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Shopping for Protein Items

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Most main dish recipes call for at least one high protein ingredient. Poultry is usually a safe bet so long as it is white meat and is skinless. Red meat and pork are lowest in calories when they contain little marbling, and are trimmed of any visible fat. Even pork tenderloin makes this list as it is surprisingly among one of the leanest meats available. Healthful eating also includes a good deal of protein from beans and legumes, naturally low in fat and calories.

Poultry

Fresh or frozen boneless, skinless chicken or turkey breast, ground white turkey or chicken, canned white-meat chicken.

Meat

Pork tenderloin, extra-lean ground beef, lean cuts of beef.

Fish

All varieties of fresh or frozen fish, canned tuna or salmon in water, fresh or frozen shrimp. Crab, lobster, scallops, and other shellfish are also generally low in calories, though most of us use these items on a no-so-regular basis.

Beans and Legumes

Canned or dried beans (black, kidney, garbanzo, red, pinto), dried lentils.

Eggs and Egg Substitute

Egg substitute, fresh whole eggs. Keep in mind that the egg yolk is the portion of the egg which contains the majority of the fat and calories. Use yolks sparingly, while allowing more generous use of protein-rich egg whites.

Nuts and Seeds

Unfortunately, nuts and seeds do contain a large amount of fat, thus they contain a large amount of calories. The fats contained in nuts are healthy ones, however, so you may choose to keep a small supply of peanut butter, nuts, and seeds on hand for moderate use. A small sprinkling of nuts, or a small amount of peanut butter can do wonders to boost the flavor of a low calorie dish.

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