What's Better Protein?

■Fish:
Fish provides omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which promote cardiovascular health.

■Chicken:
A wonderful source of protein.

■Meat:
Provided it’s a lean cut—that’s the key distinction. Red meat gets a bad rap, some of which is deserved since the heavily marbled meats are more tender and often have more flavor. But lean red meat is a tremendous source of important nutrients such as iron and phosphorous.

■Pork, the so-called “other white meat,” also gets a bad rap, but if you ask your butcher for a lean cut with little marbling, you’ll have a tasty and nutritious protein.

When choosing a protein, consider quality. Proteins can be divided into two categories:
Complete and Incomplete.

1.Complete proteins contain the appropriate amounts of all essential amino acids (amino acids the body cannot produce). Included in this category are animal/soy proteins.
2.Incomplete proteins lack the appropriate amount of one or more essential amino acids. Included in this category are plant proteins (excluding soy).
Generally speaking, complete proteins are of better quality than incomplete proteins. But you can also create complementary proteins to form a complete protein to ensure that your body gets all the amino acids it needs. Examples:

■Grains and legumes (ex. rice and beans)
■Grains and dairy (ex. oatmeal and milk)
■Nuts/seeds and legumes (ex. hummus, chickpeas and sesame seeds)