- Are you trying to fit more protein into your diet?
Maybe you're board of eating the same type of protein
week in week out.
So in this video,
I'm going to be sharing my top nine sources of protein
for a ketogenic diet.
Saving, as always, the best until last.
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Hey, Carb Dodgers. I'm Dr Dan Maggs.
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which is all about achieving lasting weight loss
through low carb, real food nutrition.
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Now protein is an essential part of our diet.
It's needed for building and maintaining muscle,
for bone strength,
and for an endless number of other bodily functions.
But what makes a good protein source
on a low carb or ketogenic diet?
Well, there are five things that we need to consider.
Number one is low in carbohydrate.
It's pretty obvious, isn't it?
We're talking about a low carb ketogenic way of eating,
so our protein source must be low in carbohydrates.
Number two, proteins should be complete.
What do you mean complete, Dr. Dan?
Well, a complete protein contains
all nine essential amino acids.
Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins
and different combinations make up different proteins.
There are 20 different amino acids that our bodies need,
and nine of these are what we call essential.
And essential means that we need to eat them
as we cannot make them.
The other non-essential amino acids
can be made from the nine essential ones.
And complete proteins are foods
which contain all of these essential amino acids.
If we don't eat the full range of these amino acids
in sufficient quantities,
then we can become protein deficient.
And this will have poor health consequences
over the longer term.
For example, fatigue, weakness, muscle loss,
depression, and anxiety, and insomnia to name just a few.
Complete proteins are almost entirely sourced
from animal products,
with a few exceptions which we'll talk about later.
Vegan and vegetarian diets
can obtain sufficient amounts of all essential amino acids,
but you need to pay particular attention
to eating a variety of foods to achieve this.
However, this is where we start to run into problems,
because many of these proteins,
such as whole grains and legumes are high in carbs
and are not ideal for a low carbohydrate or ketogenic diet.
Number three, protein should be bioavailable.
Bioavailable means we need to be able to absorb it
through the gut.
There is no point in eating a food
with a lot of protein in it
if your body cannot absorb and use it.
And there are different scoring systems and tables
that you can go and look different foods up,
but basically, we want to eat proteins
that have the highest bioavailability scores.
Number four, proteins should be nutrient dense.
Nutrient dense food sources
give us the most vitamins and minerals
for the least amount of calorific energy.
So whilst today, we are focusing on protein,
we're always trying to pack in as many of the nutrients
along the way.
And number five,
proteins don't necessarily need to be high in fat.
And whilst the ketogenic diet allows us
to consume natural fats fairly freely,
you might expect that I'm only going to be listing
high-fat proteins here,
but there are loads of other ways
to add healthy fats into your diet
and I made a video all about this recently,
which you can check out by clicking up here.
Right, it's time for the list.
In reverse order, saving the best until the end.
At number nine is nuts.
Nuts contain moderate amounts of protein
and are not complete proteins,
but really make the list
because of their fantastic nutrient density.
They can be great to supplement other sources of protein
in your diet and are packed full of omega-3 fatty acids,
vitamin E, vitamin B vitamins,
calcium, magnesium, potassium,
and of course, fiber.
Now, nuts vary in their carbohydrate content,
so you want to be opting for the lowest
and eat with the skin on
to preserve their antioxidant properties.
Almonds, walnuts, Brazil nuts,
hazelnuts, pecan nuts, and macadamia nuts
are all great options here.
Number eight is seeds.
Like nuts, these are powerhouses of nutrition,
but they sit slightly higher on the list
because in terms of lower carb options,
they have more protein gram for gram.
They're still an incomplete protein,
so need to be used to supplement other protein sources.
So why not try adding some to your salads
or having some as a snack.
Hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower,
sesame and flax seeds are all great choices.
If you want to go a bit deeper on the nuts and seeds,
I actually made a video a while back all about that too,
which again, is linked up here.
Number seven, somewhat controversially, is soy.
Soy makes the list
because in terms of plant-based sources of protein,
it's actually really low in carbohydrates,
it's a complete protein and has excellent bioavailability.
It's the most widely used vegetable source of protein
in the world because of this.
And if you're a vegan or vegetarian,
this can be a good source of protein for you to consume.
So why is it not higher on the list
if it is a complete protein
and it has excellent bioavailability?
Well, there are a few problems with soy.
Soy is generally a heavily processed crop
and it's this processing
that destroys a lot of its natural goodness.
Now, soy has been enjoyed for hundreds,
probably thousands of years, particularly across Asia.
However,
these foods are a far cry from the soy-based products
that are commonly available today.
Traditional soy products are minimally processed,
usually slowly fermented to reduce the natural toxins
that are present in the beans.
Commonly, soy is also a genetically modified crop,
which needs heavy pesticide use.
And there are other significant
environmental concerns around soy.
As demand for soy products has increased
over the last 50 years or so,
huge areas of land have been converted into soy plantations,
causing wide-scale deforestation
and other devastating knock-on effects.
The Amazon rainforest being of particular concern.
And it's this environmental impact
that is our biggest concern regarding soy.
So, is soy all bad?
Well, if you choose carefully,
you can enjoy soy based foods
as an alternative to, or as a supplement to meat.
And this will provide you with a good source of protein.
So if you wish to enjoy soy,
I'd strongly recommend you try to find sustainable,
certified products to protect the environment,
choose organic whole food varieties where possible
to minimize the chemical treatment
and processing of the beans,
choose things like fermented real soy sauce, miso or tempeh.
Number six is eggs.
And we do love our eggs here at Carb Dodging.
They are a super food nutritional powerhouse
with almost zero carbohydrates in them.
The egg whites contain most of the protein,
but we definitely encourage you to eat a whole egg
to get all of those extra nutrients
that are contained in the yolk.
Choose wisely though,
as eggs are only as good
as the food that the hens have been fed.
And I think this is a start of a recurring theme
that we'll see throughout the animal sources of proteins.
And we definitely encourage you to buy
the best you can afford
when it comes to the quality of your food,
particularly when it comes to animal products.
Number five is dairy products.
Dairy can be a great source of protein
that can just about be incorporated into any meal.
Cheese is, of course, a great source of protein;
low in carbohydrate
and packed with lots of other vitamins and minerals.
Choose carefully if you need to watch your weight
as the fat content can be a little too high for some,
particularly because cheese can be a bit of a trigger food
for some people, making it very easy to over consume.
Cottage cheese, however,
comes with the highest amount of protein
and the lowest fat content,
so maybe a good alternative choice there.
Yogurt is another great source of protein
that is low in carbs and full of other nutritional benefits.
But how confusing is the yogurt fridge in the supermarket?
Most commercially available yogurts
are unfortunately full of added sugars and flavorings
and are not so healthy.
The best option for our low carb or ketogenic diet
is a full fat Greek yogurt,
or perhaps some of the newer brands
of higher protein yogurt.
Quark is the new kid on the block I've seen
and contains a massive 14 grams
per hundred grams of protein,
and only 3.3 grams of carbohydrates,
but is this yogurt or actually cheese?
I've tasted it,
and it tastes kind of like a cross
between blended cottage cheese and yogurt.
I'm guessing it could be quite versatile.
Let me know if you've tried it,
let me know if you like it,
let me know what you've done with it.
I just want to mention whey protein,
'cause whey protein is basically a waste product
from the cheese and yogurt production process.
You may have seen the liquid that floats on top of a yogurt.
That is whey.
And it's a complete protein as it is absorbed super easily.
As a powder supplement, however, it really is just protein.
It contains no additional nutritional benefits.
And a lot of protein powders have added sugars
to enhance the flavor.
So if you do use it,
be careful to read the label
and choose one that is very low in sugar.
We don't recommend this as a meal replacement,
but it can be used as a means to consume additional protein,
especially if you do a lot of exercise,
particularly if you're doing a lot of strength training.
Number four is poultry.
Not only is poultry a great source of protein,
but it is plentiful in B-vitamins, iron, zinc,
copper and selenium.
Chicken is the most popular source of poultry
with breast meat having the highest protein content.
But for many, it is the least flavorful.
Chicken thighs are great keto option
as they are higher in fat and definitely have more flavor.
They're also much cheaper than chicken breasts.
Unfortunately, the majority of chicken production
is intensively managed and grain fed,
plumped with water to increase its weight.
You'll see this when you're cooking
where the excess watery fluid is released.
So if you do enjoy chicken,
try to get the best quality that you can afford.
And of course, other great sources of poultry
are things like turkey, duck and goose.
Number three is red meat.
Yeah, red meat comes in at number three
because of its nutritional density,
being particularly rich in haem iron.
And this is the most bioavailable source of iron.
Adequate intake of iron is essential
for the production of red blood cells.
Iron deficiency is a common cause of anemia.
And yes, you can get iron from plant food sources.
However, it's non-haem iron,
which is not as available to the body as haem iron.
Haem iron from meat enables the body
to absorb more of the non-haem iron from plant sources
when they are consumed together.
This is also a really good time
to mention the importance of vitamin B12,
because animal products such as meat
are the only good dietary sources of B12.
And B12 is an essential nutrient
that is important for blood formation,
and deficiency can cause anemia.
Now, anemia is very easily reversed,
but B12 deficiency can have effects on the brain
and the nervous system that are completely irreversible.
So anyone considering a purely plant-based diet
must take vitamin B12 supplements,
Probably the most of red meat is beef.
So many cuts to choose from
to suit any taste preference and budget.
So many different ways to prepare and enjoy.
It really is a case of choose and cook
any which way you want to.
Pork, again, is another versatile meat.
Choose carefully, though,
some pork products such as bacon and sausages
are heavily processed with added ingredients,
such as sugar, other forms of carbohydrates,
and who knows what other stuff they put in there as well.
Lamb.
Lamb is the oldest known domesticated meat species,
going back approximately 9,000 years in the middle east.
It's a very similar nutritional profile to beef and pork,
high protein content,
lots of other great vitamins and minerals in there.
It is a wonderfully flavorsome meat
that pairs really well with middle eastern spices,
but it's equally delicious as a simple roast joint.
Now here in the UK, lamb is pretty common place.
As I was driving here this morning,
I got stuck because the farmers were moving their sheep.
My clients in the USA,
they tell me that lamb isn't easily available,
but that goat meat is increasingly available
and has a kind of a similar flavor.
Maybe if you're in the USA and watching this video,
you could let me know if you've tried these meats
or if they're even available near you.
Number two is fish.
It's low carb,
it's high in bioavailable protein
and can also deliver great amounts of healthy omega-3 fats.
These fats are super important for our health
and most people do not consume anywhere near enough.
It's vital that we try to balance our omega-3
to omega-6 ratio by reducing our omega-6 intake
and increasing our omega-3.
This helps to reduce our risk of poor health
with cardiovascular disease, diabetes,
and other inflammatory conditions.
The availability of different species of fish
varies massively throughout the world.
In fact, my clients in Australia tell me
that shark is a very popular option down under.
Wherever you are,
please consider buying sustainable fish
to help preserve stocks and to protect the environment.
Oily fish include species like salmon, sardines,
mackerel, pilchards, herring, trout, those kinds of things.
These contain the highest amount of omega-3,
so try and have at least once a week.
Shellfish is another great option,
muscle, prawns, crab, oyster, squid, lobster,
those kinds of things.
These can be a little bit higher in carbohydrate,
but still pretty low.
Some of these deliver omega-3,
but not quite as much as oily fish.
It's still a great source of other vitamins and minerals,
such as selenium, zinc, iodine, and copper.
White fish, of course,
things like cod, haddock, plaice, pollock,
typically lower in fat,
but still provide a great amount of protein.
I'm big fan of white fish,
especially with a lovely lemon, caper and butter sauce.
Absolutely delicious.
So, our number one choice in the protein stakes
is organ meats.
Now, little bit controversial for many people I know,
but bear with me here.
Organ meat, or offal, used to be a lot more popular,
but not so much these days.
And yeah, it's probably the most nutrient dense food
you can consume.
It fits the low carb ketogenic way of eating
incredibly well, given it's typically higher fat content,
with a good amount of protein and minimal carbohydrate.
Liver, for example,
can provide more than 500%
of the recommended daily allowance for copper,
vitamin A and B 12.
Liver is a really easy one to get into your diet
in the form of pate,
which is really easy to make by the way.
And I'll put a link in the description
to our recipe for pate.
Kidneys are very rich in B vitamins and selenium
and make a great addition to beef or pork dishes.
Organ meats tend to be cheaper than other cuts of meat too,
and can be used to bulk out other meat dishes,
such as adding liver to bolognaise or a beef stew.
It reduces the overall cost of the meal
and increases its nutrient density.
We also love the fact
that when we get worried about environment impact
of animal husbandry,
what better way to reduce the over-consumption
than by eating so much more of the animal
rather than wasting it?
So there you have it,
the Carb Dodging top nine protein superfoods.
If you include a variety of these in your meals each week,
you can easily obtain sufficient protein
whilst boosting your intake
of a wide range of essential fats, vitamins, and minerals,
and of course, remain low carb.
I'd love to hear which of these
you're going to try to consume more of.
Would it be the organ meats, or offal?
Or is that just something that is a step too far?
Let me know in the comments down below
and give this video a thumbs up if you found it useful.
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