October 2018 Issue #22 October 2018 Issue #22 | Page 70

“Protein from animal sources are always complete proteins,” explains Lambert. “This
means all nine essential amino acids are present in sufficient levels. These essential
amino acids are ones that we have to eat, as we cannot generate them ourselves. In
contrast, plant-based sources of amino acids tend to be incomplete. Vitamin B12 is
also often something that vegans are deficient in (and may need to supplement).”
“The major difference between protein from animal sources and plant sources is the
sheer volume of plant sources that need to be consumed to hit the same require-
ments,” says Worthington. “For example, 100g of chicken contains 31g of protein,
whilst 100g of quinoa contains just 13g.” Therefore, our 100kg man will need to con-
sume over 1.5kg of quinoa to hit his daily protein requirements – as opposed to 640g of
chicken breast.
Meat and fish, then, are clearly the best protein sources per gram. It makes sense, in a
macabre sort of way; to build muscle, it helps to consume muscle. But not all animals
are created equal, either.
“Both meat and fish are very high quality protein sources,” says Roar Fitness’ James
Castle-Mason. “However there are both leaner types of fish (such as cod, haddock and
tuna) and fattier types of fish (salmon, mackerel, trout).”
The same can be said for meat, too. Chicken breast, turkey and venison are leaner
(meaning they have less fat, and so are mostly made up of protein). Meanwhile, pork
chops, lamb, and beef mince are fattier cuts, meaning you’ll get less protein per gram
as some of the volume is taken up with fat.
“The British Nutrition Foundation lists Lean chicken Breast and and lean beef steak
as th e highest protein based sources at 32g per 100g and 31g per 100g respectively,”
says Castle-Mason. “Fattier cuts should be limited due to some associations between
high amounts of saturated fat found particularly in red meat, but fatty cuts in general
with cardiovascular risks.”
So, when it comes to sourcing your protein, meat and fish may be the most muscular,
but too much may negatively affect your health. Which is why it’s equally important to
balance out your meals with a healthy portion of veg.
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