12 Foods That are Surprisingly High in Protein

Beef, pork, chicken, eggs, milk — these are the things that everybody would mention without hesitation if asked to come up with a list of foods that contain good amounts of protein.

However, eating them on a daily basis just to make sure that your body is supplied with enough of the muscle-building nutrient can get easily boring, not to mention unhealthy, too, because of their saturated fat and cholesterol.

Did you know that there are so many other food sources of protein aside from the ones mentioned earlier? Adding them to your diet helps ensure that you get all the protein you need per day.

Whether you are a vegetarian or you just want to reduce the amount of saturated fat and cholesterol you are consuming, you can get good amounts of protein from the following:

1. Edamame

One of the most popular ingredients in Japanese cooking is edamame. It doesn’t come as a big surprise because just a cup of cooked edamame is enough for you to obtain approximately 22 grams of protein!

2. Green Peas

A cup of green peas pack more protein than a large egg, but they have negligible amount of fat and zero cholesterol. It can be hard to come across fresh green peas, but experts say that it’s fine for you to go for frozen ones.

3. Quinoa

If you are not fond of green peas, don’t worry because a cup of quinoa yields as much protein as a cup of green peas. As a bonus, quinoa also supplies your body with fiber, iron and magnesium.

4. Pumpkin Seeds

What’s so nice about pumpkin seeds is you don’t need to eat lots of them just for you to obtain high amounts of protein. Just 1/4 cup of these seeds is enough for you to enjoy as much as 9 grams of protein.

5. Hemp Seeds

Not happy with the amount of protein you can obtain from a 1/4-cup serving of pumpkin seeds? Then opt for hemp seeds ­— the same amount of serving lets you have a whopping dose of protein amounting to almost 13 grams!

6. Sweet Potatoes

Nutritionists say that the amount of protein that you can get from a cup of cubed sweet potatoes is the same amount of protein you can obtain from a cup of low-fat milk.

7. Oats

Want to know why oats are regarded as the perfect breakfast? Well, one of the few reasons for such is the fact that just 1/2 cup of oats yields as much as 13 grams of protein.

8. Whole-Wheat Pasta

If you think all whole-wheat pasta offers nothing but fiber and carbohydrates, thing again. One of the many nutrients that can be found in a cup of it is protein, and it amounts to 7.5 grams.

9. Spinach

It’s true that spinach can make you strong like Popeye. That’s because you can have your body supplied with as much as 5 grams of protein just by adding 1 cup of cooked spinach to your diet.

10. Brussels Sprouts

Are you one of those who simply cannot stand Brussels sprouts? If your goal is to ensure that your muscles are getting good amounts of protein, stop hating them — you can get 3.5 grams of protein in a 1/2-cup serving of them.

11. Artichoke Hearts

Don’t steer clear of artichoke hearts because you dislike all the trimming and peeling. Opting for canned artichoke hearts lets you save time and energy, and also allows you to obtain up to 4 grams of protein per cup.

12. Sundried Tomatoes

They may not look the part, but sundried tomatoes are phenomenal sources of muscle-building protein. According to nutritionists, there are roughly 8 grams of protein in every cup of sundried tomatoes.

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