Bert Swope
There’s a funny quote used to taunt vegans that the aromatic smell of bacon on someone else’s plate makes them contemplate cheating on their veggies and have a secret affair with the swine.
Such funny quotes centered on meat show how much people love the big three (chicken, pork, and beef). We would all love to be chewing on some high-quality steak, but for budget reasons and sometimes due to dental problems and ethical reasons for those standing on high moral grounds, this lifestyle is not sustainable.
But just because you are not getting your proteins from meat, chicken and pork don’t mean you lack alternatives. According to nutritional experts, if you choose to think beyond the big three industrial meat types, you will find various human nutrition high protein foods without blowing holes through your financial pockets. Take a look.
Alternative sources of proteins
1. Eggs from chicken, duck and guinea hen
Eggs, together with dairy proteins, soy, and quinoa, fall into non-meat complete protein alternatives. These are non-meat protein options that pack essential amino acids in sufficient amounts, just like the three major industrial meat types.
According to nutritional experts, eggs contain essential building blocks in just the right amount. There’s at least 60-percent of proteins in egg whites. The other advantage is they are frigging easy to prepare and can be used to whip into other delicious foods such as a frittata or angel food cake. How about an egg salad as a daytime snack – It can be taken with multigram crackers or spread over a slice of bread.
2. Dairy options
In case you are looking for low-fat alternatives, you will never go wrong with dairy proteins such as yogurt, low-fat milk cottage cheese, and cheese also makes the best snack. You’ve probably been told that snacking is a bad habit, well not when you are sneaking in some cheese or yogurt alongside your crackers. The creamed soup tastes good too. And how about a breakfast of cereals in milk – a great way to carpe diem!
3. Insects
Although not a customary part of Western diets, termites, grasshoppers, and crickets have started making their way into our plates. Entomophagy is not gross as people’ would like you to believe. In fact, munching on cricket and mealworm diets is said to be healthier than chewing on beef and chicken. Adult forms of grasshoppers and locusts are rich in proteins and also contain amino acids for brain health. So, get munching on those worms!
4. Freshwater and seafood sources
Dried fish, a tasty snack loaded with 18 grams of protein per ounce and vitamins B12, magnesium, and potassium, among other nutrients. You can get dried fish in forms such as flounder, halibut, haddock, or cod.
Crustaceans are an excellent source of proteins, too; this includes shrimp, crayfish, lobster, pawns, and crabs. These are low calories, low carb, low fat, and high protein seafood. Don’t just leave them for coastal town residents and tourists; get some shrimp in your diet too.
5. Protein sources from your home garden
Gardening can be a economical and helpful way to put proteins on your table. Vegetable proteins like peas and beans can be enjoyed as a side dish or used to prepare delicious recipes such as burritos and hummus.
Alternatively, you can go for market products such as the canned types. Other vegetables rich in protein include Edamame, lentils, pistachios, yellow sweet corn, and quinoa. Wild rice, too, it’s not actual rice but can be used in a lot of rice dishes. It contains 6.54g of proteins per cup.
6. Less popular meat types
Less popular meat types such as rabbit, duck, guinea hen, squirrel, duck, and goose are excellent protein sources too. Rabbit meat sustained children in the 1940s and ’50s depression, and there’s no reason you shouldn’t go back to it now. Rich in easily digestible proteins, low calories, cholesterol, and sodium, rabbit meat is definitely one of the white meats in the market. Plus, rabbits have a high feed conversion efficiency, on the same resources, a cow produces a pound of beef only while a rabbit produces six, so a win there for the ‘green’ team, yay!
Okay, that said, my inner nutritionist, is jumping up and down with nutrient calculators, urging you to go on!
