It’s true that variety is the key to life and this holds true for food. It’s more than just about mixing different food groups, such as vegetables, meats, fruits and nuts. You should also vary what food groups you eat regularly.

To get the best nutrition bang for your buck, you need to be open to trying different things.

Today, we will be focusing on diversifying your protein sources. It’s easy to get stuck in a food rut, eating chicken breast every night for dinner and eggs every morning for breakfast.

Humans are, in nature, creatures of habit.

With a little planning, you can reap the benefits of mixing up your protein intake to include eggs, meat, poultry, pork, fish and even organic dairy products.

Protein is vital. It’s the building block of all nutrients and your body’s function. Below is a table that shows the approximate protein requirements based on activity level. It’s called Lean Body Mass (LBM).

Sedentary- 0.5g/lb LBM

Light – 0.7g/lb LBM

Moderate – 0.9g/lb LBM

High – 11.1g/lb LBM

Intensive–1.3g/lb LBM

Apex Performance coaches can help you identify your protein needs by analyzing your body and discussing your lifestyle. 

However, protein is essential for training to gain muscle mass.

Why is it important to vary your protein?

Is it chicken, fish, eggs, or both?

Is it possible to make chicken easy?

Or, I can enjoy steak for dinner every night and a post-workout whey shake?

Or, am I a vegetarian who can only eat vegetarian-friendly protein sources like beans, tofu, and eggs?

These are the nuts and bolts of it all:

A combination of amino acids is called protein. The amino acids in the food proteins are broken down during digestion. These are then absorbed into the body and used for:

• Maintain, build and repair your body tissues
• Synthesize hormones, enzymes
• When carbohydrates and fat are unavailable, you can supply energy

Although all plant and animal cells contain some protein, the quality as well as quantity varies greatly between foods. All 9 essential amino acids are found in animal protein, while some other sources, such as fruits, vegetables and nuts, may not have the necessary ones.

It is important to eat a variety of foods (preferably organic and grass-fed) in order to reap the full benefits of all 20 amino acid and nutrients in different proteins.

Take, for example:

• Although a 6-ounce ham steak contains only 2.5 grams of saturated fat, it is loaded with sodium — 2,000 mgs, which is 500mg more than the daily maximum.
• Beef is richer in CLA (conjugated Linoleic Acid) and omega-3s than chicken. Omega-3’s are essential fats that your body needs for cell metabolism, digestion, energy and cell growth. CLA has many benefits, including improved cardiovascular health, brain function, weight loss, bone loss, and weight gain due to menopause.
• Wild-caught fish can often cause fewer health problems than farm-raised seafood. They also have lower levels of chemical and toxic contamination.
• Ground turkey is a good source of lean protein. However, if it is your only or primary source, you are missing out on the essential fatty acids found in salmon or grass-fed bison.

These are just a few of the many reasons variety is important when it comes to protein.

How do you actually put it into practice? This is an example of how varied protein might look over three days, with 3 meals and 1 snack.

Day 1

• Chicken sausage
• Nuts and seeds
• Ground bison
• Whitefish

Day 2

• Eggs
• Beef jerky
• Leftover fish
• Ground turkey

Day 3

• Greek yogurt
• Whey
• Turkey leftovers
• Ground beef

Your overall health is not just about protein quantity and variety. Are you ready to improve your nutrition, lifestyle and training habits? Contact Apex Performance today!

This post was written by Darryl Johnson, Co-Owner of Apex performance. At https://theapexperf.com/ we are a community of highly trained experts looking to provide performance enhancement and a permanent lifestyle change for our clients in a fun and interactive environment. Members can take advantage of one-on-one training, small group classes and specialized courses for a wide variety of athletics, sports training and body goals!