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Sometimes our nutritional goals seem like daunting
and arduous tasks. It doesn’t matter if our goal is to “bulk” up or to cut some
body fat and slim down, things at times can get a little monotonous. Often
times when changing our nutritional plan we don’t have a wide variety of foods
to choose from. This can be especially true when it comes to protein sources.
Let’s face it egg whites, protein powders, chicken breast, and a few servings
of the aquatic kind will only go so far after a few weeks or months. Today we
are going to get wild with some “game” protein sources. These are healthy
protein sources that you probably never though about that can be implemented in
a diet. So without further ado here are five protein sources that can give you
a little more taste than just egg whites and chicken breast.
<!-Bison
Here is one that
comes right off the range! Here is a protein source that is very lean and offers tons of health benefits. If you have a craving
for a burger but want to avoid some of the fat and cholesterol reach for a bison burger. Bison is so good it is often called
the “healthier” red meat. One 3.5 ounce bison burger contains a “fat friendly” 179 calories per serving.
While bison does contain 9 grams of fat per 3.5 ounce serving only 3 grams of that is saturated. Bison are grass fed animals
so they will have a higher concentration of good fats such as omega-3 fatty acids and CLA per serving. Bison is also packed
with a high concentration of B vitamins per serving. Mineral wise, because Bison are grass fed, a person will receive a bunch.
Bison offers almost 50% of a daily requirement of selenium, almost 40% of a daily requirement of zinc, and a high amount of
hemi- iron.
Ostrich
Ostrich meat is another exotic meat that can be very
versatile. Ostrich comes in everything from steaks, jerkys, and burgers.
Ostrich burgers fall into a similar category as bison when it comes to
nutrition. Per 3.5 ounces you get 26 grams of protein, 0 carbs, and 7 grams of
fat. Ostrich also offers a good amount of healthy fats. Vitamin wise you will
be packed with B vitamins, especially B12.
A person can get almost 96% of
their recommended daily amount of B12 with a 3.5 ounce serving. When it comes
to minerals look for almost 50% of the daily recommended amount of selenium, 30%
zinc, and 25% phosphorous. A person will also get a good amount of hemi-iron
from ostrich also.
<!-Boar
The boar is the
pig’s wilder cousin. In states like Texas, where they are overrun with boar eating boar meat is pretty common.
While some people think boar is just a pig not raised on a farm, it actually is quite a bit different. Boar meat differs
from pig in everything from nutritional value to taste. Even genetically the boar is becoming quite different than it’
fatter farm cousin. The first thing a person will notice is boar meat has a much sweeter taste than your standard pork. The
meat is also leaner and firmer than your standard pork. Serving for serving wild boar has one third less fat than it’s
domestic cousin. Wild boar is also lower in cholesterol. From a 3.5 ounce serving of wild boar expect to get 32 grams of protein,
0 grams of carbs, and only 5 grams of fat.
Venison
Want a nice juicy steak but don’t want the calories
and fat? Venison may be the meat for you! Even when leaner cuts of beef are compared
to venison, typically venison wins out over beef. If you compare 3.5 ounces of
venison against 3.5 ounces of lean broiled sirloin, this is what you get:
|
Meat
|
Calories
|
Protein
|
Carbs
|
Fat
|
|
Venison
|
157
|
34 grams
|
0
grams
|
3.5 grams
|
|
Lean Sirloin
|
187
|
30
grams
|
0
grams
|
6.5
grams
|
As you can see venison ranks higher in every
category and also has a higher vitamin and mineral content than steak.
<!-Alligator
This is a meat
that I actually fell in love with living in Florida. Like the saying goes “taste like chicken….” Alligator
meat would be a great meat if you looking to add some quality calories to your diet. Alligator meat is a very concentrated
source of protein so even though it does not have a lot of fat it is packed with calories. How concentrated is it? A 3.5 ounce
serving of alligator meat will give you a whopping 47 grams of protein. A 3.5 ounce piece of alligator will supply you with
245 calories compared to 167 calories from the same size of chicken breast. Here is the kicker though alligator only has 4
grams of fat which is very comparable to the 3.5 grams of fat in the same size piece of chicken. Alligator also has no saturated
fat or cholesterol, that actually is better than chicken. Alligator meat is not only tasty but quite recipe friendly. You
can use alligator meat in any recipe that requires veal, chicken, and even some types of seafood.
Hunting
Out Your Protein Sources
Eating healthy does not have to be a repetitive task.
While improving your nutrition requires a good amount of protein, it does not
have to be the same foods over and over again. Adding game meats can be healthy
and tasty alternatives to protein foods like egg whites and chicken breast. So
the next time your bored of your same old protein sources try getting a little “game”
with your diet.
All articles on this site are authored or co-authored by Jarueba Taylor. They are the copy written
property of Taylored Nutrition. ©
2-2013
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