other meats.

Recipes

Grams of protein per 100 grams of food:

  • Chicken breast: 32 grams
  • Turkey breast: 30.1 grams 
  • Chicken thigh: 24.8 grams
  • Chicken drumstick: 23.9 grams
  • Chicken wing: 30.5 grams

Beef

What does 17 meat protein mean?
What does 17 meat protein mean?

Verywell / Alexandra Shytsman

Most cuts of beef have around 7 grams of protein per ounce; however, the exact amount can vary depending on how much fat the cut contains.

Grams of protein per 100 grams of food:

  • Steak: 27.3 grams
  • Hamburger patty: 18 grams
  • Beef chuck pot roast: 34.6 grams
  • 85% lean ground beef: 25.9 grams
  • Deli-style roast beef: 18.6 grams

If you are looking to limit saturated fat consumption, you can trim visible fat from beef and buy lean or extra lean ground beef. The American Heart Association recommends consuming no more than 120 calories (13 grams) from saturated fat at a 2000-calorie-per-day diet.

How to Choose Low-Fat Meats

Fish

What does 17 meat protein mean?
What does 17 meat protein mean?

Verywell / Alexandra Shytsman

Fish and shellfish are a major source of protein around the world. When cooked, most types of fish have around 6 grams of protein per ounce. Cold-water, fatty fish like salmon, tuna, mackerel, and sardines also provide beneficial omega-3 fatty acids.

Grams of protein per 100 grams of food:

  • Tilapia: 26.2 grams
  • Tuna, canned in water: 23.6 grams
  • Sardines, canned in oil: 24.6 grams
  • Halibut: 22.5 grams
  • Salmon: 24.6 grams
  • Shrimp: 24 grams

If you're pregnant, plan to become pregnant, or are preparing meals for children, choose seafood with lower levels of mercury.

Pork

What does 17 meat protein mean?
What does 17 meat protein mean?

Verywell / Alexandra Shytsman

Pork has about the same protein content as beef and poultry. As with other types of meat, ask for lean cuts and remember that the way you cook and serve meat, as well as your portion size, all affect its nutritional value. For instance, whether you fry or grill it or add additional toppings like breading and sauces will impact overall calories and macronutrient content.

Grams of protein per 100 grams of food:

  • Pork loin or tenderloin: 26.2 grams
  • Pork chops: 24.7 grams
  • Ground pork: 25.7 grams
  • Ham: 16.6 grams
  • Canadian-style bacon: 20.3 grams 
  • Bacon: 13.7 grams  

Keep in mind that cured pork products like bacon and prosciutto and some deli meat can have high amounts of salt. Highly processed pork products like hot dogs can also have hidden sugar.

Eggs and Dairy

What does 17 meat protein mean?
What does 17 meat protein mean?

Verywell / Alexandra Shytsman

While they're typical breakfast favorites, eggs and dairy products can add protein to other meals, too. Whether you cook them up with the yolk or just the whites, eggs also offer more than protein: They're a good source of micronutrients like choline, selenium, and B-complex vitamins.

If you tolerate lactose, dairy products present versatile ways to add some protein to your diet—though they also add fat. If you're trying to keep your fat intake low, opt for dairy products made with low-fat or nonfat milk, or have smaller portions of the full-fat version.

Grams of protein per 100 grams of food:

  • Cottage cheese: 10.4 grams
  • Plain Greek Yogurt: 10 grams
  • Hard cheese, such as parmesan: 35.8 grams 
  • 2% low-fat milk: 3.5 grams
  • Swiss cheese: 27 grams
  • Egg : 12.6 grams
  • Mozzarella cheese: 23.7 grams

Which Milk Is Right for You?

Beans and Soy

What does 17 meat protein mean?
What does 17 meat protein mean?

Verywell / Alexandra Shytsman

Beans are a staple source of protein for vegan and vegetarian diets. Compared to animal protein sources, beans are lower in some essential amino acids. However, as long as you eat a variety of plant-based proteins, you are unlikely to become deficient.

You can get creative with tofu, a protein source derived from soy. For instance, whether you fry or grill it or add additional toppings like breading and sauces will impact overall calories and macronutrient content.

Grams of protein per 100 grams of food:

  • Soybeans: 13 grams
  • Tofu: 8 grams
  • Black beans: 21.6 grams
  • Lentils: 24.6 grams
  • Split peas: 23.1 grams 
  • Soy milk, unsweetened: 2.78 grams

Tofu is suitable for many dietary needs and preferences. It's low-carb, gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan.

Nuts and Seeds

What does 17 meat protein mean?
What does 17 meat protein mean?

Verywell / Alexandra Shytsman

As with beans, nuts and seeds are high in protein and can give a boost to vegan or vegetarian diets. Note that the amount needed to supply a protein equivalent is less for nuts and seeds than for beans.

In addition to protein, most nuts and seeds provide polyunsaturated fats, fiber, minerals (such as magnesium and calcium), and phytonutrients.

Grams of protein per 100 grams of food:

  • Flax seeds: 18.3 grams
  • Cashews: 15.3 grams
  • Pumpkin seeds: 29.8 grams
  • Sunflower seeds: 19.3 grams 
  • Almonds: 20.3 grams
  • Pecans: 8.9 grams 

Nuts and seeds are among the most versatile options for protein, as they can be eaten on their own or added to a meal. You can add nuts to your morning cereal or yogurt, sprinkle some seeds in a smoothie, or use both as non-meat protein sources for salads and stir-fries.

How to Make Low-Carb Trail Mix

Protein Powders

Protein powder can be made from plant and animal protein sources such as whey and casein (both found in milk), egg, soy, rice, hemp, and peas.The amount of protein and carbohydrate in different protein powder brands will vary depending on the source, so be sure to check the labels carefully.

Many protein powders are marketed to bodybuilders and athletes. Protein powders are not regulated, so they may contain toxins and/or additives. Look for a USP, NSF, or Consumer Labs seal to assure the ingredients in the product are safe and the label is accurate.

Animal-Based Protein Powder: Types and Benefits

A Word From Verywell

No matter what your favorite source of protein is, getting an adequate amount will help keep your body functioning optimally. Beans, nuts, and seeds are excellent sources of plant-based protein for those who choose to not eat meat or limit their intake of meat for ethical, environmental, or other personal reasons.

Which meat is highest in protein?

You may be surprised to hear that chicken breast has the most protein in it compared to all types of meat. It has an impressive 30.9g of protein per 100g/3.5 ounces.

What are the three types of protein in meat?

Meat proteins have three groups: myofibrillar proteins (50–55%, mostly myosin and actin), sarcoplasmic proteins (30–34%, mostly enzymes and myoglobin) and connective tissue (10–15%, mostly collagen and elastin fibres embedded in mucopolysaccharides).

How do you calculate protein in chicken?

A skinless, cooked chicken breast (172 grams) contains 54 grams of protein. This is equal to 31 grams of protein per 100 grams (3). A chicken breast also has 284 calories, or 165 calories per 100 grams. 80% of the calories comes from protein, while 20% comes from fat (3).

What's the leanest meat?

In general, chicken, turkey and fish are going to be your leanest meats. Smart shopping can make these choices even healthier. Chicken and turkey (poultry): The dark meat and skin are the fattiest portions, so try and stick with the breast.