Eating protein in some form is a must for maintaining good health. According to many health practitioners, it all depends on one’s body type and metabolic makeup. What is food for one person, sometimes turns into poison for someone else. 

That being said, let’s examine what are some of the best kinds of proteins, their respective values and some possible exceptions.

1. Fish: Fish is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids that help promote heart health and stabilize moods, wild salmon and wild tuna are the best choices in fish. A 3-ounce serving of salmon scores you 17 grams of protein containing 6.5 grams of unsaturated fatty acids. Tuna becomes a virtual protein powerhouse, with 25 grams of protein found in 3 ounces of fish.

2. Low-fat Greek yogurt: Containing 17 grams of protein per serving, be certain to either get plain yogurt or make allowances for any sugar if the yogurt contains fruit.

3. Cheese:  It is truly one of the best sources of protein on the planet.

4. Eggs: According to one well-known nutritionist, eggs rank the highest in terms of their “biological value.” The biological value being the proportion of protein that helps maintain one’s protein and tissue needs in the body. According to the British Journal of Medicine, you can safely eat an egg every day without increasing your risk for heart disease or stroke. Once maligned by many in the medical establishment and the food industry, the noble but powerful little egg, along with cheese, are making a comeback in health circles.

5. Nuts: They are rich in healthy unsaturated fatty acids, people who daily consume a handful of nuts are 20 percent less likely to die from disease than those who don’t eat nuts, according to a 2013 New England Journal of Medicine publication.

6. White Meat Poultry Depending on the culture in which it is eaten, breast meat is considered to be white meat as opposed to chicken and turkey legs that are considered darker. However, white meat is typically classified as poultry and red meat usually refers to beef, pork and lamb–however, some cultures don’t make a distinction between darker or lighter colored meats.The difference really lies in the fat contents of the two kinds of meat. Not as high of fat as red meats, the amount of protein is also less in white meats. In contrast, dark meat it is more rich in iron, zinc and the B vitamins–as well as high in fat content. This is one possible explaination for vegetarians and vegans often being so deficient in the B vitamins.

7. Lean Beef The culinary name for meat cut from bovines, including bison, beef can also be harvested from moose, deer and other warm-blooded mammals. To qualify as lean, beef needs to be less than 10 grams total fat; and 4.5 grams of saturated fat. One of the most naturally nutrient-rich foods on the planet, lean beef provides over 10 essential nutrients that include protein, zinc and and a full complement of the B vitamins.

8. Low-fat Milk Providing less fat than whole milk or 2 percent milk, its low-fat content still manages to provide all the nutrients needed for a healthy body.Having 8.5 grams of protein to each 8 ounces of milk,low-fat milk is also known to have a high-quality protein. It is also rich in vitamin B, vitamin A, vitamin D and vitamin C. Also heavy in major
essential trace minerals, low-fat milk also has generous amounts of calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, zinc, copper, manganese and selenium.

9. Lean pork Relatively low in fat, pork is nevertheless not as low-fat as poultry or fish. When speaking of lean pork, we mean the freshly cut variety such as the lean cuts: tenderloin, loin chops and sirloin roast. Especially high in protein contents, lean cuts especially have thiamine, niacin, B6 vitamins and B12 vitamins than other types of meat.