List of 27 Protein Foods To Add Your Diet For Better Result

There are several protein foods for bodybuilding, but if you are vegan, then you can face some kind of problems.

Non-vegetarian protein sources are cheap, but vegan protein sources are more expensive than non-vegetarian ones.

For example, you can eat chicken, eggs, soy, whey protein, milk, curd, nuts, fish, salmon, beef, etc.

These foods can be included in your diet, but these are not the only ones that are the last; you can add more foods. Further, you can eat homemade foods also.

Moreover, that food is not high in fat and carbs but high in protein. When you eat high carbs and low-protein meals, you can not build muscle and lose fat.

You can gain only bad fat around your stomach. On the other hand, if you can maintain macros in your food, you can achieve your fitness goal.

Macro means you should eat the proper amount of protein, carbohydrates, fats, etc. Then, your body will grow and give you fast results.

For example, when you are on a fat loss program, you must eat high-protein foods and low-carbs and fats.

On the contrary, when you are on a weight-gain program, you should eat high-protein foods, high-complex carbs, and some fats. Then, you can easily gain weight.

List of 27 Protein Foods

1. Chicken:

Chicken is a high-protein food that can be used for muscle gain and fat loss. A 3-ounce serving contains 30 grams of high-quality protein.

On the other hand, they contain vitamins B and B6, which are good for our bodies. When we do physical workouts, our body uses these vitamins for better performance.

So you must add chicken breast because it contains only high-quality protein. On the other hand, if we are using legs and breasts, then we can not get lean protein.

Legs contain a high amount of fat, which is not good for our bodies. On the other hand, you can add chicken breast to lunch and dinner, but make sure you divide it into two meals.

2. Fish:

Fish is a good source of protein. And you can add fish two times a week.

If you are eating other protein sources, then take it in a low amount. It contains vitamins D, A, B6, and B12, potassium, magnesium, 20 grams of protein, and 10 grams of fat.

Here, I am talking about mackerel. On the other hand, if you don't have these types of fish near you, then you can take any fish, but that fish is high in protein.

So, add fish 2-3 times a week if you are a serious lifter; otherwise, you can take it once a week.

3. Eggs:

Eggs are a very common protein source. They contain high protein, vitamins, low carbohydrates, low sodium, and more.

On the other hand, you must eat eggs when they are cooked properly because uncooked eggs have little biological value.

Many people eat eggs raw because they think they get high protein, but they are wrong. Our body is not able to digest raw eggs, so do not eat raw eggs.

On the other hand, you should never eat eggs at one time, like 10 eggs in the morning. That is not good. But here, you can divide 10 eggs three times, and then your body utilizes all the protein.

4. Soya:

Soya is the best source of protein. It has 25 grams of protein, low fat, linolic acid, etc.

On the other hand, you can not take 30 grams or 40 grams of protein from soy because an excess of soya increases estrogen levels in your body.

Further, it increases your man's boobs. So do not eat it in high amounts. On the other hand, if you are female, then you can take it, but do not overeat. Because sometimes high estrogen causes health problems.

Moreover, you can use soya chunks, which do not take a lot of time to cook and are a cheap source of protein.

5. Milk:

Milk is good for our health because it is high in protein, vitamins, and calcium. For example, 100 grams of milk contain 7 grams of protein, 2mg of fat, sodium, etc.

On the other hand, high-fat milk also increases the value of protein. Further, high-fat milk can cause many health problems.

For example, if you are a heart patient, then you are using high-fat milk, then it increases your cholesterol level. So you are increasing heart diseases as well.

So use only low-fat milk that is good for you. However, if you are young, you can take any kind of milk, but not in excess.

6. Curd:

Curd contains 4 grams of protein, 3.5 carbs, vitamin A, calcium, and other nutrients. If you use homemade curd, you get all these benefits.

On the other hand, if you want to lose weight, you can use it. But you must avoid carbs when eating curd.

On the other hand, if you want to gain weight, you can eat curd with potatoes after your workout. Further, your workout must be high-intensity. If you are not doing a proper workout, you can gain fat.

Moreover, curd strengthens our bones and improves our digestion.

7. Brown Bread:

Brown bread is high in protein, carbohydrates, and fiber. It is a good source of complex carbohydrates.

Further, brown bread is low in fat, cholesterol, sodium, sugar, and other nutrients. You may add it to your diet once you begin to lose weight.

Brown bread fills our stomachs and stops our cravings for food because it contains high fiber. This fiber helps our body digest. Brown bread has no side effects, so you can easily replace your bad carbs with it.

No matter what is your fitness goal. It helps in every situation.

8. Multigrain Bread:

Multigrain is high in fiber and contains sodium, protein, etc. Further, it is also a good source of fiber and protein. You can add it to your diet.

On the other hand, when you add it to your diet, your body digests everything you eat.

Moreover, when you are filling up fiber, you can lose weight easily, but you should not eat a high amount because it causes many health problems or stomach problems.

When eating brown bread, do not eat multigrain because it increases fiber in your body.

9. Lentils:

If you add soaked lentils, you get 18 grams of protein, 35 grams of carbohydrates, 16 grams of fiber, 1 gram of fat, and 18% of the RDI of vitamin B6 in 100 grams of serving.

On the other hand, if you have kidney problems, you should avoid lentils. Further, you must divide 100 grams into four servings.

For example, if you eat 5-6 meals a day, you can add it to four meals. Here, you get high-quality carbs.

On the contrary, when you take 100 grams at one time, your body does not use extra protein, but that protein will be wasted. This principle applies to every food, including eggs, chickens, and anything that contains high protein.

10. Kidney Beans:

Kidney beans contain 9 grams of protein, 5 grams of fat, 22 grams of carbohydrates, 9 grams of fiber, and 67% water.

Moreover, if you eat kidney beans after they are cooked, they are good for your health and help build muscles. Further, if you eat soaked kidney beans, they are hard to digest and have a bad impact on your kidneys.

On the other hand, if your kidneys are not able to handle hard things, then you should take them once a week.

On the other side, it contains an insoluble fiber that causes diarrhea in some people.

11. Dry Fruits:

Dry fruits contain healthy fats. For example, 100 grams of almonds provides 20 grams of protein, 40 grams of healthy fat, iron, and 10 grams of fiber.

Cashews contain 18 grams of protein, 42 grams of fat, 3.5 grams of fiber, and high iron.

Walnuts contain 15 grams of protein, 60 grams of fat, 7 grams of fiber, calcium, and iron.

You can add these dry fruits for good fat and protein, but make sure you maintain your fat intake.

If you are taking another source of fat, then decrease the number of dry fruits.

12. Whey Protein:

It is the best way to increase your protein intake. You can use any brand no matter what brand you are using, but that product will be authenticated.

One scoop contains 24-25 grams of protein, some of which contains 5 grams of BCAA.

On the other hand, if you are a beginner, you can use only two scoops of whey protein in a day. If you are at the advanced level, you can go for three scoops.

One scoop before your workout, but most people take a second scoop after their workout. Here, you skip that scoop and add some eggs, lentils, apples, bananas, etc, because a whey protein scoop takes 3-4 hours for digestion.

After 3 hours, you can take your second scoop of protein, which is good for you.

Moreover, I suggest you take high protein from your diet, which is more beneficial for your body.

13. Casin:

Casin is also a protein, but it is slow-releasing. Further, you can not take it after your workout, but you can add it to your bedtime routine.

On the other hand, if you are a beginner, do not waste your money because your body does require it.

Moreover, if you are a professional, you can use it because your body needs rapid recovery. On the other hand, casin protein takes 6-7 hours to digest.

When you start any supplement, increase your water intake for better digestion. Further, you can use egg whites instead of casin because eggs are also slow-releasing protein sources.

14. Peanut Butter:

Another excellent source of protein is peanut butter. But most of the brands contain oil in them that is not good for you.

On the other hand, when you buy peanut butter, you must check its ingredients. If it is made with 90% roasted peanuts, you can buy it.

On the other hand, if they are not made with roasted peanuts, you should not buy them because they are not good for your health.

Another thing is that if peanut butter contains any sugar content, do not buy it.

Here Are More Protein Foods

15. Oats:

A good source of complex carbohydrates is oats, protein, and fiber. On the other hand, if you want to gain weight, you must add oats to your diet.

On the contrary, when you lose belly fat, you can add oats to your diet because they give you energy. Further, you can replace your bad carbs with complex carbs.

If you take oats with warm water, you will not gain weight but will maintain your body weight. You should never use refined sugar with oats, but you can use honey.

16. Salmon:

Salmon is a common fish food high in protein and omega-3 fatty acids. When we eat 100 grams of salmon, we get 20 grams of protein and 13 grams of fat.

On the other hand, it provides many health benefits, such as a healthy heart, improved brain function, anti-inflammatory properties, and support for aging.

Moreover, when you start eating it, it promotes a hormone that controls appetite, and you feel full.

On the contrary, you can gain weight with salmon because it contains high protein and fat, but you should be in a calorie deficit here.

17. Beef:

Beef is red meat that contains 26 grams of protein and 12 grams of fat. On the other hand, you do not eat beef in large amounts.

Beef is not good for our health. It increases cholesterol levels in our body, which can lead to many heart diseases.

Further, it has many health benefits, such as increasing iron in our body, providing L-carnitine, providing antioxidants, and being rich in vitamins.

So, if you are gaining weight, you can add beef to your diet, but when cutting, you must use only lean protein, like chicken breast.

18. Tofu:

Tofu contains 8 grams of protein, 2 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 3 grams of Manganese (31%), 20 grams of calcium, 14 grams of Selenium, and 14 grams of Phosphorus, etc.

It contains soy, so you must take it in a low amount. If you can take it in a high amount, then your body increases the amount of estrogen, a female hormone.

On the other hand, if you are eating tofu regularly, then you have a low chance of stroke and heart disease. So eat tofu but take it in a limited amount, and then you can not face any health issues.

19. Paneer:

If you are vegetarian, you can add panner to your diet. It is a good source of protein (20 grams), calcium (400 mg), vitamin A (200 mg), etc.

When you start eating paneer, you can enjoy many health benefits, such as muscle building, cancer prevention, joint pain reduction, strong bones, stroke prevention, and an improved immune system.

On the other hand, you should not eat paneer after your workout because paneer slows your digestion because of the fat contained in it. Moreover, you can use paneer in the fat loss program.

On the other hand, you can eat paneer before bedtime because it provides nutrition throughout the night while you are sleeping.

20. Broccoli:

Broccoli is full of protein, carbohydrates, fiber, fat, water, etc. Further, it is expensive food, but if you are capable of eating it, you can add it to your diet.

On the other hand, if you are shredding body fat, you must add this amazing food to your diet because it helps flush retained water held by your body.

Moreover, you can add broccoli to each meal if possible. Broccoli has many health benefits, such as reducing cholesterol levels, being good for hair, fighting cancer, increasing immunity, and strengthening bones.

So you must add it to your diet at least two times a week.

21. Plant-Based Protein:

Plant-based protein based on plants. This protein contains tofu, seeds, soy, nuts, grains, pulses, etc.

Moreover, pluses are a larger group of plants, including chickpeas, lentils, beans, split peas, etc.

Further, one cup of Quinoa provides 8 grams of high-quality protein. On the other hand, one cup of cooked beans or rice provides 12 grams of protein.

Plant-based protein is good for health, is high in fiber, and helps with weight loss, so you can add this protein source to your diet.

Anyone can take this protein, but if you have any health issues or organ problems, consult with your doctor before starting.

22. Greek Yogurt:

Greek Yogurt contains 3.5 grams of protein, Carbs 4.5 grams, and 4 grams of sugar. On the other hand, it boosts metabolism and allows you to burn more calories.

Further, lactic acid in Greek yogurt promotes healthy skin and minimizes aging symptoms, making your skin bright.

Moreover, it contains an ingredient that increases blood flow to the scalp, helping to increase hair growth. However, it is very expensive. If you cannot buy this, you can use homemade curd.

23. Shrimp:

Shrimps contain 20 grams of protein, 48% selenium, 21% vitamin B12, 15% iron, 12% phosphorus, 11% niacin, 9% zinc, etc.

Further, it contains antioxidants that are good for our health. It also reduces wrinkles and sun damage.

It is also a good source of lean protein and many vitamins. Further, both are good for our health when compared with chicken breast.

Shrimps are high in cholesterol, which is not good for our hearts, so we should limit our intake. However, if we eat them twice a week, we can manage our cholesterol levels.

24. Peanuts:

In 100 grams of serving, peanuts contain 20 grams of carbohydrates, 25 grams of protein, 9 grams of fiber, and 40 grams of fat.

You can add it to your shake, which is good for weight gain. It has many health benefits, like reducing cholesterol and keeping your heart healthy.

On the other hand, it stops small blood clots and keeps away from heart attack, stroke, etc. So you add, take roasted peanuts only and do not use salted peanuts that are not good for you.

Because they have high sodium values, they also gain unhealthy weight.

25. Chickpeas:

Chickpeas are high in protein, 20 grams, 60 grams of carbohydrates, and Fat 6 grams.

Moreover, it is a good source of carbs, and you can replace your bad carbs with good carbs.

It has vitamins A and C, iron, B-6, calcium, etc. Further, it is high in iron, which is good for energy, focus, etc., in our body.

On the other hand, you can add boiled chickpeas to any food, which increases the protein value of that particular meal.

You can use chickpeas for weight loss because fiber keeps you fuller for longer.

26. Pork:

Pork contains only protein and fat. If you eat 100 grams of serving, you get 26 grams of protein and 20 grams of fat.

On the other hand, if you face any fractures in your body, then start eating pork that gives you a fast recovery.

Moreover, you do not eat it in high amounts because you have many pimples on your body. And you can eat it twice a week.

However, red meat is not good for our health if we eat it in large amounts. So, for the best results, we must eat red meat in a limited amount.

27. Brown Rice:

Brown rice is a good source of magnesium, iron, vitamin A, calcium, and protein. When you start eating brown rice, you can see many health benefits.

For example, diabetes control, good heart health, improved digestion, control of cholesterol levels, and a boost of the nervous system.

On the other hand, eating simple white rice spikes blood sugar, but brown rice does not.

White rice digests quickly, which is why you gain unhealthy weight. On the other hand, brown rice does not digest quickly; it takes time, and you do not gain weight.

Conclusion

So these are 27 protein foods for bodybuilding. You can add any food to your diet.

But it depends on your goal, such as losing fat or gaining weight. I suggest you use only lean protein sources, no matter which goal you are following.

On the other hand, when you eat high-protein foods, you need to focus on carbs and fiber. If you do not maintain a macro ratio, you can not reap the full benefits.

If you have any questions or queries, feel free to contact us.