What are the best sources of protein for performance and health?

What are the best common meat, poultry and fish proteins to eat for performance and health?  This is a question many of us have asked ourselves.  It is difficult to choose between meats in order to get the best bang for our buck.  It is also difficult to decide which protein sources will be less likely to cause a detriment to our health from high levels of mercury, saturated fat, and cholesterol.

Everyone loves Meat Loaf  sorry to say not a good option!

I decided to do some research and determine which food sources are the best choices for health and performance.  In terms of health we want to consume limited amounts of cholesterol and mercury.  

A 3 oz cut of Top Round has 31 g of protein and top sirloin has 26 g of protein.  They are classified as extra lean with less than 5 g of total fat and less than 2 g of saturated fat.  Top round yields approximately 169 total calories.  Top sirloin yields approximately 125 total calories. Top round yields 77 mg of cholesterol which is 26% of the RDI for a 2000 calorie diet.  Top sirloin yields 43 mg of cholesterol which is only 14% of the daily cholesterol.  Each has little sodium with top round at 38 mg (2%) and top sirloin at 56 mg(3%). 

Winner?  Top sirloin!  There are fewer calories despite a slight advantage going to top sirloin with more protein.  However, the low sodium nature of both choices makes them healthier but the top sirloin comes in at nearly half of the cholesterol.  Eating grass fed beef is also the best choice.  Grass fed cows have a better profile of anti-inflammatory/antioxidant omega 3 fatty acids.  The omega 3 ALA is found abundantly in the cell walls of green plants.  Grains are high in the pro-inflammatory omega 6 and 9’s.  Grain fed animals will also have a higher ratio of mega 6 and 9’s and therefore will promote more inflammation inside our bodies.

Poultry? 

A 3 0z Chicken breast has 27 g of protein and is classified as extra lean with less than 5 g of total fat and less than 2 g of saturated fat.  Chicken breast yields approximately 132 total calories.  Chicken breast yields 72 mg of cholesterol which is 24% of the RDI for a 2000 calorie diet and has little sodium at 21 mg (1%).  Chicken breast also contains < 1 g of saturated fat per 3 oz.

Chicken is also a winner!  It is high in quality protein

A 3 0z serving of Turkey Breast has 15 g of protein, contains 1 g of total fat and saturated fat yielding 132 total calories.  Turkey Breast yields 36 mg of cholesterol which is 12% of the RDI for a 2000 calorie diet.  Turkey Breast has little sodium at 852 mg (36%). 

Free range chicken breast is preferred as well.  You can't trust what they do in those big plants!

Fish ?

First of all to avoid Mercury poisoning avoid the larger fish.  These fish live longer and tend to build up larger amounts of mercury.  Avoid marlin, orange roughy, shark, swordfish, tile fish, bluefish, grouper, sea bass and Ahi, albacore and yellowfin tuna.  Fish and seafood low in Mercury are anchovies, clams, crab, scallops, haddock, herring, mackerel, Pollock, salmon, shrimp, bass, halibut, cod and lobster.  Bass halibut and cod, and lobster are a little on the high end and should be consumed less than twice per week.

Coldwater fish are the best choice for providing higher levels of Omega 3 fatty acids, DHA and EPA.  EPA and DHA are derived from ALA which was mentioned previously.  Larger, older fish tend to consume other fish and therefore have higher levels of Mercury.  Smaller fish tend to feed off of algae.  The cells walls of algae also contain high levels of the omega 3 ALA, similar to grass. 

A 3 0z serving of Salmon has 19 grams of protein, contains 10 g of total fat and 2 g saturated fat yielding 132 total calories.  Salmon yields 54 mg of cholesterol which is 18% of the RDI for a 2000 calorie diet.  Salmon has little sodium at 52 mg (3%). 

A 3 0z serving of Mackerel has 19 grams of protein, contains 12 g of total fat and 3 g saturated fat yielding 174 total calories.  Mackerel yields 59 mg of cholesterol which is 20% of the RDI for a 2000 calorie diet.  Mackerel has little sodium at 77 mg (4%). 

A 3 0z serving of Cod has 15 grams of protein, contains 1 g of total fat and 0 g saturated fat yielding 70 total calories.  Cod yields 31 mg of cholesterol which is 10% of the RDI for a 2000 calorie diet.  Cod has little sodium at 60 mg (3%). 

A 3 0z serving of Halibut has 23 grams of protein, contains 2 g of total fat and 0 g saturated fat yielding 119 total calories.  Halibut yields 35 mg of cholesterol which is 12% of the RDI for a 2000 calorie diet.  Halibut has little sodium at 59 mg (3%). 

A 3 0z serving of Shrimp has 18 grams of protein, contains 1 g of total fat and 0 g saturated fat yielding 84 total calories. Shrimp yields 166 mg of cholesterol which is 55% of the RDI for a 2000 calorie diet.  Shrimp has little sodium at 190 mg (8%). 

A 3 0z serving of Scallops has 18 grams of protein, contains <1 g of total fat and 0 g saturated fat yielding 63 total calories.  Scallops yield 15 mg of cholesterol which is 5% of the RDI for a 2000 calorie diet.  Scallops have little sodium at 74 mg (4%). 

A 3 0z serving of Eggs( about 1.5  large whole eggs) has 12 grams of protein, contains 9 g of total fat and3 g saturated fat yielding 120 total calories.  Eggs yield 118 mg of cholesterol which is 39% of the RDI for a 2000 calorie diet.  Eggs have little sodium at 39 mg (2%). 

3 oz of hydrolyzed whey protein contains 340 calories 80 g of protein, 2.65 g of fat, 1.3 g of sat fat and 5 g of sugar.   Hyrdolyzed whey protein contains 340 mg of sodium which is 14% of our recommended daily allowance and 0 mg of cholesterol. 

Chicken breast is the cheapest at about 20 cents per ounce.  Top sirloin steak is second ranging between 30-40 cents per ounce.  The seafood selections are much more expensive ranging from approximately 50 cents to over a dollar per pound for certain selections. 

When considering fish, you must consider the price.  You might just get what you pay for however with Scallops, Halibut, and Cod.  These types of fish are all healthy selections when considering mercury, total fat, Omega 3’s and low calories.   They also provide plenty of fuel for athletic performance with large amounts of quality protein.  

If you are frugal and don’t mind a little extra fat, cholesterol and calories, chicken breast and top sirloin are also great choices. 

For those who are looking for the best post-workout fast acting protein source look no further than hydrolyzed whey protein.  3 oz(Conversion: 1 oz = approximately 28-29 g) of hydrolyzed whey protein contains 340 calories, 80 g of protein, 2.65 g of fat, 1.3 g of sat fat and 5 g of sugar.   Hyrdolyzed whey protein contains 340 mg of sodium which is 14% of our recommended daily allowance and 0 mg of cholesterol.  Nearly 1 oz is effective at supplying us with our recommended amounts of protein following a workout even for a larger male.  The male body can utilize approximately 14-30 g of protein every 3-4 hours. The female body can utilize approximately 7-21 g of protein within the same time span. 


Caution whey protein has a strong effect on the pancreas and insulin secretion.  Be sure to only consume whey protein after exercise or physical activity.  When in combination with fast digesting carbohydrates the pancreas secretes even more insulin.  This can be a great tool to use following workouts to push fuel into the muscles when insulin sensitivity of the muscles is high.  

Remember these selections were all 3 oz measurements.   Most of these choices are however consumed in larger quantities.  When choosing the portions of your food try to be sure you are not going over you daily recommended calories.   If you would like to estimate how many calories should be eaten each day go to http://www.health-calc.com/diet/energy-expenditure-advanced.  20-30% of our daily total calories should come from protein sources.  It should be on the higher end if you are trying to get leaner and more muscular. 

Hope this is helpful.  I know it was for me!