by Liz Revilla
Vertex Education Ambassador, Nutrition
One of the core principles of good nutrition is to include a variety of foods in your diet! Variety is important both to ensure we are getting adequate nutrition intake and prevent us from getting bored eating the same foods over and over. This principle can be applied to every food group, but today we are specifically going to look at increasing the variety of protein sources that we consume.
Depending on what types of protein you prefer, you can focus on including as many different protein sources from that category as possible.
Animal Proteins:
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Foods: beef, lamb, venison, pork, chicken, turkey, fish, and shellfish
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Supplements: collagen protein powder
Dairy Proteins:
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Foods: milk (from cows, sheep, goats, etc.), cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt, Greek yogurt, and eggs
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Supplements: whey and casein protein powder
Plant Proteins:
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Foods: tofu, tempeh, quinoa, lentils, beans, nuts, nut butters, seeds, nutritional yeast
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Supplements: soy and pea protein powder
Each of these categories provides a unique blend of nutrients that your body needs. Including a variety of foods within each category (as well as between categories) will make sure you’re not getting too much of one thing or not enough of another! If you tend to eat mostly animal protein, try mixing in some more dairy or plant protein into your rotation. You will increase the variety in your diet, and plus it’s just fun to try new foods!
Special Thanks to our Education Ambassador Sponsor:
